1. Nominations and Campaign Chapter 9

2. Presidential Campaign  Nomination Game  Nomination = official endorsement of a candidate for office by political party  Requires momentum, money, media attention  Campaign strategy = how candidate manipulate money, media attention, and momentum to achieve a “win”  Running for President  U.S. v. other nations  Time and money needed to compete  Open Secrets Open

3. The Nomination Game  Deciding to Run  Campaigns are more physically and emotionally taxing than ever.  American campaigns are much longer.  Barack Obama made clear his intention to run for president in January 2007.  Other countries have short campaigns, generally less than two months.

4. Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2008 The Nomination Game  Competing for Delegates  Nomination game is an elimination contest  Goal is to win a majority of delegates’ support at the national party convention, or the supreme power within each of the parties  The convention meets every four years to nominate the party ’ s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.  Conventions are but a formality today.

5. The Nomination Game  Competing for Delegates  The Caucus Road  Caucus: meetings of state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national convention  Organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state ’ s convention  A handful of states use a caucus—open to all voters who are registered with a party  The Iowa caucus is first and most important.

6. The Nomination Game  Competing for Delegates  The Primary Road  Primary: elections in which voters in a state vote for a nominee (or delegates pledged to the nominee)  Began at turn of 20 th century by progressive reformers  McGovern-Fraser Commission led to selection of delegates through primary elections  Most delegates are chosen through primaries.  Superdelegates: democratic leaders who automatically get a delegate slot  Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold primaries early to capitalize on media attention. New Hampshire is first.  Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.

8. The Nomination Game  Competing for Delegates  Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System  Disproportionate attention to early ones  Prominent politicians do not run.  Money plays too big a role.  Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative; 20 percent vote in primaries.  The system gives too much power to the media.

9. The Nomination Game

10.  Frontloading  McGovern – Fraser Commission  Open delegate selection  Primary election for delegates  Superdelegates: democratic leaders who automatically get a delegate slot  Created in 1984  15% of delegates slots are reserved for Party leaders

11.  Allocation  Proportional representation = democrats  Winner take all or States decide = republicans  Evaluation of the system  Disproportionate  Time  Money  Participation of voters  Media

12. The Nomination Game  The Convention Send-off  National conventions once provided great drama, but now are a formality, which means less TV time.  Significant rallying point for parties  Key note speaker on first day of Convention  Party platform: statement of a party ’ s goals and policies for next four years  Debated on the second day of the Convention  Formal nomination of president and vice- president candidates on third and fourth days

13. The Nomination Game

14. The Campaign Game  Technology  Dependence on technology for possible win  Voters are able to travel with candidate  “horse race” vs. policy issues  Money and Campaign “Money is the mother’s milk of politics”  Money buys votes and influence

15. Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2008 The Campaign Game

17. Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2008 The Campaign Game  Organizing the Campaign  Get a campaign manager  Get a fund-raiser and campaign counsel  Hire media and campaign consultants  Assemble staff and plan logistics  Get research staff, policy advisors, and pollsters  Get a good press secretary  Establish a website

18.  Campaign Finance Reforms  1974 Federal Election Campaign Act  Federal Election Committee  Administers the campaign finance laws and enforces compliance with their requirements  Presidential Election Campaign Fund  Public financing (during primaries)  Matching funds: Contributions of up to $250 are matched for candidates who meet conditions, such as limiting spending  Public funding during general election  Disclosure  Reports must be filled with FEC

19.  Buckley v. Valeo (1976)  It is unconstitutional to limits the money individuals could contribute to their own campaign  Soft Money  money contributed to organizations and committees other than candidate campaigns and political parties that engage in political activity, but it may not be spent for ads specifically promoting the election or defeat of a candidate.  McCain – Feingold Act (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - BCRA 2002)  Banned soft money  Increased individual contribution form $1000 to $2000 (plus provided raising the index created by inflation)  Banned groups from running “issue ads” within 60 days from general election

20.  McConell v. FEC 2003  "money, like water, will always find an outlet” – Sandra O’Connor  Restriction of free speech  527 groups  Independent groups seeking to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions  FEC restriction = no explicit endorsement  Citizens United v FEC2010  corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited  Upheld the disclosure requirements for political advertising sponsors and it upheld the ban on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions  PAC’s  Political Action committees  Corporations, unions, or some other interest groups  PACs donate to candidates who support their issue.  PACs do not “buy” candidates, but give to candidates who support them in the first place  FEC Website FEC Website

22. Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2008 Money and Campaigning

24. Pearson Education, Inc., Longman © 2008 Money and Campaigning  Are Campaigns Too Expensive?  Time.  Incumbents  Campaigns have three effects on voters:  Reinforcement, Activation, Conversion  Several factors weaken campaigns’ impact on voters:  Selective perception  Party identification still influence voting behavior  Incumbents begin with sizeable advantage

25. Understanding Nominations and Campaigns  Impact on democracy  Voice of citizens  Permanent campaign  Length  Individualism  Scope of government  Battle between states  Special interest

26. Summary  Campaigns are media-oriented and expensive.  Delegates are selected through caucuses and primaries.  Money and contributions from PACs regulated by the FEC are essential to campaigns.  Campaigns reinforce perceptions but do not change minds.