1. Elections and Voting Behavior Chapters 8 & 9

2. How American Elections Work Three types of elections:  Select party nominees (primary elections)  Select officeholders (general elections)  Select options on specific policies Referendum:  State voters approve or disapprove proposed legislation.  Often used for constitutional amendments.  Initiated by the legislature, sent to the voters

3. How American Elections Work Initiative petition:  Voters in some states propose legislation to be voted on.  Requires a specific number of signatures to be valid.  Can still be voted down by the people.

4. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Deciding Whether to Vote  U.S. typically has low voter turnouts.  Some argue it is a rational choice to not vote.  Political Efficacy: The belief that one’s political participation really matters.  Civic Duty: The belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote.

5. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice The Decline of Turnout: 1892-2004 (Figure 10.2)

6. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Registering To Vote  Voter Registration: A system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day.  Registration procedures differ from state to state.  Motor Voter Act: Requires states to permit people to register to vote when the apply for their driver’s license.

7. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Who Votes?  Education: More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor.  Age: Older = more likely to vote.  Race: Caucasian = more likely to vote. BUT, other ethnicities are higher with comparable education.  Gender: Female = more likely to vote.

8. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Who Votes? (continued)  Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote.  Union Membership: Union member = more likely to vote.  Traits are cumulative - possessing several adds up.

9. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice

10. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens’ Decisions Mandate Theory of Elections  The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics.  Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.

11. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizen's Decisions Party Identification  People generally vote for a party they agree with.  Rise of candidate-centered politics has changed this view.  Now many voters are individualistic.  Characteristics of each candidate have become more important than party.

12. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizen’s Decisions

13. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizen's Decisions Candidate Evaluations: How Americans See the Candidates  Candidates want a good visual image.  Most important dimensions are integrity, reliability, and competence.  Personality still plays a role.

14. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizen's Decisions Policy Voting  Basing your vote choice on issue preferences.  Must know where they and the candidates stand on issues and see differences between candidates.  Candidates can be ambiguous on the issues.  The press tends to focus on the “horse race” not the issues.  Today candidates are forced to take a clear stand in the party primaries.

15. The Last Battle: The Electoral College Electoral College actually elects the President - founders wanted him/her chosen by the elite of the country States choose the electors Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states because the candidate who wins the popular vote in California, for example, gets all of California’s 55 electoral votes.

16. The Last Battle: The Electoral College How it works today:  Each state has as many votes as it does Representatives and Senators. A total of 538 electoral votes exist among the 50 states and Washington D.C.  Winner of a state’s popular vote typically gets ALL the Electoral College votes from that state. (Some states are now dividing electoral votes proportionally).  Election Day is the Tuesday after the 1 st Monday in November (on all even numbered years)  Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the vice president in a joint session of Congress in early January.  If no candidate gets 270 votes (a majority), the House of Representatives chooses the president (from top 3 electoral vote winners), with each state getting ONE vote.

17. The Last Battle: The Electoral College

18. The Fear of the Faithless Elector A faithless elector is one who casts an electoral vote for someone other than the person pledged, including one who refuses to vote for any candidate.  There are laws to punish faithless electors in 24 states.  As stated in a Supreme Court ruling, electors are acting as a functionary of the state, not the federal government. Therefore, states have the right to govern electors.  While many states may only punish a faithless elector after-the- fact, some such as Michigan specify that his or her vote shall be canceled.

19. The continued existence of the Electoral College is a subject of controversy. 2001 Gallup article noted that "a majority of Americans have continually expressed support for the notion of an official amendment of the U.S. Constitution that would allow for direct election of the president" Critics argue that the Electoral College is archaic, inherently undemocratic and gives certain swing states disproportionate influence in selecting the President and Vice President. Proponents argue that the Electoral College is an important, distinguishing feature of federalism in the United States and that it protects the rights of smaller states. Numerous constitutional amendments have been introduced in the Congress seeking to alter the Electoral College or replace it with a direct popular vote; however, no proposal has ever passed the Congress.

20. Alternatives to the Electoral College Popular vote chooses president Proportional popular vote translated into proportional electoral vote (no more winner-take-all) The National Bonus Plan: Gives the popular vote winner an additional 102 electoral votes. If they received a total of 321 electoral votes after the 102 were added, they win.

21. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior How much do elections affect public policy?  Voters can steer government only when there are noticeable policy differences between the candidates. Do policies affect elections?  Candidates who vow to continue popular policies are more likely to win elections.  Policies affect voting behavior through retrospective voting. Retrospective voting: basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or signaling a desire for change. Prospective voting: basing voting decisions on what gov't will do in the near future by choosing a certain political party with distinct stances on issues.  Bad economies make politicians nervous.

22. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior Elections and the Scope of Government  While the threat of electoral punishment constrains policy makers, it also helps to increase generalized support for government and its Voters know the government can be replaced in the next election, so they feel the government will be responsive to their needs. Thus, the government expands to fill the needs of the voters.