Issues of Democracy O CTOBER 2004 E LECTIONS G UIDE 2004 BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS U.S. DEPARTMENT 0F STATE The Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State publishes five electronic journals—Economic Perspectives, Global Issues, Issues of Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda, ISSUES OF DEMOCRACY and U.S. Society & Values—that examine major issues facing the United States and the international community as well as U.S. society, values, thought, and institutions. Each of the five is catalogued by volume (the number of years in publication) and by number (the number of issues that appear during the year). Editor.........Leslie C. High Associate Editors.................Rebecca Ford Mitchell One new journal is published monthly in English and is followed two to Rosalie Targonski four weeks later by versions in French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Selected Alexandra Abboud editions also appear in Arabic and Russian. Carrie Lee Reference/Research.................Anita Green The opinions expressed in the journals do not necessarily reflect the Lorna Dodt views or policies of the U.S. government. The U.S. Department of State Art Director.................Chloe Ellis assumes no responsibility for the content and continued accessibility of Cover Design..................Min Yao Internet sites to which the journals link; such responsibility resides solely Photo Editor.................John Wicart with the publishers of those sites. Journal articles, photographs, and illustrations may be reproduced and translated outside the United States unless they carry explicit copyright restrictions, in which case permission must be sought from the copyright holders noted in the journal. Publisher..................Judith S. Siegel Executive Editor......................Guy E. Olson The Bureau of International Information Programs maintains current Production Manager.................Christian Larson and back issues in several electronic formats, as well as a list of upcoming Assistant Production Manager.........................Sylvia Scott journals, at http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/journals.htm. Comments are welcome at your local U.S. Embassy or at the editorial offices: Editorial Board Editor, eJournal USA: Issues of Democarcy George Clack Kathleen R. Davis Francis B. Ward IIP/T/DHR U.S. Department of State 301 4th St. S.W. Washington, D.C. 20547 United States of America E-mail: [email protected] Democracy and Human Rights h October 2004 eJournal USA About This Issue he United States is in the midst of a new This journal provides a broad look at the election season, and candidates are elections—the influential forces at work, the Tcrisscrossing the country. Campaign signs positions of the two major parties, and voting are sprouting up in front yards and adorning car procedures in the United States. The first section bumpers. Volunteers are appearing at grocery examines six important factors that affect the stores and train stations, offering to help people election: the need to win enough states to carry with last-minute voter registration. Serious, the Electoral College, the various ethnic and sometimes heated, conversations are taking place demographic voting groups, the significance of with increasing frequency about which candidate elections for the U.S. Senate and House of will lead the country down a better road. Representatives, the evolving regulations governing the financing of campaigns, the role of Most Americans follow a presidential election the media and political advertising, and the campaign through the newspaper or on the impact of third party candidates. Each segment nightly television news or their favorite radio talk combines background information with show or Internet Website. Relatively few citizens commentary by an expert on how they see the have the experience of meeting the candidates in subject playing out in the 2004 campaign. person at campaign rallies unless they live in a hotly contested state—one of the so-called The second section compares the Republican and battleground states. Those who do—especially in Democratic party platforms, which state their communities with a lot of undecided voters—are official positions on a range of policy issues. Two likely to have several opportunities to see political activists, one from each party, give candidates throughout the campaign season. overviews of their party’s positions on several key Those who live in communities that consistently topics. Then excerpts from both platforms are vote for Republicans or Democrats are not likely contrasted in a side-by-side format. to see candidates from either party. The final section looks at some of the mechanics The presidential election campaign of 2004 is no of U.S. elections, including the Electoral College, exception to these patterns. As the November 2 polling places, voting machines, and ballots. election day approaches, media coverage is intensifying and the candidates are sharpening Americans are fond of arguing about their their differences on the issues. President George electoral system—whether the Electoral College Bush and Senator John Kerry are traveling around should be scrapped, how to control the amount the country addressing crowds of potential of money that is spent on campaigns, what kind supporters, particularly in battleground states of voting machines are easiest for citizens to use. such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico. Each election cycle brings its own complaints, The two candidates scheduled three nationally adjustments, and reforms, and discussions begin televised debates to bring the issues into clearer on how it should be done the next time. Still, the focus for voters. What seems to concern system has served the country through the Americans most in the 2004 election, according peaceful transfer of presidential power for more to the polls, are security issues and the state of the than 200 years and remains a model of American domestic economy, especially jobs. democracy in action. —The Editors eJournal USA Issues of Democracy h October 2004 Issues of Democracy U.S. Department of State October 2004 Volume 9 Number 3 http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/journals.htm CONTENTS Elections Guide 2004 What’s in Play 14 Financing the Campaigns 4 Winning the States The McCain-Feingold Law banned “soft” money, but the emergence of “527 committees” represents a new Because the president and vice president are selected avenue for large contributors. by winner-take-all Electoral College votes in each state, and not by the national popular vote, Expert Commentary: Jan Baran, Partner, Wiley, Rein & candidates focus on winning strategic state contests. Fielding LLP, Washington, D.C. Expert Commentary: Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of 17 The Mass Media the Cook Political Report American voters obtain most of their information 7 The Split Electorate about candidates and their positions from the mass media. The quality of campaign coverage and the Polls indicate that American voters support the two tone of political ads are important factors in the major presidential candidates in nearly equal election. numbers. The small number of undecided or “swing” voters may be key to the election’s outcome. Expert Commentary: Montague Kern, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers Expert Commentary: John Zogby, President and Chief University Executive Officer, Zogby International 20 Third Parties 10 Congressional Elections Despite the dominance of the Republican and Control of Congress is important to a party’s Democratic parties, third parties often affect the legislative agenda. A number of races for the Senate outcome of U.S. elections. Ralph Nader is the only and House of Representatives are hotly contested third-party candidate in 2004 that might have a this year. measurable impact. Expert Commentary: Thomas E. Mann, W. Averell Expert Commentary: L. Sandy Maisel, William R. Kenan, Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow, The Brookings Jr., Professor of Government, Colby College Institution Democracy and Human Rights h October 2004 eJournal USA Where They Stand How It Happens 23 Platform Positions 29 Voting Day Along with a candidate’s personal appeal and party What Americans do when they go to the polls. affiliation, a party’s positions on the issues are deciding factors for voters. Here is a comparison of 30 Voting Technology excerpts from the two major party platforms on key points with an overview of each by two experienced The ways in which Americans cast their votes are party activists. changing. Expert Commentary: Republican Tucker Eskew, former 32 Deputy Assistant to the President in the White House Office Ballots of Communications and President of Eskew Strategies, and Democrat Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Ambassador to Not only the names of candidates appear on an Morocco, Chief Executive Officer of Northstar Equity Group, and Chairman, Alliance for American Leadership. American ballot. 33 The Electoral College 26 Platform Excerpts How the Electoral College elects the president and A chart of excerpts from their platforms reveals where vice president. the Republicans and Democrats stand on major issues. 34 Bibliography 28 Debating the Issues 36 Internet Resources Televised debates between the candidates have become one of the most anticipated and influential aspects of the presidential campaign. eJournal USA Issues of Democracy h October 2004 Winning the States The campaign for the presidency focuses more heavily on some states than on