Campaigns and Elections
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Campaigns and Elections Chapter 5 Learning Objectives 5.1 Analyze the components of a political campaign, specifically how the process of running and financing a campaign has changed over the years. 5.2 Describe the role that race and ethnicity play in politics, focusing on the importance of minority voters. 5.3 Describe the role that women have played in Texas politics and how that role has evolved. 5.4 Explain the complexities of voting and how the voting process promotes, and inhibits, voter participation. 5.5 Identify the differences among primary, general, Copyrightand © 2016 special Cengage elections. Learning. All 2 rights reserved. Political Campaigns § Conducting Campaigns in the 21st Century § Character/political style vs. issues § Physical appearance and personality § Importance of the media- § Hard to visit 254 counties 3 Political Campaigns § Conducting Campaigns in the 21st Century § Texas campaigners must rely more heavily on television, radio, and social media exposure than do candidate in other states § In addition to television and radio, use social media/Facebook,Twitter, and emails for fundraising 4 Political Campaigns § Conducting Campaigns in the 21st Century § Independent candidate-a candidate who runs in a general election without party endorsement or selection (Kinky Friedman) § Sound bite- a brief statement of a candidate's theme communicated by radio or television (10- to a full minute) 5 Political Campaigns § Conducting Campaigns in the 21st Century § Mudslide campaigns - negative comments about someone's character or an issue they didn't address or aligned themselves with (Gun rights/gun control) Takes on precedence when character important in a campaign 6 Political Campaigns § Campaign Reform § Eliminating negative campaigning- § Media emphasizes poll results and the horserace appearance of a contest rather than basic issues and candidate personalities that relate to total leadership potential § negative commercials influence voters ( especially undecided voters) drawing their preference away from the candidate7 being attacked Political Campaigns § Campaign Reform § Increasing free media access- § Increase broadcasters to make air wave more available at no cost to political candidates § (unlikely as media outlets necessary part of political campaigns and media outlets generate a significant source of revenue from political campaigns 8 Political Campaigns § Campaign Reform § Increasing free media access (cont) § Smartphone apps § Social media now used by most candidates (Twitter/Facebook/YouTube § Sometimes hard for candidates to monitor what others put on these sites 9 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance § “Money makes the mare go” § Record spending in 2002 Texas gubernatorial campaign ($ 95 million)- Sanchez outspent Perry by more than two to one ($67 million to $28 million and still lost) § So money not always indicative of success but does help to get your 10 name out and cover the state Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance § Pales to California 2010 ($250 m) and New York 2002 ( $148 m ) § Candidates need to raise large amounts of cash at the local, state, and national levels; becomes more expensive as you go up the ladder. § PACs- organizations created to collect and distribute contributions of political campaigns, donate because they agree11 with a candidate's position on the issues Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance § Donors receive “access” and not necessarily control of officials policymaking decisions § Texas laws on campaign financing are relatively weak and tend to emphasize reporting of contributions with few limits on the amounts of donations (exception: judicial races) 12 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance § Texas Ethics Commission-A state agency that enforces state standard for lobbyists and public officials including registration of lobbyists and reporting of political campaign contributions (electronically) § Requires financial disclosure from political officials but Texas has no laws that limit political contributions 13 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance § Prohibiting political contributions to members of the legislature while they are in session (Lonnie “Bo” Pilgrim handed out $10,000 checks on the Texas Senate floor, leaving the “payable to” lines blank, as legislators debated reforming the state's workers' compensation laws 14 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws § Campaign Reform Act-2002 § prohibits soft money (unregulated political donations made to a national political parties or independent expenditure on behalf of a candidate) § Increased the limits on hard money(campaign money donated directly to candidate or political parties and restricted15 in amount by federal law) Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws § 2003- McConnell v. FEC- McConnell said Campaign Reform Act unconstitutional. Restrain on freedom of speech and also addressed the 30/60 limit on issue ads in primary and general elections but the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the “soft Money” ban (appearance of impropriety important) 16 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § 2010-Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission-overturned a provision of the Campaign Reform Act that banned unlimited expenditures by corporations, unions, and nonprofit organization in federal elections. 17 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § 2010 SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission- Federal Appeals Court ruled that campaign contribution limits on independent organizations using the funds only for independent expenditures are unconstitutional. This decision led to Superpacs 18 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § Super PAC – Independent expenditure- only committees that many raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, union, nonprofit organizations, and individuals § Able to spend limited sums to openly support or oppose political candidate; cannot coordinate with presidential or senatorial/representative campaign and19 must show who contributed Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § 2014- McCutcheon v. FEC -Struck down the aggregate limits on the amount an individual may contribute during a two-year period to all federal candidates, parties and political action committee combined was unconstitutional ($117,000). So still the hard limits to candidates but can increase the number of candidates beyond the $117,000 limit 20 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § Texas 's state campaign finance laws have focused on making contribution information more easily available to citizens. § No limits on amount of donations- only restriction on the amount of donations only apply to some judicial candidates § File periodically with the Texas Ethics Commission(electronically) 21 Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § 2003 Texas law requiring officials of cities with a population of more than 100,000 and trustees of school districts with enrollments of 5,000 or more to disclose the sources of their incomes as well as the value of their stocks and real estate holdings § Candidates for state political offices identify employers/ occupations of $500 or more22 to their campaigns and the “cash on hand” Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Federal and state laws (cont) § Prohibits state legislators from lobbying for clients before state agencies § “Dark money” money spent on elections by anonymous donors. In 2013 would have required nonprofit organizations that spent $25,000 or more on political campaigns to publicly disclose contributors who donate more than $1000. (don't have to disclose23 donors. Vetoed for privacy concerns) Political Campaigns § Campaign Finance (cont.) § Learning check § Most Texas voters learn about candidates through newspaper editorials. § Which state commission requires financial disclosure from public officials? 24 Racial and Ethnic Politics § Latinos § LULAC and La Raza § Major impact beginning in 1960s-‘70s § New strategies and leaders in 1980s § Latino nominees to attract Latino voters- Bush- appointed many Latino candidates/Alberto Gonzales; Perry (Andrade/Sec. of State; Carrillo (RR Commissioner) and two to the highest25 Courts in the land Racial and Ethnic Politics § Latinos § George P. Bush (Florida) § Democrats Latinos for high level statewide offices Dan Morales to Texas Attorney General/ Julio Castro to mayor of San Antonio, Leticia Van De Pute (nominee for Lt. Gov) § Bilingual and immigration( many Republicans do not endorse the traditional immigration platform of the Republican 26 party Racial and Ethnic Politics § Latinos § Candidates and Issue oriented (not party-oriented) § Divisions occur between socioeconomic levels (greater than $50,000 more likely to support Republican candidates) 27 Racial and Ethnic Politics § Latinos § In 2012- Republican National committee launched the Growth and Opportunity project- strategies to expand to Latinos and African Americans § In 2014, Abbott garnered 40% of the Latino vote. Texas Latino voters vote more for Republicans than other Latino populations in the US 28 In an effort to win support among Latino voters, 2014 Rep. gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott launched a website in Spanish. Critical Thinking Question: How might developing a website in Spanish win support among Latino voters? Copyright