AP GOVERMENT

CAMPAIGNS, , The Purpose of Elections • Legitimize government, even in authoritarian systems.

• Organize government.

• Choose issue and policy priorities.

• Electorate gives winners a mandate. What is a primary and what is it not? • Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices.

• Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the .

• An election that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting them to the electorate for popular vote.

• An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval. Before the actual election you usually need a primary:

1.Closed Primary – registered voters of a particular party

2. Open Primary – Independents and often members of any party 3. Non-Partisan Primary – Voting without regard to party affiliation 4. Crossover voting – voting in a primary for a different party than you are registered in. The Primary Season –Rush to be First THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES • Winner Take All • Proportional • Caucus • Front Loading by States • National Convention: Out of Power Party goes first. • Labor Day was the traditional “kick-off” but that has changed in recent years Getting the Voters Involved

• Electorate: Those eligible to vote

• : citizens propose legislation and then vote on it.

• : state legislature submits proposed legislation to voters (aka “punting”)

• Recall: Voters seek to remove an elected official.

• Incumbent: an official already in office How do different states regulate voter eligibility? THE

• 538= 435 plus 100 plus 3 • Originally designed to operate without political parties and to produce a non-partisan president • Red is GOP and Blue is Democratic • Largest is California (55); then Texas (38); then New York and Florida (29)…. • Average district size is now going to be over 700K

• WEB SITE 270 TO WIN…………………… PARTY REALIGNMENTS

• Before they occur there is usually a critical election

• Last big three were 1860; 1932; 1980

• “A fundamental and enduring alteration in the make-up”

• Secular realignment is a gradual re-arrangement of party coalitions All of the following factors increase the likelihood that an incumbent will win reelection

A. a paid staff. B. a large war chest. C. name recognition. D. greater visibility. CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS  Incumbents have a huge advantage: Mass mailings (“Franking Privilege) Well known Constituent Services (aka “casework”) Large War Chests

**OTHER KEY TERMS TO REMEMBER** 1. Redistricting 2. 3. Midterm Elections (low turn out) 4. Coattails in a Presidential Election How has the racial and ethnic composition of voters changed? ODDS AND ENDS • 1. Education (more equals higher turnout) • 2. Income (higher usually related to turnout) • 3. 26th Amendment (1971- age now 18) • 4. African-Americans tend to vote less than whites but that has been changing in certain areas • 5. Puerto Ricans can only vote for President if they are on Mainland • 6. McCain-Feingold and the attempt at Campaign financing reform How to increase Voter Turnout

• End Registration Difficulty • Extend Voting in Presidential Elections to 2 or 3 days? • Reduce Voting Age to 16? • Reduce restrictions on convicted felons? • Ease absentee voting restrictions? • End Belief that vote “just doesn’t matter because nothing ever changes” (TEACH EFFICACY) VOTER ID ISSUE has been litigated in court many times Analyzing Visuals: Why people Don’t Vote • THE GOAL OF POLITICAL PARTIES IS TO WIN ELECTIONS AND KEEP PARTY IN POWER

• Party leaders are concerned with electability

• Party activists are concerned with ideology and issues.

• The successful candidate must appeal to both Most electoral contests are similar in structure.

Nomination campaign aimed at winning primary. {Run to 1st base}

General election campaign aimed at winning final race. {Run to 2nd base/middle of the field} Who do candidates typically appeal to during a general election campaign? A.Party activists B.Members of all parties C.Members of the political elite D.The conservatives within the party E.The ideological center of the party Who do candidates typically appeal to during a general election campaign? A.Party activists B.Members of all parties C.Members of the political elite D.The conservatives within the party E.The ideological center of the party GOAL IS TO REACH THE VOTER • Voter Canvas: Process of reaching individual voter • Paid Media • Free Media • Inoculation Ad (“stop damage before it hits”) • Spinning • More Bang for the Buck (“sorry Ike”) Assembling a Campaign Staff • A candidate, volunteers, campaign consultants, and a paid staff make up the campaign.

• Volunteers focus on canvassing and getting out the vote. • The paid staff consists of • campaign manager; • finance chair; • communications staff; • press secretary. Raising Money $$$$$$

• Congress has long limited campaign contributions: • 1907 Tillman prohibits corporations from making direct contributions to federal campaigns • The Corrupt Practices Act, Hatch Act, Taft-Hartley Act; The Federal Election Campaign Act

• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA): aka McCain-Finegold

• Citizens United v. FEC, 2010

To Learning Objectives CAMPAIGN FIANCING LAWS • Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) governs • McCain-Feingold (2002): Upheld 5-4 by Supreme Court. Goal is not fairness but to limit single outside influences which can lead to corruption. • {opposition says violates free speech rights}

• Political Action Committee (PAC): Officially registered fund raising committee and usually favor incumbents but the trend is changing. Most elected officials have set up their own. FINANCING CONTINUED • Incumbents can use their PACS to help fellow candidates or office holders (“think Hillary”) • Buckley v. Valeo (1976) : Supreme Ct. says no limit can be placed on $ candidate spends from his own family funds. • Public Funding: As of now only for Presidential Candidates, and in some states, {“matching funds”} but what does the future hold. FINANCING CONTINUED • Hard Money = clearly regulated, specific and limited • Soft Money = unregulated, unlimited, and usually raised by PACs and Individuals….goes to Party NOT individual candidate

• BUT ALL MONIES MUST BE REPORTED

• Express Advocacy Ads: Intended to influence election and thus can only be bought with hard money • Issue Advocacy Ads: May be paid with soft $ Campaign Advertisements

•Positive ad •Negative ad •Contrast ad •Inoculation ad •Fear ad JUST FOLLOW THE $

• 527 political committees: Unregulated interest groups focused on specific issue (used to avoid limits on PACs)

• 6% of PACs spent 62% of all money on congressional election races in 2001-02 campaigns……………………..but

• Internet and Obama appear to have changed everything when it comes to raising money • (think BETO here in Texas) How do PACs allocate their campaign contributions? Campaign Financing

• http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/fec.asp

• Use the above site to see who has given money to federal election campaigns in a given year and zip code.