APS Day 8Enduring Understanding(s)1. Voters select candidates mainly

based on party identification and candidate attributes, more often than basing their decision on the issues.

2. Campaign financing is strictly regulated and individuals, political action committees, 527 committees, and public funds all provide financing for political campaigns.

3. Modern political campaigns utilize the media to package candidates and persuade voters.

Course Review Questions12. Explain how modern political

campaigns are financed and regulated, and describe the current proposals for campaign finance reform.

13. Explain how modern political campaigns work and how campaigns are influenced today by each of the following: a. Types of advertising including negative campaign ads b. Public opinion polls c. News coverage d. “Sound bites” e. “spin control” f. Television g. debates h. Packaging a candidate

14. What factors usually influence voters’ choice of candidates?

.

Election Process

E-3. Advertisements• Name Recognition: Get the candidate’s name

out into the public knowledge• Positive Image: Show the candidate as a good

person, doing good things, someone you like and want to be in office

• Negative: Makes the opponent look bad• Issue: Focus on a specific issue that candidate

can exploit or extol their good record on.

E-3. AdvertisementsRead through pg. 11• You can make a MAXIMUM of four advertisements• You have a choice between the six options• Each is worth a different amount of points.• So you can actually earn more than the thirty

points for this assignment.• It is up to you and your group!• I would like to see at least 3 out of the 4 different

types of ads

Voting ChoiceWhy do people vote for one Candidate over

another? Complete chart on pg. 12Pg. 297-301 in textbook• Party Identification• Candidate Attributes• Issues and Policies

Conclusion:

Campaign Finance• Define the changes in Campaign Finance (#1-6

on pg. 13) using your textbook pg. 1. FECA- Passed in 1971, required campaigns to fully

report all of their spending (expenditures). Changed over time to limit how much certain groups could donate to the campaign (Political Action Committees)

2. Federal Election Commission (FEC)- Created in 1974. This bipartisan agency enforces the limits on campaign spending and maintains a very thorough database of all donations. Campaigns must report donations to the FEC. Also contributes towards the public financing of campaigns (matching funds).

Campaign Finance3. BCRA (McCain-Feingold Bill): 1 - Banned soft money

2 - Increased contribution limits

3 - Strict disclosure requirements – every donation to every party, PAC and campaign is reported to the FEC with donor’s names, addresses, jobs, and amounts

4 - Ads must have approval voiced by candidate him/herself

5 - Independent expenditures/advertisements which contain candidate’s names are strictly limited within 60 days of an election

6 - Union dues cannot be spent on elections, and union members can opt out of union PAC donations without penalty

Campaign Finance4. Hard Money: Money that is donated directly to a campaign for

a specific candidate. It is strictly regulated and individuals can only donate up to $2,300 to any campaign and PACs can donate up to $5,000 to any campaign per election (therefore, they can donate it twice per election cycle-primary & general election)

5. Soft Money: Is now ILLEGAL under BCRA. Soft money was money donated to then national party. This money was used to promote certain issues, grow party membership, and register voters. These could not be limited due to first right amendments.

6. 527 Committees: Tax-exempt, non-profit organizations created to raise awareness about an issue. They can use unlimited amounts of money. They cannot donate money towards a political campaign or specifically support a candidate.

Committee to Elect Roy Blunt, Inc.

Receives ONLY HARD money from:Individuals – $2,300 per electionPACs - $5,000/electionFederal Gov’t – matching funds up to $250/private donationProhibited – Prohibited – companies, labor unions, banks may NOTNOT donate any $

Spends money for:AdvertisingTravelOffice staffCampaign consultantsOffice suppliesMailingPolling

$

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Receive $ from:Individuals - $5,000/yrOther PACs - $5,000/yr

Prohibited – Prohibited – companies, labor unions, banks may NOTNOT donate any $

National Political Party – gets $ from:Individuals – $25,000/yrPACs – $15,000/yr

National Political Party – got Soft Soft MoneyMoney $$ from:Individuals – unlimited Businesses - unlimitedPACs – unlimited Unions - unlimited

Soft $ spent on “issue ads”

“Informational ads”

Party-building activities

Election spending ave.House - $900,000Senate - $4 millionPresident - $125 million

BCRA ‘ 02