ELECTIONS 2 PHASES Primaries-Parties select their candidates General Election

2 TYPES OF FEDERAL ELECTIONS I. Presidential II. Congressional

2 VOTER PERSPECTIVES I. Prospective: Likes what the candidate

will do II. Retrospective: Likes what the

candidate did do.

***DIRECT PRIMARIES The process of selecting a party’s candidate for the general election

TYPES OF PRIMARIES OPEN-Voters can choose the party ballot after they enter

the polling place CLOSED-Voting in limited to registered party members. BLANKET (“Free Love”)-Voters can vote for candidates

from both parties. RUNOFF-A second primary is held if no candidate wins a

majority.

***PARTY CAUCUS (The other kind of primary) Similar to a closed primary Party members gather at public places (churches, school gymnasiums) and debate which candidate to support. At the conclusion of debate, a vote is taken to select the candidate.

FOUR KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL & CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS 1. More voters participate in presidential elections so

candidates must work harder and spend more money

2. Control of the White House changes hands more often than control over Congress

3. Smaller numbers of people vote in off-year Congressional elections forcing the candidate to appeal more to motivated, partisan voters

4. Members of Congress can do more for voters, are closer to them, and can deny responsibility for what has gone wrong.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES ***INCUMBENT***-Person who currently holds the office. QUALIFICATIONS House: 25 y.o.; U.S. citizen for seven years; live in the district you

represent May serve unlimited two-year terms Senate: 30 y.o.; citizen for nine years; live in your state May serve unlimited six-year terms Congressional incumbents are re-elected 60% more often than presidential ones due to their close relationship to their Constituents.

HOUSE ELECTIONS States are subdivided into districts of 640-650,000 Constituents. FACTORS IMPACTING HOUSE ELECTIONS: ***REAPPORTIONMENT*** Process of awarding the 435 seats in the House to the states every ten years. ***GERRYMANDERING*** A committee re-draws the boundaries of a district in order to

favor one party’s chances. Plan approved by the state legislature and governor

***MALAPPORTIONMENT*** Placing an unequal number of people in each district. Declared illegal by SCOTUS

CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES I. Candidates chosen by plurality II. Candidates form coalitions of followers to secure their party’s

nomination III. Incumbents win 90% of the time due to the ***Sophomore

Surge, name recognition, bringing home the bacon and ***Franking Privileges (Free Mail)

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS STEP #1: REGISTER AS A CANDIDATE You must register with the Federal Election Commission You must be 35 y.o., a natural-born citizen and a U.S.

resident for 14 years.

STEP #2: DEVELOP A STRATEGY AND THEME Incumbents defend their records/Challengers attack

the incumbent No incumbent: Both candidates push their own

agendas

THEME & TONE (Positive or Negative) “Trust” “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” “Hope & Change” “Morning in America”

TARGETS Which voting block or demographic are you targeting? (Auto workers, Hispanics, Independents, Evangelicals)

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS STEP #3: PRIMARIES & CAUCUSES In the presidential election cycle, the number of votes cast in the state impacts the number of delegates to the national convention Some states have winner-take-all, others award delegates proportionally Delegates are pledged to a particular candidate at the convention unless their candidate drops out before ***SUPERDELEGATES-are party leaders who are unelected and who are uncommitted to any candidate (Democrats only)

STEP #4: GENERAL ELECTION THE ISSUES (TWO TYPES) 1. Position/Wedge Issues-Issues on which the public

is divided; candidates adopt different positions EX: Social Security, Social Safety Net, Same-Sex

Marriage 2. Valence Issues-Issues on which the public is

united; Parties try to come up with a better plan to address them.

EX: Crime, Unemployment, Tax Cuts Candidates will strive to moderate their positions

to attract undecided/independent voters.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE TV ads, yard signs, bumpers stickers, buttons and campaign staff are expensive so candidates must have access to a lot of money. FORMS OF FUNDING Individual Contributions PACS & SUPER PACS Independent Expenditures Federal Matching Funds

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS Limited to $2,000, per-person, per-candidate ***POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACS)*** Organizations that raise money for candidates and

who represent interest groups, corporations etc. RESTRICITONS Must consist of at least 50 people Limited to $5000 per-candidate, per election Must give to at least five candidates

***SUPER PACS*** Groups that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, interest groups and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. RESTRICTIONS 1. Unlike PACs, Super PACs cannot contribute

directly to political candidates 2. Spending must not be coordinated with that of

the candidates they benefit.

INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES Corporations and special interests MAY NOT use their own money for **ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS**(ads that refer to a specific candidate) 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary-BUT they may start PACs who can. FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS The federal government will match individual contributions of $250 or less if the candidate has raised at least $5000 from individuals.

***527s***(Named after the IRS Code) Groups, candidates, committees or associations organized for the purpose of influencing an issue, policy, appointment or election. Can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations or labor unions Must register with the IRS and disclose their contributions and expenditures

EX: Media Fund, America Votes, Progress for America

***501c***(Named after the IRS Code) Non-profit organizations. May spend up to half of their budget on electioneering communications Their primary purpose cannot be political

EX: Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club

FECA Federal Election Campaign Reform Act

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002

(McCain-Feingold)

Federal Election Commission created Individuals cannot contribute more than $1,000 to any candidate in a single election. PACs are created Federal Matching Funds instituted

Banned soft money contributions from corporations and unions Limit on individual contributions raised to $2,000 Corporations and special interests cannot use their own money to refer to a clearly identified federal candidate 60 days prior to a general election and 30 days prior to a primary PACs may still do so, but are limited to $5,000 in Hard Money “Stand by Your Ad” provision

CASE LAW ***BUCKLEY V VALEO (1974)*** SCOTUS ruled that contributions can be limited to avoid corruption, BUT spending by groups, individuals or candidates cannot (1st Amend.) ***MCCONNELL V FEC (2004)*** Upheld the constitutionality of McCain-Feingold The soft money restrictions only applied to voter

registration drives, not campaigning. Government has an interest in limiting corruption in

the political process

***CITIZENS UNITED V FEC (2010)*** SCOTUS ruled that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections constitutes free speech and cannot be limited.