http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.php

Campaign Structure

CAMPAIGNMANAGEMENT

FUNDRAISING

No money = No Campaign

MEDIA

What is the message?

FIELD

GOTV Event Coordination

Voter ID Voter Registration “Pull & Drag”Generic Campaign

Activities

LEGAL

Issue ID

Running For President

Campaign FinanceCampaign Finance

Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money

Campaign Finance ReformWhat is “campaign

finance” rules?

Do campaign Finance rules protect or inhibit democracy?

Overview History of Campaign Finance Regulation

Beginning of time—Civil War: No regulation Civil War—1910

– Gilded Age• Exceptionally scandalous politicians nationally

– Boss Tweed

– 1868: 75% of money used in congressional elections through party assessments

– 1883: Civil Service Reform Act (Pendleton Act) prohibits the same solicitation of all federal workers

• Prohibits elected officials and employees of the fed. gov’t from soliciting contributions

• Hatch Act … participating in engaging in partisan political activity

www.mit.edu/~17.251/finance.ppt

Overview History of Campaign Finance Regulation

Watergate

FECA FEC

Soft $ vs. Hard $ Restrictions

PACs

Buckley v. Valeo

(A) the option of taxpayers to contribute a dollar to presidential campaigns on their income tax forms.(B) the restriction of citizen contributions per candidate.(C) the regulation of PAC contributions to candidates.(D) the restriction of spending amounts by candidates who decided not to accept matching funds.(E) the creation of the Federal Election Commission.

General Rules of Campaign Finance:

PACs (Political Action Committees) 527 and 501(c) Groups

Description: Description:

Examples: Examples:

General Rules from FEC Act There is no limit to the amount of money that a candidate can spend

on a campaign, but limits placed on donations made to a candidate’s campaign are constitutional (Buckley v. Valeo)

Corporations & labor unions are not permitted to make contributions to candidates

Hard Money contributions are those that have strict legal limits. Soft Money contributions are those that are unregulated and do not have limits.

Contributions made to candidates and PACs have strict limits. Contributions made to political parties are now also limited.

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

Individual Contributor

PAC

Candidate “A”

Candidate “B”

State Party Committee

National Party Committee

TV & Radio Ads

$

$

$

$$

$

$

$

$

Individuals can contribute a maximum of $5,000 to a

PAC per year

PACs (Political Action Committees) 527 and 501(c) Groups

Description:

PACs collect money and then make campaign contributions to candidates and/or run TV ads for those candidates. PACs are formed by interest groups, corporations, and labor unions to solicit voluntary campaign contributions from individuals that are then used to help candidates win elections.

Description:

Examples:National Right to Life PAChttp://www.nrlpac.org/

NARAL Pro-Choice America PAChttp://www.prochoiceamerica.org/

NRA-PVFhttp://www.nrapvf.org/

SARAHPAChttp://www.sarahpac.com/

Examples:

Soft Money Problem

Accounted for 35% of all $ raised by Rep.

Accounted for 47 % of all $ raised by Dem

Together = ½ billion dollars

Which Party relies the most on soft money?

BCRA?

McCain-Feingold (BCRA 2002)

1. How much money can an individual donate to a candidate committee per election?

2. How much money can a PAC donate to a candidate committee per election?

3. How much money can a National Party Committee donate to a candidate committee per election?

4. How much money can an individual give to a Political Action Committee (PAC) each year?

5. How much money can an individual give to a National Party Committee each year?

6. Why do you think there are limits on campaign donations?

http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtml

Loopholes

Define:

Candidate involvement?

Disclosure?

BCRA Reforms on Broadcasting?

Birth of 527 (open secrets)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9GVwZ9N650

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9WKimKIyUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXEQD542O4

“Independent Expenditures”

2012 Super PAC

RINO Romney History Lesson

News Report

Special Interest GroupsAgainst NRCC, Emily’s List,

AFL-CIO, NRA, NAACP Hamper Voter

Mobilization efforts of “non-profits/Non-partisans”

Regulation of speech beyond FEC jurisdiction

Fear FEC ruling on “case-by-case” basis

Rules favor Large Broadcasting Comp.

Limit Free speech

For Common Cause Fear PP funnel $ into

groups. Force PP and

Candidates to broaden base = broaden participation

Unintended and Intended Effects of Reform (1974 & 2002)

Intended effects???

get fundraising out in the open

minimize wealthy special interest groups

encourage fundraising from broader base of small contributors

Unintended Effects

1. Effect on PAC’s and 527?

2. Power of the Party???

Takes funding campaigns away from party and into private sector

Disadv. To Challenger? complex rules and regulations

winning campaigns need at least a ½ million

Harder to catch up with opponents “War chest”

4. Timing of a Campaign?

Penalize late starters

Incumbents

PACs: Do they promote democracy or inhibit?

PACs: Do they promote democracy or inhibit?

– Diversity and PACs– Direct mail and labor Unions non-dem.– Pres vs. Cong PACs– “golden campaign list”– “in-kind gifts”– Independent spending– Vote Buying?– Madison and Factions

Does $ Buy Votes or Just Access?

$ and “in-kind” gifts = access Dairy PACs and votes for Higher Prices 5,000$ or 5,000 votes Multiple factors influence a vote

Money and Winning

What decides Elections Congressional

– Money- Incumbent factor

General Election for President– Less money, more:

• Party Identification

• Issues (Economy)

• Campaigns

3 Factors in Winning an Election

1. Party

80% of voters Identify w/ 2 Major Parties Election hangs on “Swing Voter” “If more people identify with the Democratic party than the

Republican party, why have Republicans won more recent presidential elections?”

Republican Party Stronger– 1968-2004 won 7/10– More loyal: 72’ and 84– Win Independent Vote (except 92, 96)– Vote More: 2004

2. Issues

Voter Education not required– Prospective Voting

• Informative

• Time Consuming

• Single Issue concerns

• Activist

• Rep a Minority – yet still influential (special Interest groups)

Issues

Retrospective– Comparing Past to Present– Have things gotten better or worse (Kerry, Reagan)

– Decide Elections• 1980, (82) 84, 88, 92, (2008?)

– Congressional Incumbents

3. Campaign

Influence voters in 3 ways– Reawaken Party Loyalty– Visible under pressure

• Negative ads: 88 Bush v Dukakis• Successful and leads to spot ads

– Character Judgment• Voters focus on Themes and Tone

– Judge Character– Increase in TV Spots

• Valance Issues and details

Finding a Winning Coalition

Holding base, attracting swing voters Who supports (loyalty) and to what extent (importance)? Dem:

– Af. Am, Jewish,– Hispanics: Sleeping Giant (Mex. Am & P.R vs. Cuban)– Catholics, Southern, Unions (less loyal)

Rep:– Business/Prof/Christian Right most loyal– Farmers/poor

Readings Student Worksheet 1: MO Money…

– “Campaign Finance Reform. What’s the Issue”– “Soft Money ain’t want it used to be”– Questions and answers -chart

Student Worksheet 2– Liberals split on shaping of Campaign Finance Rules– NRA files suit– Common Cause

Activity Debate– After discussion on Campaign Finance Reform (reading and discussing articles and

viewing pp– HW: Using all resources (articles, chart, notes) prepare for a classroom

debate on Campaign Finance Reform– Organize and frame logical, compelling, well reasoned arguments for both

sides of the issue

Money Spent

BACK

Activity DebateHW: Using all resources (articles, chart, notes) prepare

for a classroom debate on Campaign Finance Reform.

Organize and frame logical, compelling, well reasoned arguments for both sides of the issue.

Issue: Campaign Finance Reform: Does it protect or inhibit democracy?

Position A: • ?• ?• ?

Position B: • ?• ?• ?

Debate• Students Pair up• I will give you a prompt question• Both sides will get 1 min to collect thoughts• First person will defend for 30-45 sec• Second person will repeat what was said…

“I heard you say…”• Second person had 30-45 sec defend opposite

side • Opponent will repeat what was said

“I heard you say…”A second prompt will be given.• Switch turns and positions.

Prompt #1

• Elections should be publicly financed – Red-yes– Black- no

Prompt #2

• Campaign finance reform has been successful in redistributing political influence.– Black yes– Red no

Prompt #3

• Political Action Committees negatively influence elections and votes in Congress

• Red- agree

• Black – disagree

Prompt #4

• BCRA and campaign financing laws undermines the existence of Ideological groups (special interest) and weakens their influence– Black yes– Red no

Consensus & ExtensionCampaign Finance Reform: Does it protect or

inhibit democracy?• Work together to integrate the most powerful

arguments from both positions

• Meld them into a position both can agree on

ExtensionFinish the sentence:

Wouldn’t it be interesting if…