AP Government: Nomination Process

Entrance Ticket: What kind of person would make a Entrance Ticket: What kind of person would make a good President?good President?

What are some characteristics, beliefs, or traits that What are some characteristics, beliefs, or traits that you think a person needs to have to be President of you think a person needs to have to be President of the United States.the United States.

How does our current President compare to your How does our current President compare to your ““idealideal”” President? President? What traits are similar? What traits are different?What traits are similar? What traits are different?

The Nomination Game

Nominations are the Parties official endorsement of a candidate for office

Their campaign strategy

requires money, media

attention and momentum

Candidates attempt to manipulate each one of these strategies through their campaign strategy

Modern elections are more physically and emotionally demanding than ever

Campaigns in the US are more than twice as long as they are in most other industrialized country.

Candidates are put to “trial by fire” during the campaign.

Presidential Candidates are either announced or an “open secret” about a year before the election.

Candidates need to be risk takers and enough self-confidence to put everything on the line to pursue the presidency.

From January through June of Election year, the individual state parties choose their delegates at the national convention through caucuses or primaries.

Goal of the nomination game

is to win the majority of delegates’

support at the national party convention.

Getting Elected as President: What

helps?

Get name mentioned as possibility (name recognition)

Speeches (Reagan)

Sponsor Legislation (Bradley, McCain)

Be a Governor - recent trend (Bush, Carter, Clinton)

(To Right: Former President Clinton and Carter)

The Campaign

Game

Heavily dependent on technology; TV more prevalent means however media focuses on who is winning rather than policy issues.

Computer technology targets mailing to prospective supporters.

– DIRECT MAIL: sending information and request for money to names obtained from list of people who have supported candidates in the past with similar issues.

Campaign Teams!

Three things needed to project right image to voters during campaigning!

– High tech media campaign; get attention through advertising or free attention as news makers; Slogans; Target audience

– Organization• Campaign manager; Campaign Counsel and Campaign Staff• Fund Raisers• Media consultants; Website• Research staff and policy advisors; Hire a pollster• Press secretary

– Money

Interest Groups and Elections.

The Federal Election Campaign Act required all candidates for federal office to disclose all contributions made to their campaigns. People will know how much you are spending!

There is a loophole called ‘soft money’ which is unregulated money, but you have to donate money to the PARTIES rather than the CANDIDATEs!

And, In Buckley v Valeo, (1976), The Supreme Court struck down a portion of the FEC Act and said that an individual can give as much of his own money to his/ her campaign! Now all the rich people can run for office and spend their own money on their campaign!

The Media: TV Exposure (in Primary and Later)

“SPOTS” - ads – ineffective; expensive - much info - no effect – boring

“VISUALS” - news soundbites or filmed activity of candidate

“DEBATE” - risky, may look bad with a slip (incumbent normally adverse to debates) - Dole with a yawn, Bush

checking watch, boring stock answers repeated, Romney betting “10,000…

Caucuses: Meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegate for national party

convention

Path to Presidency

Caucuses:

First real test of public opinion and receives a great deal of publicity

Happens in 12 states—First one in Iowa

Any voter registered with a party gathers with other members of same party to nominate a candidate.

Why Iowa for the First Caucus?

The Iowa Caucus system makes candidates campaign in person, and discuss issues with voters face to face.

Candidates cannot rely entirely on advertisements to get votes. They must go out and meet the people.

Iowa’s population size ranks right in the middle of the 50 states.

Iowans are politically aware. We study the issues and take our role in the nomination process.

By comparison, campaign costs are lower in Iowa.

Obama thanks Iowans for putting him on path toward presidency; November 2008

Primary Elections:

Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate, or delegates pledged to the candidate; more like general election

The tendency of states like Iowa and New Hampshire like to hold caucuses and primaries early in calendar year to capitalize on media attention is called FRONTLOADING

Both caucuses and primaries serve as an elimination process for candidates

Negatives (Criticisms) of primaries and caucuses

Disproportionate amount of attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries

Too long

Focus on image of candidate more than issues

Participation is low and not representative of the population

Caucus: Only 12 states have them.

Why Iowa for the First Caucus?

The Iowa Caucus system makes candidates campaign in person, and discuss issues with voters face to face.

Candidates cannot rely entirely on advertisements to get votes. They must go out and meet the people.

Iowa’s population size ranks right in the middle of the 50 states.

Iowans are politically aware. We study the issues and take our role in the nomination process.

By comparison, campaign costs are lower in Iowa.

Primary Elections: Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate, or delegates pledged to the candidate; more like general election

Both are LONG processes. Voter participation is LOW

Caucus v Primary

Regional Primaries There have been proposals for regional primaries where a group of states within the same time zone would vote in stages; one zone one week, then another the following week and so on.

Major problem is the advantage gained by whatever region goes first.

Small states go first, large states last?

National Primaries

One state = one vote

Length of campaign shortened

Votes in one states would not have more influence than votes in other states

Critics say that voters would have to vote three times—2x in primary and once in general

After completing the reading, answer the questions below. 1. In your campaign role, do you favor a primary or caucus? Why? 2.What are superdelegates? 3. What is the role of superdelegates?  4. Do you think proposals for national or regional primaries address critics’ concerns about the caucuses and presidential primaries? Why?

Drawing from Text! In your teams, complete the questions below.

SUGGESTED TEXT MATERIALS: pp. 280-285 of text (Edwards, George C. III, Martin P. Wattenberg, Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. New York: Longman, 14TH Edition)

Path to the Presidency Timeline

Candidates decide to run for office

Caucuses (12 states—Iowa First!)

Or

Primaries (New Hampshire First!)

National Party Convention

General Election

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS: DEMOCRATS—AUGUST REPUBLICANS—SEPTEMBER

Delegates from each party’s convention nominate a President and Vice President Candidate to represent their party in

general election.

Winner of Convention is already known by the time of the convention\Today conventions are scripted to present the party in the best light

The National Party Convention Send-Off

Conventions are significant rallying point for the parties and is the supreme power within each the two parties

Conventions are important in developing the party’s policy positions (platform) and in promoting political representation.

General Election

Presidential Election Day: Every four years on Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The Winner-takes-all system: Presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes in a state receives the state’s electors.

Two exceptions: Maine and Nebraska

Electoral votes = # of H of R members

+ # Senate

More to Come on this later!

After the General Election in November. . .

The Presidential candidate receiving the absolute majority of the electoral votes (minimum 270) becomes President

After the General Election in November. . .

Monday following the second Wednesday of December, electors meet at their state capitals to officially cast their ballots.

Their votes are representative of the popular vote.

Votes are sealed and sent to the President of the Senate

On January 6th, the President of the Senate reads the results from each state before Congress.

After the General Election in November. . . .

January 20, the newly elected President and Vice President are sworn into office (inaugurated) by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Who is

this?

“I, do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully execute

the office of President of the

United States, and will, to the best of

my ability, preserve, protect,

and defend the Constitution of the

United States.”Article 11, Section

8. (Pictured left is JFK’s inauguration)

Can you name the order of events leading to the Presidency?

Caucus/Primary

Can you name the order of events leading to the Presidency?

Caucus/Primary

State Convention

National Convention

General Election

Electors cast vote

Inauguration

Drawing from Text: Complete the top ½ of the worksheet from the following PPT and discussion

SUGGESTED TEXT MATERIALS: pp. 279-287 of text (Edwards, George C. III, Martin P. Wattenberg, Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. New York: Longman, 14TH Edition):

These Definitions Might Help your Election Cycle Work!

Non Partisan —not supporting or controlled by a group or cause

Partisan —a strong supporter of a person or cause

Caucus —A closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party usually to select candidates or decide on policy

Primary —voters to go the polls to cast their ballots directly for a candidate

Platforms —the positions that a political party adopts at the beginning of the election campaign. (can change)

SuperDelegate —National Party leaders who automatically get a delegate spot at Democrat National Convention to represent their state

“MotorVoter” —being able to go to DOT and register to vote; did not increase voter turnout as much as they thought.

Check for Understanding1. A(n) is a party’s official selection of a candidate to run for office.

A. Appointment

B. Nomination

C Endorsement

D. Imprimatur

E. Conversion

2. The way in which candidates attempt to manipulate money, the media, and momentum to achieve the nomination is through

A. Charisma

B. Propaganda

C. Primaries

D. Party support

E. Campaign strategy

Check for Understanding

3. Which of the following statements are TRUE?

A. Virtually all of the major candidates in the 2008 presidential race were “open secrets” that they were running for office by the winter of 2007

B. Modern campaigns are more physically and emotionally demanding than ever

C. Campaigns in the U.S. are more than twice as long as they are in most other industrialized countries

D. All of the above

Check for Understanding

4. In Buckley v Valeo (1976), the Supreme Court

A. Limited the activities of Political Action Committees

B Struck down part of the Federal Election Campaign Act that restricted the amount individuals could contribute to their own campaigns

C. Declared the Federal Election Campaign Act unconstitutional

D. Stated that the Federal Election Commission had no power to enforce compliance with their requirements

E. Ruled that the wildly unequal campaign expenditures of candidates for government office were in violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and ordered Congress and the states to develop mechanisms to assure equal funding for all major candidates

Check for Understanding

5. The Federal Election Campaign Act

A. Ended public financing for presidential campaigns

B. Removed spending limits from presidential campaigns

C. Required all candidates for federal office to disclose all contributions made to their campaigns

D. Required broadcaster to provide free airtime to each major candidate for federal office

E. Provided public financing for the Senate and the House

Check for Understanding

6. Soft money is

A. Money donated to parties rather than the candidates, thus not subject to contribution or spending limits

B. Money donated by a person to his or her own campaign

C. Small donations that, while important to a campaign, are not as important as larger contributions

D. Money loaned to a campaign, but expected to be paid back

E. Cash contributions that are not traceable and in some situations illegal.