ELECTING THE PRES.

CHAPTER 10

I. The Preliminaries (4 years)

A. All Candidates have to do three things 1. Establish record

2. Develop power base

3. Strategy to win convention delegates

B. In-Party Preliminaries

1. All candidates have to wait for Pres.

decision to run

2. All in-party must carry the record of the

President.

C. Out-party preliminaries

1. All it has to do is criticize & tear down

2. Much easier to do than tear down.

D. Role of the Media

1. Creates a front-runner

2. If labeled a loser or winner, ability

to raise money is affected

3. Television: a. Spots or visuals (define) 1. Effects on general election is small because of many sources of info 2. Debates: Good and bad effects 3. Direct Mailings

II. Delegate Selection

A. Each state’s party decides how to choose delegates to the National Con.

1. Primaries: opened, closed, blanket

2. Conventions: local meetings, then

districts, then state

3. Caucuses:

ELECTIONS and MONEYp. 239

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I. Rules regulating eachA. Elections

1. State & local party organizations set own rules for primaries & conventions. 2. Lots of money is needed by each party and candidate so much time is used just to raise money.

3. Internet has made it much easier for candidates to get money from many contributors. T.V. cost the most

B. Federal laws for campaign money

1. Federal Election Campaign Act set up: Federal Election Commission which enforced three parts

a. Disclosure laws – any amounts over $200/no cash over $100.

b. Limits: personal donations ($2,300 per elections) 1) Political Actions Committees can only give $5000 per candidate, per election.

c. Limits on campaign expendi- tures (Buckley vs. Valeo) a) No limits on House and Senate elections b) No limits on candidates own money spent c) Threw out limits independent

groups can spend on candi- dates or issues.

d. Loopholes in campaign contributions

1) No limits on commercials by interest groups (if not connected to the candidate).

2) No limits for contributions in state and local elections.

3) No limits on personal money spent on campaigns.

4) Any issue ads that do not use candidate’s name to say vote for

or against.

2. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act: Nicnamed McCain Feingold Bill (2002)

a. Outlawed all soft money to political parties.

B. McConnell vs. Federal Election Comm. stated that corporations could not give money or mention candidates within 6o days of an election

C. CITIZENS UNITED VS FEC. Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that corporations, labor unions, etc. could spend unlimited money if independent of candidate. (Freedom of speech)

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Types of Money Donations• HARD $: Actual money donations; given

directly to candidates; regulated.• SOFT $: funds spent by groups that are

not contributed directly to candidate campaigns, and which do not "expressly advocate" the election or defeat of a candidate.

• Bundling is the practice of one donor gathering donations from many different individuals in an organization or community and presenting the sum to a campaign.

527’s

• A 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code, 26 U.S.C. § 527. – A 527 group is created primarily to influence the

nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office. Although candidate committees and PACs are also created under Section 527, the term is generally used to refer to political organizations that are not regulated by the FEC or by a state elections commission, and are not subject to the same contribution limits as PACs.

– And they bundle!!!

III. The National ConventionsA. Functions

1. Nominates

2. Adopts a party platform

3. Serves as a campaign rally