Lecture 9-3

John T. Moneybags, one of the wealthiest people in America, is a strong supporter of Senator Phineas J. Fogbottom, who is running for president. Mr. Moneybags would like to spend a million dollars helping Senator Fogbottom win office. Is there any way Mr. Moneybags can spend that much money legally? A) Yes. Mr. Moneybags can spend as much money as he likes helping Senator Fogbottom as long as he acts independently and his spending is uncoordinated with the Fogbottom campaign.

B) No. Although the law allows presidential candidates to accept campaign contributions from individuals, it limits those contributions to amounts far smaller than a million dollars. C) Yes. Mr. Moneybags can create a PAC to contribute a million dollars to Senator Fogbottom. Although the law limits individual campaign contributions, it does not limit PAC contributions. D) No. The law provides that candidates for president may not accept contributions from individuals. Instead, they receive all of their campaign money from the federal government.

In State X, legislative districts are drawn in such a way that African American and Hispanic voting strength is spread among several districts, thus reducing the likelihood of minority candidates winning office. Is this redistricting plan legal? A) Probably NOT. This plan would violate the Supreme Court's one-person, one-vote rulings. B)Probably. The Supreme Court allows states discretion in drawing legislative districts as long as the districts are nearly equal in population. C)Probably. The districts are legal as long as each district has the same number of African American and Hispanic residents. D)Probably NOT. The Voting Rights Act prohibits actions that diminish African Americans' and Hispanics' voting power.

A primary in which only a party's registered voters are eligible to participate is called

A) closed.B) open.C) blanket.

D) all of the above.

Delegates to both of the national party conventions are

A)wealthier and ideologically more pure than most Americans. B)younger than the average American. C)demographically representative of the population in terms of race, class, and gender.

D)generally representative of average Americans.

The Nineteenth Amendments gave the vote to:

A) Residents of the District of Columbia

B) Native Americans C) Women D) People 18 years of age or olderE) Blacks

Which of these would be most likely to vote?

A) a young southern high school teacherB) a young southerner without a high school diploma C) a middle-aged professor at a private universityD) a well-educated senior citizen who used to work for a big corporation E) a well-educated, middle-aged government worker

The best predictor of how a person will vote is his or her A) age.B) income.C) party identification.

D) social class.

Nomination Process

• “Super Tuesday”

• Front Loading

• Reforms

In recent years, states have tended to "front-load" their primaries so that:

A) Voters will be able to more clearly distinguish between primary and general elections B) They can save money by having their primaries all togetherC) The delegates chosen in the primaries will have more time to make their decision on whom to support D) Their primaries are held before one candidate has his party's nomination completely sown up

Choosing a Running Mate

• Selection of a vice-presidential running mate is one of the most important decisions the newly nominated presidential candidate must make at the convention

• The practice is to attempt to balance the ticket to give the party wider appeal.

Getting Elected.• The Electoral College chooses the president

– States get electoral votes equal to senators plus representatives

– “Winner Take All” except in Maine and Nebraska– Winner Take All system advantages “swing” states

• A majority of electoral votes (270) is needed in order to win.

• Image• Issues• Debates• Campaign strategy and events

Electoral College – Original Intentions

• Allow small states to select a winner from the big states

• Required candidates to have national appeal

• VP originally was the runner-up – Modified by the 12th Amendment

California 33,871,648 54 627,253 0.83

North Carolina 8,049,313 14 574,951 0.91

Oklahoma 3,523,553 7 503,365 0.96

Alaska 626,932 3 208,977 2.50

United States 281,421,906 538 523,089 1.00

  Population Electoral votes Residents/Elector Weight

Effects of Electoral College

Assume that three presidential candidates all carry several states, winning electoral votes. Candidate A wins 220 electoral votes; Candidate B wins 178 electoral votes; Candidate C wins 140. What is the outcome of the election?

A) The House would choose the president from among the top three finishers. B) Candidate A is elected president. C) The House and Senate would select either Candidate A or Candidate B as president.D) Candidates A and B are in a runoff.

Assume that Candidates A and B are the Democratic and Republican nominees for president, while Candidate C is an independent candidate. On election day in the state of Louisiana, Candidate A wins 40 percent of the vote, Candidate B wins 35 percent, and Candidate C wins 25 percent. How many of Louisiana's nine electoral votes would you anticipate going to Candidate A? A) NoneB) FourC) SixD) Nine

The End of the Campaign Trail

• On the national level, American vote only for a president and a vice president.

• Indirectly they pick an entire government: the hundreds of noncivil service employees the president will appoint who will oversee the operations of the national government

Reforming Presidential Campaigns

• Some believe certain regulations should be put on the media, given the media’s importance in presidential elections.

• Campaign financing should exclude contributions from political action committees.

Reforming Presidential Campaigns

• Electoral reforms suggested include a shorter campaign cycle and fewer primaries and caucuses

• The electoral college worries many people who favor direct popular election or some other major change.

The Candidate’s Perspective: Running for Congress

Campaign finance

• Running for congress requires large sums of money

• PACs are important sources of such funds

Importance of PAC Money

Running for Congress• Both House and Senate are less competitive

than the Presidency more competitive that most other races

• Senate slightly more competitive than the House• Incumbency is an enormous advantage for

congressional candidates. • Party identification strongly influences some

how people vote• Presidential “coattails” gives only a small

advantage at best.• Midterm (bye year, off year) election – the

president’s party takes a hit

Effects of Mid Term Elections

Reforming Congressional Elections

• Limits on PAC contributions

• Shorter campaigns

• Longer terms for House members – eliminates the constant campaign

Races for the U.S. Senate are more competitive than House races, with a larger percentage of incumbents defeated for reelection. Which of the following reasons help(s) account for this fact? A) PACs don't contribute money in Senate races. B) Voters perceive Senate races as local contests whereas they see House races as national elections. C) Challengers for Senate seats are often better able to raise money and generate free publicity than are challengers for House seats. D) All of the above