Campaigns & Elections
Election Basics
Candidates
Incumbent vs Challenger
If no Incumbent; then open seat
Stages in Election Process
Primary
By party
Wittle down candidates to one
California does two
Plurality
Candidates needs more votes than others
Some states do rolling elections (keep running elections until someone gets a majority)
Permanent Campaign
Politicians always focused on getting reelected
No longer distinction between legislative time & campaign time
Candidates always
Keeping consitutients happy
Raising money
House has 2 term years
Campaign Strategies
Political Context on Campaigns
How past events will affect the campaign
Is incumbent running?
Which party currently in power
If party in power and economy did good then eyyyy
Major political & economic trends
80-90% rate of reelection
Types of Campaigns
Issue oriented
Image Oriented
Party Centered
Bernie Sanders
Donald Trump
Hilary Clinton
Goals of Campaign
Increase candidate's name recognition
Mobilize Voters
Proclaim stance on issues
Interactions with opposing candidates
Chess game
Advertising & Media
Money
THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY ITS LIKE 2.6 BILLION YO ITS WILD
Campaign Finance Law
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Administrate & Enforce federal campaign finance law for federal campaign
Bipartisian
Federal finance law covers 3 broad subjects
Public Discloser of funds raised & spent
Restrictions on amount revised & spent
Public Finances of presidential campaign
Preventing corruption vs free speech
Independent regulatory agency created in 1974
Does campaign finance reform (restrictions on spending & contributions) violate individuals' freedom of speech?
Buckley Vs Valeo (1976)
Spending is free speech
Has to be independent of candidates
Giving money to candidates vs spending
BRCA 2002/ McCain-Fiengold Act
Can loan unlimited soft money
Contributuions are donations
Revised limits on hard money
Future limits to inflation
Upheld in Supreme Court
Citizens United (2010) #
Corporations (also unions, etc.) can spend unlimited amounts of money
Issue vs Candidate distinction gone
To independent political expenditures (PACs, etc.)
Supporting/denouncing a candidate
Where does money come from?
Individuals
Political Parties
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Outside Groups
527s
Dark Money groups
Super PACs
Hard money: money directly to candidates
Candidate can use the money how they want it
Limited
Can also give to PACs & other parties
Can be affiliated with corporation or organization
Raise and spend hard money
Goes directly to campaign
Can also throw that moolah for issue advocacy
Limited by FEC
Must be disclosed
Independent expenditure only
Can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money
Cannot spend hard money
Cannot coordinate with candidate
Soft money for/against candidates
Purpose to "educate" voters on issue
Cannot advocate for election or defeat of a candidate
Requires disclosure
Can explicitly say that candidate sucks
Spending must be disclosed
Sources of funds optional
Tax exempt group raising money for issue advocacy and other things
Cannot advocate for defeat of candidate
Can raise & spend unlimited money
Politically active non profits (501s)
Political activity supposed to be limited
Not enforced however
Do not have to disclose source of funding
Can recieve unlimited amounts of money
Some cannot advocate for election, some can
Watergate