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Campaigns, Nominations & Elections (Elections (Voting Process (Common…

- - - - During the Party Convention the party's goals and policies for the next four years are stated
        
        The platform can be debated upon during the convention to change the party's goals and policies. This usually happens during the 2nd day of the convention
    - - Republican Convention
      - Democratic Convenction
  - - - In the turn of the 20th century, Primaries started becoming a thing. Progressive reformers pushed for such elections throughout the United States.
      - After 1968, the McGovern-Fraser Commission led to the selection of delegates through primary elections.
      - Most delegates are now chosen through primaries rather than Caucuses.
      - New Hampshire is the the first to hold a Primary
        
        Iowa and New Hampshire are known for front-loading as they tend to hold their elections first and early in the calendar since they want to capitalize media coverage
    - - Caucuses are held by a handful of states and are open to all voters who are registered within a party.
      - Caucuses are organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state's convention
      - Iowa is the first to hold a Caucus
        
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- - - - Television
      - Internet
        
        Twitter, Facebook, Youtube
      - Direct Mail/Gmail
        
        Potential supporters asked to donate
      - Importance
        
        Provides source of advertisement, and "free" advertising
        
        Markets a candidate
        
        Focus on the "horse race" > policy issues
    - - Organization list
        
        Staff/logistics
        
        Research staff/pollsters
        
        Media consultants
        
        Press Secretary
        
        Fund-raiser/counsel
        
        Website!
        
        Campaign Manager
      - Also costs money, LOTS of money
    - - Legal issues regarding
        
        Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)
        
        Created:
        
        Federal Election Commission (FEC)
        
        Administers campaign finance laws for FEDERAL elections
        
        Presidential Election Campaign Fund
        
        Partial public financing for FEDERAL primaries
        
        Matching Funds: Contributions of up to $250 are matched for candidates who meet conditions
        
        Required full disclosure and LIMITED CONTRIBUTIONS
        
        Soft Money: Political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses (not candidates)
        
        McCain-Feingold Act (2002): Banned soft money and increased amount of individual contributions
      - 527s: independent groups that seek to influence process but are not limited to contribution - because they do not directly seek election of certain people
      - POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACs)
        
        Definition: Created in 1974 to allow interest groups like labor unions to donate money to campaigns (monitored by FEC)
        
        Can give $5000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general, and special)
        
        Total of 1738 active as of 2015
- - - - Political Efficacy: the belief that one’s political participation really matters
      - Civic Duty: the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote
    - - Voter Registration: a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day Registration procedures differ by state.
      - Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for their driver’s license
    - - Education: More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor
      - Age: Older = more likely to vote
      - Race: Caucasian = more likely to vote. BUT, other ethnicities are higher with comparable education
      - Gender: Female = more likely to vote
      - Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote
      - Union Membership: Union member = more likely to vote
    - - A. Mandate Theory of Election: The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics
      - B. Party Identification:
        
        People still generally vote for a party they agree with.
        
        With the rise of candidate-centered politics, parties’ hold on voters declined in the 1960s and 1970s.
        
        Many more voters make an individual voting decision and are up for grabs each election, (so-called floating voters).
      - C. Candidate Evaluations: How Americans See the Candidates
        
        Candidates want a good visual image. Especially on dimensions of integrity, reliability, and competence
        
        Personality plays a role in vote choice, especially if a candidate is perceived to be incompetent or dishonest.
      - D. Policy Voting: Basing your choice on policy issues and where candidates stand on certain topics.
        
        May occur if: Voters know where they and the candidates stand on issues and see differences between candidates
        
        Will probably not occur because: Candidates can be ambiguous on the issues. Media tend to focus on the “horse race” not issues.
    - - Each state has as many votes as it does Representatives and Senators.
      - Winner of popular vote typically gets all the Electoral College votes for that state*
      - Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the vice president in January
      - If no candidate gets a majority (270 votes), the House of Representatives votes for president, with each state casting one vote