Elections. The Purpose of Elections Elections serve 3 purposes in the United States 1)To select a set of leaders that will make decisions on the behalf.

Elections

The Purpose of Elections

Elections serve 3 purposes in the United States1) To select a set of leaders that will make

decisions on the behalf of the citizens2) To confer legitimacy on those decision

makers.3) To provide a link between the people and

government

Types of Elections

•Primary Elections•General Elections–Congress–President

Primary Elections

Primary elections are elections held within the political party to select who will be that parties official candidate.

Primary Elections

• Primary elections were adopted to give the individual members of the party a greater say in their candidate.

• The nature of primary elections changes the strategy of the candidates.• Voters are different (More activist and ideological)• Media attention is less

• Must mobilize activists to give money and volunteer

Primary Elections

Radical Liberal Moderate Conservative Reactionary

Election Cycles

House of RepresentativesAll 435 members up for reelection every 2 yearsSenateEach Senator gets six year terms, 1/3 of the Senate elected every 2 yearsPresidentServes a 4 year term. Can only serve 2 Terms

California Election Cycle

2008All 53 House of Representative SeatsPresidential Election2010 (Off Year)All 53 House of Representative Seats1 Senate Seat (Boxer)2012 All 53 House of Representative Seats1 Senate Seat (Feinstein)Presidential Election

Congressional Elections

• Difficult to be elected due to the presence of “safe seats.”

• Safe Seats are any congressional district in which the winning candidate wins with a vote of greater than 55%

• Seats that are below 55% are called Marginal Seats• Reelection Rates– House Members: 98% Reelection Rate– Senate: 75% Reelection Rate

Congressional Elections

Incumbent Advantage: The advantage held by the person who current holds the office and is running for re-election.

Why is it so high in Congress?1. Franking Privilege

2. Case Work3. Pork Barrel (Earmarks)

Why is the advantage not as high for the Senate?1.More Competition for the seat2.Less Direct Contact With Voters

3.6 Year Term Give Opponent A Head Start4.Sources of Money More Available for Challenger

The Electoral College

• We call it the Presidential Election (singular) but it practice it is 51 separate elections occurring at the same time (50 states and District of Columbia)

• When you vote for President you are actually voting for an elector to vote for you. That elector is already pledged to vote for a candidate (laws in place to guarantee they do)

The Electoral College

A State’s number of electors is the total number of Senators and Representatives in the House

2 Senators +53 Reps

55 Represenatives

Electoral College

There are a total of 538 Electoral Votes

The District of Columbiais not a state but is given3 Electoral Votes

Electoral College

48 out of the 50 states have a “winner takes all” method.

If you get the most votes in that states you get ALL of their electoral college

votes, regardless of by how much you win.

Electoral College

2 states are different and can divide up their electoral votes based on congressional district- Nebraska and Maine

Nebraska

Electoral College

A Candidate must have 270 electoral votes (Majority) to win the Presidential Election

Electoral College

If no single candidate gets the required 270 electoral votes what happens?

The House of Representatives votes to decide the President

1800Thomas Jefferson

1824John Qunicy Adams

Electoral College

It is possible to get more votes overall in the elections from the entire country (popular vote)

and NOT be elected President

1824 Andrew Jackson 151.363 (41.36%) 99 Electoral John Quincy Adams 113,142 (30.92%) 84 Electoral

Election Determined in the House

1876Samuel Tilden 4,286,808 (50.92) 184 ElectoralRutherford B. Hayes 4,034,142 (47.92) 185 Electoral

1888Grover Cleveland 5,538,163 (48.63) 168 ElectoralBenjamin Harrison 5,443,633 (47.80) 233 Electoral

2000Al Gore 50,944,086 (48.4) 266 ElectoralGeorge W. Bush 50,461,092 (47.9) 271 Electoral