US/VA Government 2009

US/VA Government 2009

Chapter 7: The Electoral Process

Ms. A. Boland

Chapter 7 Activity• Select one of the topics in this chapter and

draw two political cartoons that comment on it. Possibilities include the “bed-sheet ballot”, the coattail effect, and campaign finance reform. Your cartoons should express different points of view on the same issue.

www.funnytimes.com Look at the left-hand column and click on cartoon playground to create your own political cartoon.

Objectives

The methods by which candidates are nominated to run for public office.

The conduct of elections in the United States.

The place of money and the regulation of its use in the electoral process.

Chapter 7 Vocabulary1. Nomination2. General election3. Caucus4. Direct primary5. Closed primary6. Open primary7. Blanket primary8. Runoff primary9. Nonpartisan

election10.Ballot

11.Absentee voting12.Coattail effect13.Precinct14.Polling place15.Ballot16.Political action

committee (PAC)17.Subsidy18.Hard money19.Soft money

Chapter 7 – Section 1: The Nominating Process What is the importance of the nominating

stage in the electoral process?Describe self-announcement, the caucus,

and the convention as nominating methods.

Discuss the direct primary as the principal nominating method used in the United States today.

How are petitions used in the nominating process?

Importance of NominationsNomination: the naming of those who

will seek office. Critical step in the election process.Prime function of political parties in

America politics.Places real, very practical limits on the

choices that voters can make in the general election.

Different ways to nominate in American politics.

Importance of NominationsGeneral elections: regularly scheduled

elections at which voters make the final selection of officeholders. Usually only list one candidate for each office.

Five nomination categories:(1) self-announcement, (2) caucus, (3)

convention, (4) direct primary, and (5) petition.

Importance of Nominations(1) Self-announcement:

Oldest form of nominating.A person who wants to run for office

announces it. Used in colonial times and still found often

in small towns at the rural level. Also, used when candidates are written in.

Ex) Used by 4 prominent presidential candidates: Ross Perot, John Anderson, Eugene McCarthy, and George Wallace.

Nomination Categories(2) Caucus: a group of like-minded persons

who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election.

Originally occurred during the Colonial Period.Recorded by John Adams in his diary. Early caucuses were criticized by many and

reached their peak in the 1824 election. Caucuses are now used to make local

nominations in some areas. Ex) New England

Nomination Categories(3) The Convention: took the place of

the caucus. First convention was held by a minor party, the Anti-Masons in 1831, and then the Whigs that same year.

Meet at a caucus to select local candidates and select delegates to represent them at a county convention, then State convention, etc.

Nomination Categories1870’s – Convention seen as a source of

evil in America.By 1910, it was replaced by the direct

primary as the principle nominating method.

Some states still use a convention at the State level: Connecticut, Michigan, Utah, and Virginia. It is closely regulated by State Law.

Convention still used in presidential elections.

Nomination Categories(4) Direct Primary: an election held

within the party to pick the party’s candidates for the general election.

Wisconsin adopted the 1st Statewide direct primary law in 1903. Every State now has at least some provision for it.

Used to choose U.S. Senate and House, governorship, state offices, local offices, etc.

Party nominating elections and are closely regulated. The State has the power not the party.

Nomination CategoriesClosed primary: party nominating

election in which only declared party members can vote.

Open primary: party nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part.

Blanket primary: different version of the open primary, often called the wide-open primary. Used in Washington and California.

Runoff primary: two top vote-getters in the first direct primary face one another, and the winner of that vote becomes the nominee.

Nomination Categories(5) Petition: candidates for public office are

nominated by petitions signed by a certain number of qualified voters in the election district.

Found most widely at the local level.Also, used for nominations of minor party and

independent candidates in most States. Usually a difficult process to get on the ballot.

Process varies from State to State, but a higher office usually requires a great number of signatures for nomination.

Video ClipCaucuses, Conventions, and

Primaries: 5 minutes

http://www.history.com/videos/primaries-caucuses-and-conventions#primaries-caucuses-and-conventions

Chapter 7 – Section 2: Elections

For what reasons are the details of the election process so important?

Where and when do elections take place?What is the ballot and what are the many

forms it takes?

The Administration of ElectionsMost high school students are not old enough

to vote, but in some parts of the country, they can serve on election boards. (Panels that administer elections for public office holders)

Americans hold many elections.The only exclusions are Sundays and

holidays.Americans elect many office holders, more

than 500,000 of them.

The Administration of ElectionsOnce nominated, candidates face their

opponents in the general election.

Democratic government cannot succeed unless elections are free, honest, and accurate.

The lengthy and detailed election laws are designed to protect the integrity of the election process.

The Extent of Federal ControlMost election laws in the United States are

State law.

Constitution gives Congress the power to fix “the time, places, and manner of holding elections”.

Congressional elections held the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of even years.

The Extent of Federal ControlPresidential elections are every 4 years.

Congress has required the use of secret ballots and allowed the use of voting machines in federal elections.

All other matters are dealt with in the laws of the States.

When Elections Are Held

Most States hold elections on the same date that Congress has set for national elections.

Some States do use other dates for some local offices.

Ex) Virginia, Louisiana, and New Jersey elect the governor in odd numbered years.

Coattail EffectCoattail effect: occurs when a strong

candidate running for an office at the top of the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party’s ticket.

Ex) 1980 and 1984, Ronald Reagan’s coattail helped many Republican candidates win office.

Most apparent in presidential elections.Reverse coattail effect – when a candidate

for high office is less than popular with many voters. Ex) 1980 President Carter.

Precincts and Polling PlacesPrecinct: voting district. Size restricted by

State law, generally an area with no more than 500 – 1,000 qualified voters.

Polling place: where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote. Located somewhere in or near precinct.

Precinct election board supervises the polling place and the voting process. Also, open and close the polls. Often they count the votes cast and send in the results.

Poll watchers, one from each party, allowed at each polling place for monitoring.

The Ballot

Ballot: device by which a voter registers a choice in an election.

Secret ballots required, so no one knows how a voter has voted.

Originally votes were cast vocally and then on paper. Both lead to corruption and unfair practices.

Ballot reforms were a must.

The BallotAustralian ballot: originated in Australia in

1856, basic form of all ballots today.4 Features: (1) printed at public expense, (2)

lists the names of all candidates in an election, (3) given out ONLY at the polls, (4) secret vote.

Office-Group ballot: original form of Australian ballot. Aka “Massachusetts ballot”. The candidates for each office are grouped together.

The BallotParty-Column ballot: Aka “Indiana ballot”.

It lists each party’s candidates in a column under the party’s name. Encourages straight-ticket voting.

Sample ballots: mailed to voters and appear in newspapers. They can’t be cast, but it helps voters prepare for an election.

Long Ballot: Aka “The Bed-sheet Ballot”. Found mostly at the local level, these ballots bring on Ballot Fatigue

Voting Machines and Innovations1st patent on a voting machine was done by

Thomas Edison. It was first used in New York in 1892.

Only a few States make voting machines mandatory, but over ½ of all votes are cast in national elections using voting machines.

The typical voting machine serves as its own booth.

Voting machines are very useful, from speeding up the voting process, to minimizing fraud and errors.

Voting Machines and InnovationsElectronic Vote Counting: uses EDP

(electronic data processing). Originated in California and Oregon. Seen in punch-card ballots, and paper ballots with sensitized ink.

Vote-by-mail elections: 1st held in Monterrey County, CA in 1977. Primarily used in local elections. Highly criticized method.

Today many States use computers to cast their votes.

Chapter 7 – Section3: Money and the Election Process

Why is money an indispensable campaign resource?

What problems does money pose in the election process?

How is the use of money regulated in elections today?

Campaign Spending AmountsRunning for public office costs money and

a lot of it.Problem: those who have money can try

to buy their way in, or special interest groups will try to buy favors.

Money is an absolutely necessary campaign resource, but can cause corruption.

Campaign Spending AmountsHundreds of millions of $ are spent on

elections, from campaigns to general elections.Presidential elections take the most $. Ex) 1996

presidential election = 750 million. Congressional election $ on the rise.Where does the $ go: bumper stickers, office

rent, television, radio, data processing, mass mailing, travel, pamphlets, buttons, commercials, consultants, managers, posters, etc, etc.

Sources of Campaign FundingSources: private contributors and public

treasury (subsidies). Private Givers: 5 Types: (1) Small

contributors, (2) Wealthier persons and families, (3) Candidates themselves, (4) Non-party groups, and (5) temporary organizations.

Political Action Committees: (PACs), political arms of special interest groups that have a major stake in public policy.

Sources of Campaign Funding

Also hold various fund raising events. Ex) luncheons, dinners, picnics, receptions, and rallies

Donations are a form of political participation.

Donations are given for various reasons: believe in party, want access to government, appointment to public office, social recognition, etc.

Regulating Campaign Finance

1st regulated in 1907, unlawful for corporations or banks to make $ contributions to elections.

3 Detailed Laws: Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971, FECA Amendments of 1974, and FECA Amendments of 1976.

Federal Election Commission (FEC): independent agency, 6 members appointed by president, enforce federal campaign law.

Regulating Campaign FinanceDisclosure requirements: 1st required in

1910, very detailed and usually need an accountant, intended to spotlight the $ in federal campaigns, must include sponsorship in promotions, cash gift over $100 prohibited, campaign committee handle contributions and payments, and must keep detailed reports of everything.

PACs depend on small voluntary contributions. They pull smaller funds into a larger fund.

Regulating Campaign FinanceLimits on contributions and expenditures.

Most spending limitations apply to the presidential election process.

Ex) 1996 – no major party contender could spend more than 30.6 million in preconvention, 61.8 post-convention, and 12.1 million in presidential campaign.

Presidential Election Campaign Fund: set up in 1971, persons who file income tax returns can assign $3 or $6 to the fund.

Regulating Campaign Finance

To be eligible for public funds, a presidential hopeful must raise $100,000 in contributions from individuals. It is meant to discourage hopeless candidates.

If a major party passes the test and applies for this $, they automatically get a grant to pay for the national convention.

Regulating Campaign FinanceAlso, every major party nominee

automatically qualifies for a public subsidy to cover the costs of the general election.

Minor parties have to win 5% of the popular vote in the previous election, and that much in the present election.