Elections and Campaigns

Unit III Module 4 AP Gov Miller

Objectives

• By the end of this module, SWBAT– Explain how the role of the national convention

has changed over time– Describe the historical genesis of today’s primary

system– List and describe the different types of primaries– Describe recent efforts to attain campaign finance

reform laws

The Convention• At the apex of the party pyramid is the National

Committee• Every four years this committee convenes (the verb

that gives us the word ‘convention’) and gathers delegates from all over the nation to – Formalize the party platform – Officially nominate Pres and VP candidates for national

election– Showcase the rising stars and former greats of the party– Energize the delegates (who are state party officials,

precinct captains) to go back home and mobilize voters to try to win the election

Back in the Days

• Before the time of the Progressive Era (pre-1900s), delegates at the national convention chose the candidates for each party

• There was no primary election system – therefore, no rank and file voter input into this decision

• Essentially, elites controlled the nomination process

Primary Colors• Once the primary system begins, official party

members began to stage “mini elections” that pitted party hopeful candidates against each other

• Proved to be a beneficial process because primaries were small samples of each candidate’s ability to – Make public speeches (stump speeches)– Organize and utilize volunteers– Raise funds and cultivate media campaigns– Debate challengers

Primary Colors• Eventually, primary elections determine the

outcome of the nomination process via an application of the “winner take all” process

• The candidate who receives a plurality or greater of the primary vote in a state will “win” that state’s delegation

• In a situation very similar to the general presidential election and the Electoral College, the candidate with the most delegates won will reach a certain number and then be declared the official nominee

Primary Colors

Pros• Greater access,

transparency for voters• More rigorous process for

candidates• Longer election season

could provide for more political discourse in society

Cons• Longer election season

gives the media more power of the process

• Could possibly begin the effects of voting fatigue sooner than usual

• Longer process requires a great deal more campaign finance activity

• Some state primaries are not as accessible as others

Types of Primaries

• Closed primary– Voters registered to any national party can ONLY

use a ballot specific to that party – Unaffiliated voters may NOT vote in the primary

• Open primary– Voters may choose at the polling place which

particular ballot they wish to use– Allows for more access

Types of primaries

• Blanket primary– Would have allowed all the candidates from all

parties to be presented on one common ballot that “covered” them all

– Supreme Court ruled these primaries to be unconstitutional in the case of CA Democratic Party vs. Jones• A political party’s right for its members to associate allows

its to exclude outsiders who might unduly influence the all-important nomination process

• Reaffirms the sanctity of political parties as legal “people” who have the right to privacy

Types of Primaries

• Hybrid Primary– Experimental blends of open and closed

properties – The goal is to extend access to more potential

voters while not violating the privacy of political parties a la the Jones case

– The Supreme Courts of each state with these rules will eventually have to finalize the rules, with the possibility of the US Supreme Court getting involved

Primary Election Map

Caucuses

• Caucuses function like old-school party conventions in a state

• State party delegates meet together to vote among themselves and choose a preferred candidate

• Then, at later national convention, those same delegates then pledge support for that candidate

• Some caucuses are more open and inclusive than others, in a situation that mirrors the different types of primaries

Primary Schedule• First primary is New Hampshire, first caucus is Iowa –

why? easier to gather funds and volunteers to campaign in a small state

• These are in February• Later in March comes Super Tuesday – a day when a

large number of states and their delegates are involved – this day separates contenders from pretenders

• Primaries continue all spring long until the last ones in June – by then all delegates are committed and the party already knows who won the nomination

• If that’s true, then why continue to have the national convention?

New School Conventions

• Nowadays, national party conventions are large media spectacles meant to– Showcase the energy and vigor of the party to the

nation– Articulate the platform of the party to the nation– Rouse the rank-and-file voters of the party – Sneak preview future party leaders– Continue the traditions of party leaders of the

past

New School Conventions

The Road to the White House

• In the summer of the election year, parties choose their tickets (Pres and VP combination as per the rules of the 12th Amendment)

• Campaign strategists focus on:– Which states are already won or lost and which

states are battlegrounds– Media strategies and campaign financing options– Scheduling upcoming debates

The Rules of the Game

• The popular presidential vote takes place on Election Day in November

• That is NOT the actual vote that counts – the electors vote soon afterwards (hopefully) based on the popular vote

• Each state’s number of electors is determined by their combined number of Representatives and Senators

• The first candidate to achieve an electoral majority wins the presidency

• Since the members of Congress are now fixed, the official number of electors needed to win is 270

The Rules of the Game

• If no electoral majority is reached, the top two candidates will then face off in an election determined by the members of the House of Reps

• Very rare occurrence, however, especially now that we are firmly fixed in the two-party system aka “big tent system”

Electoral Strategy• Depending on your ideology, some states not

even worth campaigning in, for example– Democrats in Mississippi– Republicans in Oregon

• Some states not worth campaigning in, but still worth raising funds there– California, New York, etc.

• Other states are perpetually in play for either side due to demographic changes or diverse populations– Texas, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, etc.

Battleground States

• To be dubbed a “battleground” state by the media, a state must– Have a decent amount of electoral votes attached

to it– Have a close race in which either campaign has a

chance of winning – Be a focus of very high campaign activity• Media blitzes• Super PAC advertising• Large scale volunteer mobilization

Battleground States

• Because oftentimes the electoral votes from these states can swing the election in the favor of one of the two opponents, they are also called “swing states”

• On electoral maps used in the media coverage of the campaign, they are colored purple

• All voters (moderates and partisan activists) are essential to win these states

Battleground States

• Green states here are “toss-up states” – possible future battlegrounds

• As you can see, the Republicans begin at a marked disadvantage

• Can you find three scenarios in which:

Battleground States

• Republicans lose Ohio and still win the election?

• Democrats lose Ohio and still win the election?

• Democrats lose Florida and still win the election?

• Republicans lose Florida and still win the election?

The Shadowy Electors

• Former party elected officials or dignitaries• Identities kept secret from the general public• Not committed by law in some states to align

their votes to the popular voters of their states• Is it possible to win the popular vote and lose

the electoral vote? YES– 1824 Jackson lost to Quincy Adams– 1876 Tilden lost to Hayes– 2000 Gore lost to Bush

The Shadowy Electors

• Even party politics have been affected by the electoral system – Democratic Party has created a system of “superdelegates” on top of regular delegates

• Nominees must win a certain number of delegates AND superdelegates to win and one must be a former elected official to qualify as a superdelegate

Change in the Air?

• Many feel the Electoral College is inherently undemocratic – a Constitutional amendment would be required to change it

• Many feel that campaign finance should be reformed – every time we as a nation have tried, a new loophole has been exploited

Reforms?• 1974 Campaign Finance Reform Act – Created limits on hard and soft money contributions by

individuals, interest groups– Loophole spawned PACs as we know them today

• 1976 Buckley vs. Valeo– Supreme Court upheld a “person’s” right to donate money

as political expression– Limits on donations could exist but had to be reasonable

• 2002 McCain-Feingold Act– Tightened limits on hard and soft money– Loophole spawned 527s, which were the precursors to

Super PACs as we know them today

Reforms?

• 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (FEC) case– As long as Super PACs use “independent

expenditures” and NOT donate money directly to candidates, they are acting in a legal manner

• 2014 McCutcheon vs. FEC case– Hard and soft money limits still apply but

individual donors may contribute to as many campaigns as they wish

So How Much Has Really Changed?

• Now it is plain to see why individuals such as this man are so adamant about campaign finance reform