dysfunctional democracy in america dr. doug roscoe department of political science university of...

Dysfunctional Democracy in America

Dr. Doug Roscoe

Department of Political ScienceUniversity of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Fulbright Visiting ScholarLingnan University

Defining DemocracyAmerican Role Model?Inequality in the Formal Electoral Process

HouseSenateElectoral CollegeVoting Law

Inequality in the Informal Political ProcessCampaign ContributionsLobbying

Reform BarriersPolitics

Values

Defining Democracy





Values

--Walt Whitman

“I shall use America and democracy as convertible terms”

(19th Century American Writer)

Formal Electoral Process

Formal Electoral Process

Informal Political Process





Values

-435 members-2 year terms-apportioned to each state based on its population

-100 members-6 year terms-2 senators per state regardless of population





Values


Seats Per Million Residents in State-bigger ratio means more political power per person

Seats Per Million Residents in State

Wyo

ming

Nebras

ka

West

Virginia

North Dak

otaOhio

New M

exico

Louisia

na

Alabam

a

New Ham

pshire

Tenness

ee

New Yo

rk

North Caro

lina

Illinois

Californ

ia

Virginia

Arkansas

Indiana

Wash

ington

Georgi

a

Oklahoma

Idaho

Mississ

ippi

Arizona

Nevad

a

Delaware

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50





Values

Californ

ia

New Yo

rkIlli

noisOhio

Georgi

a

North Caro

lina

Massach

usetts

Indiana

Arizona

Marylan

d

Minnesota

Alabam

a

South Caro

lina

Oregon

Connecticu

t

Mississ

ippi

Kansas

Nevad

a

West

Virginia

Idaho

New Ham

pshire

Rhode Isla

nd

Delaware

Alaska

Vermont

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Population (in 1000s)

Democratic Party supports• Working/lower class• Social welfare programs• Regulation of economy• Existing/higher taxes• Alternative lifestyles

Republican Party supports• Upper class• Smaller government• Deregulation• Tax cuts• Traditional lifestyles and

morality

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 400000

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Population (in 1000s)

% o

f Pop

ulati

on in

Dem

ocra

tic P

arty

Bigger States Are More Democratic(r=.35)





Values

Electoral College • Candidates need a majority of Electors to win Presidency• Each state gets number of Electors equal to number of

House Representatives and Senators• Almost all states award all Electors to candidate who wins

the most popular votes





Values

Americans don’t vote

Prior Registration

Long/Frequent Ballots

Tuesdays

In-Person

0-16 Per-

centile

17-33 Percentile

34-67 Percentile

68-95 Percentile

96-100 Percentile

0102030405060708090

100

Some High School

High School Some College College Degree0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentage Voting By:

EducationIncome

Source: 2008 National Election Study





Values

Help Elect a Favorable Government Influence the Existing Government





Values

is there too much money in campaigns?

SPENDING BY CAMPAIGNS FOR 2008 ELECTION (2007-2008) Congressional Candidates $1,300,000,000 Presidential Candidates

primaries $989,600,000general election $638,800,000

Political Parties (independent/coordinated) $350,900,000 PACs (independent) $135,200,000 Nonprofit Groups (independent) $398,000,000 Total Spending $3,812,500,000

is there too much money in campaigns?

SPENDING BY CAMPAIGNS FOR 2008 ELECTION (2007-2008) Congressional Candidates $1,300,000,000 Presidential Candidates

primaries $989,600,000general election $638,800,000

Political Parties (independent/coordinated) $350,900,000 PACs (independent) $135,200,000 Nonprofit Groups (independent) $398,000,000 Total Spending $3,812,500,000 Gross Domestic Product, 2008:Bowling $4,100,000,000Guns $4,900,000,000Ice cream $7,600,000,000Dog/cat food $16,100,000,000Beer $22,600,000,000Snack food $25,000,000,000Spectator sports $38,800,000,000Tobacco $46,600,000,000Total $14,400,000,000,000

(campaign spending is .03%)

Percentage Donating By:

EducationIncome

Source: 2008 National Election Study

0-16 Per-

centile

17-33 Percentile

34-67 Percentile

68-95 Percentile

96-100 Percentile

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Some High School

High School Some College College Degree0

5

10

15

20

25

30

campaign finance law

Individuals give max US$2500/election


Individuals give max US$2500/electionCorporate contributions banned



Corporations can form PACs



Corporations can form PACsPACs give max US$5000/election




Corporations can form Super-PACs




Corporations can form Super-PACsSpend unlimited amounts independently

Super-PAC Fundraising for 2012





Values

Access

(Lobbying = the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government)

Access

Good lobbyists


Access

Good lobbyists

Mobilized bias


Access

Good lobbyists

Mobilized bias

Votes?


Legislative Vote

Meta-analysis of over 350 statistical tests spanning over 30 studies

Roscoe, Douglas D., and Shannon Jenkins. 2005. “A Meta-Analysis of Campaign Contributions’ Impact on Roll Call Voting.” Social Science Quarterly 86(1).


One-third of tests reveal correlation between money and votes



One-third of tests reveal correlation between money and votes

Model specification does not matter significantly






Values

Republicans benefit from:

-inequalities in House apportionment-inequalities in Senate apportionment-arrangement of the Electoral College

-barriers to easy voter turnout-open avenues for campaign contributions

Republicans benefit from:

-inequalities in House apportionment-inequalities in Senate apportionment-arrangement of the Electoral College

-barriers to easy voter turnout-open avenues for campaign contributions

Lobbyists lobby against:

-lobbying reform





Values

--Charles Wilson

“I thought what was good for the country was good for General

Motors and vice versa”

(CEO of General Motors, 1941-1953)

freedom vs. equality

positives vs. negatives

dysfunctional democracy in america dr. doug roscoe department of political science university of...

Documents