Voting, Campaigns, Campaign Finances, Media and Interest

Groups

“Let us never forget that government is ourselves. The ultimate rulers of our democracy …are the voters of this country.”

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

VOTING

A right and a responsibility of citizenship.

VOTING: QUALIFICATIONS

18 years oldU.S. CitizenState ResidentMentally CompetentNot a convicted felon

VOTING: REGISTRATION

Must register 20 days before the election at:

• DMV• Registrar’s Office• Mail in Application

VOTING: PARTICIPATION Increased turn-out in Presidential ElectionsParticipation more likely:

Education Age Income

VOTING: NON VOTERSLack InterestForget to registerNot informed on issuesParticipation less likely:

Income Age Education

VOTING: MAIN IDEA Qualified citizens have a

responsibility of stay informed about campaign issues and exercise their right to vote.

Voting: Absentee

•For people who can not get to voting booths

• Request form prior to Election Day

• Mailed in and counted on Election Day

Voting: Why your vote matters!!

•Stay informed!

•Separate fact from fiction

• Gives you a chance to choose your government leaders

• Express/voice your opinion

• Elect new leaders

Election Campaigns

General Election:

* First Tuesday after the first Monday of November

* All seats in H.O.R. and 1/3rd of Senate are up

* Every 4 years* Ballot can include governor, state

legislatures, county government, local offices

Presidential Elections

•3 steps:

•Nominations of Candidates• Campaign• Vote

Presidential Election: Nomination

•Campaigns start a year or so before election

• National conventions held Summer before election

• Today, used to kick off the campaign and rally party members

Presidential Elections: Campaign

•Travel giving speeches, appearing on T.V., news conferences

• Debates!

Presidential Elections: Vote

•Electoral College

• Person who wins the popular vote, wins the states Electoral Votes (winner-take-all system)

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The President and the Vice President are

elected by a majority vote in the Electoral

College.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Each state has the same number of electors as it does Congress Members

# of Senators+

# of Representatives =__________________

# of electoral votes in each state

ELECTORAL COLLEGE538 Total Electoral

Votes 270 Electoral votes

needed to win the election

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

What made the framers of the

Constitution create this system for the

election of the President and Vice-

President?

WHYWhy do we

need electors?

Electoral College

Why we need it??* Compromise between

founding fathers* To have each state

legislatures choose presidential electors

* Popular vote chooses who will receive electoral votes

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Question for the framers:

How to balance power between the

large and small states?

Result: Electoral votes for each state are determined by population

Representation

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Issue for the framers: People

are not educated enough to make a good decision.

Result: Electors who were educated about the process would make the official vote.

Fear

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Issue for the framers:

Voters do not know about candidates from other states.

Result: Using electors would keep people from only voting for candidates from their state.

Knowledge

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Electoral CollegeThe President and the Vice President are elected

by a majority vote in the electoral college.

Each state has the same number of electors as it does Congress Members

# of Senators+# of Representatives =____________________ # of electoral votes in each state

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

ProcessEach party picks electors who promise to vote for their party’s candidate.

Popular vote: first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

Winner take all system

The candidate with most votes in a state wins all of the electoral votes for that state.

Electoral Vote: December

Electors cast the official votes for President and Vice President.

Effect of the Electoral College on Campaigns

Candidates concentrate on

states with more electoral votes

(California, New York)

Small states can make the difference

in close elections

Favors a 2-party system

It is possible to tie (269 electoral votes each)

What if… no candidate receives 270 votes?

A TIE!!!

House of Representatives

selects the President

Senate selects the Vice

President

Electoral College

Schoolhouse Rock-Electoral College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCjWPo70XZY

Campaign Financing

Canvassing: Political party members going door to door asking for votes or taking polls

Campaign FinancingEndorsements: Famous and popular person supports or campaigns for a candidate

Point= If people like the person who is making the endorsements, people might vote for the candidate as well

Campaign Financing

Campaign Expenses: T.V. ads cost tens of thousands of $$

-Airfare and other transportation

-Salaries of staff members

-Fees-Computer, television,

phone, postage, printing costs

Financing a Campaign

*Congress placed control on campaign financing after 1970

•Law required:• Public disclosure of each candidate’s spending

• established federal funding of presidential elections

• tried to limit how much individuals and groups could spend

Financing a Campaign

Public Funding:

* Presidential Campaign Fund= allows taxpayers to donate $3 of their federal income tax return to go to the fund.

* Presidential candidates can qualify to get some of this money to campaign in primary elections if they have raised $100,000 on their own

Financing a CampaignPrivate Funding:

* Private sources provide campaign funds and include individual citizens, party organizations, and corporations, special interest groups (labor unions) donate funds to candidates

* Donations given to political parties and note designated for a particular candidate’s election campaign = SOFT MONEY

*Soft Money must be used for general purposes – voter registration, direct mailings, or advertisements

$

Rising Campai

gn Costs

$

Lots of fund raising by candidates and parties

Gives an advantage to rich people

Limits opportunities to run for office.

Limits opportunities to run for office.

Interest Groups have more power

Encourage PACs

Campaign

Finance Reform

Rising campaign costs have led to efforts to

reform campaign finance laws. Limits exist on the amount individuals may

contribute to political candidates and campaigns.

PACsPolitical Action

Committees

Established to raise money to

support an issue or candidate

Political Action Committees

oPACs are the political branch of a special interest group.oPACs raise voluntary donations of money from people who agree with their cause.oThey give money to elections campaigns of people they support and to the political party that will work for their goals.

PAC’s give their soft money to INCUMBENTS (politicians who have already been elected to office)

* Result: lawmakers were reluctant to change the rules in ways that could help their opponents in the next election

Financing a CampaignRunning for office is expensive!

How does campaign financing work??!

The Role of the Media in Elections

MEDIA

T.V.RadioNewspapersInternet

Role of the Media in ElectionsThe editorial section

of the newspaper, a televised debate or T.V. program can provide candidates and experts a way to present opposing viewpoints on the issues.

Air Different Points of View

Role of the Media in Elections

Call Attention to Important

Issues

By printing articles or airing stories about a particular issue, the media is able to create interest in a topic where none existed.

Role of the Media in Elections

Government officials and candidates use the media to communicate

with the public.

Identify candidates & their platforms

(stand/opinion on the issues)

How can voters evaluate speeches,

literature and advertisements for

accuracy?

BY:Separating fact from

opinionDetecting biasEvaluating sources

of information Identifying

propaganda

Throughout media, we see things

like:

Name Calling“Candidate Roberts is corrupt and caters to special interest

groups.”Use of an unpleasant label or

description to harm an opposing candidate.

Name Calling

Plain Folks Appeal

“Vote for Hillary Clinton, who understands the problems of

Florida.”

Candidates describe themselves as regular people; average, hard

working citizens.

Plain Folks Appeal

Public PolicyHow individuals, interest groups and

the media influence the actions of the government.

What influences people’s

opinions??•Family & Friends•Media (Print and T.V.)•Importance

Why might a group have more influence than an individual?

• Louder Voice• More $• Represent more people

Why might a group have more influence than an individual?

• Louder Voice• More $• Represent more people

Public PolicyThe actions of the

government as they deal with the issues

of the day.

Ways that individuals influence public policy.

Voting Being informed Participating in politics Expressing opinions: * Letters to politicians * Demonstrating Campaigning Lobbying Joining interest groups

Ways that groups influence public policy.

• Interest Groups: organizations that seek to influence government policy

• Identify and publicize issues• Offer different viewpoints• Lobby- seeking to influence legislators to

introduce legislation or to vote for or against a bill.

• Donate $

An interest group is a structured

organization of people with

shared attitudes who attempt to influence public

policy.

Interest groups:

-Vary in size, goals and budget -Attempt to influence both the government and public opinion -Hire lobbyists to represent their interests

Interest Groups

Public Policy is influenced by:

Individuals Interest Groups Media

•Vote•campaign•Keep informed•Express Opinions by: -Writing letters to politicians -Demonstrating -Lobbying •Join interest groups

•Identify and publicize issues•Offer different viewpoints•Lobby•Donate Money $$$

•Draws attention to issues•Shows different views on issues•Holds candidates accountable•Allows officials to communicate with citizens

Influencing Government: Lobbyists

Lobbyist: Representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making

Persuade government officials to support their interest groups policies

Give important information to lawmakers (suggest solutions for problems and issues) Draft their own bills for lawmakers

Concerned with making sure laws are carried out, enforced, and upheld in court

Initiative- a way a citizen can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments

Citizens will get qualified voters to sign a petition. If enough people sign the proposed law, PROPOSITION, is put on the ballot at the next general election.

Referendum- a way for citizens to approve or reject a state or local law.

-Citizens have the right to have a law referred (sent back) to voters for their approval at the next general election.

Another type of special election is called a RECALL

* citizens vote to to remove a public official from office

*Starts with a petition and can recall an official because they do not like his or her position on issues or because the official has been charged with wrongdoing.

Straight-Ticket: When a citizen votes for all republican or democratic candidates on a ballot.

Returns: Ballots and results of an election

Butterfly: A ballot that has candidates and issues on both sides and it separated by the numbered marks to punch down the middle.