American Government:

Political Linkages
Public Opinion

Who’s Up, Who’s Down?

What’s Good, What’s Bad?
Core Beliefs
 First thing to remember about
public opinion is a person’s core
beliefs are largely unchanging:
 Person’s views about the fundamental
nature of human beings, society, and
economy; taken together, they
comprise the political culture
Political Attitudes
 Person’s views about public policies,
political parties, candidates,
governmental institutions, and
public officials
 Subject to change w/in limits
Public opinion
 Collective political attitudes
expressed by a number of ordinary
citizens
 Feelings of the group.
Sample Surveys or Polls
 A scientifically conducted study
consisting of questions asked to a
group of people who represent a
segment of the population
 There’s a science to this in getting a
representative segment, or sample
 i.e. “Who do support for President?
Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama?”
 “Points” are percentage points
Random Sampling/Polling
 Selection of individuals in a poll, by
chance, using scientific methods to
ensure the individuals, as a group,
represent a given population
Potential Poll Challenges
 Wording Matters
 Close ended or forced choice
questions limit respondents’ ability
to convey true attitudes
 Other challenges
 Screened calls
 Unwillingness to participate

 Mobile phones

 The sample
Political Socialization: Forming your core political beliefs
Agents of Socialization

 Family  Generational effect

 Schools  Jobs
 Popular Culture  News Media
 College Education  Family Situation-
 Major Events Married?
Differences Among Americans
 Race and ethnicity: African
Americans
 Littledifference on core beliefs about
the American system. Huge differences
on political issues.
 2004: 88% Af. Americans voted
against Bush
 Liberal on economic issues

 Conservative on social issues

 Favor government involvement many

times
Differences Among Americans
 Race and ethnicity: Hispanics
 Fasted growing group
 Diverse: Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto
Ricans
 Cubans: More conservative, Republican

 Mexican, Puerto Rican: More Democrat

and liberal
 Remember: illegals can’t vote
 Asian Americans
 Diverse
 Small, but growing population
 Traditionally tend to be conservative,
Republican
 Indians tend to be more liberal,
Democrat
White Ethnics
 Italians, Polish, Irish, etc.
 No longer “different”
 But… Scotts-Irish (James Webb)
 And… Italian Americans: The
Wellspring of Conservative
Jurisprudence
Religion
 Catholics: Formerly heavily
Democratic, now evenly split. Tend
to be concerned about family
issues, abortion.
 Jews: Strongly Democratic, some
trends right, liberal on civil rights
issues. Among leading intellectuals
in politics.
 Protestants: Majority of Americans.
Many varieties. Evangelicals rising
in political strength
Regions
 South: Republican  Mountain States:
stronghold; economic Similar to West,
moderates, social becoming more
conservatives. Hispanic, thus liberal
 West Coast: The Left  Mid-West:
Coast; YUPPIES Conservative socially,
 East Coast: The other economic moderates,
Left coast; Industrial industrial
 New England: Small  Appalachia: Very
town liberals poor, socially
conservative,
 West: Rugged economically
attitudes. Economic moderate
conservatives,
libertarian socially  Sun Belt: Parts of
South, many retirees
and strong Jewish
population makes it
more moderate/liberal
Social Class
 Income matters:
 Generally…
 Wealthy tend to be Republicans
 Moderately wealth more Democrat

 Middle class: split- working class middle

class probably R.
 White collar middle class D.

 Lower class: D
Education and Religion
 More education, more Democratic
 More religious, more Republican
Gender
 Women: Less interested than men in
politics
 Men: More conservative
 D’s and R’s: The Mommy Party and the
Daddy Party
 Policy Preferences: capital punishment,
abortion, defense policy.
 “War on Terror Moms”, “Soccer Moms”
Age
 When did voters grow up and
acquire their core political beliefs?
Consider:
 40’s: Economic Insecurity
 50’s: Good times

 60’s, 70’s: Social flux, war, civil rights

 80’s: Good times, conservative values

 90’s: Let the good times roll, age of PC,

morals changing
Political Ideology
 System of interrelated and
coherently patterned beliefs and
attitudes.
 Most Americans don’t have an
ideology.
 Most Americans do have a partisan
identity… i.e. they associate w/
either R’s or D’s.
Collective Public Opinion
 Political attitudes of the public as a
whole expressed as averages,
percentages, or other summaries of
many individual’s opinions.
Political Efficacy
 Sense that one can affect
government
Presidential Approval Ratings
 Percentage of people who approve
of the job the current President is
doing
 Gas Prices and approval
 Economy and approval
Role of Government
 Some ideologies:
 Economic Conservatives: Favor private
enterprise and oppose government regs or
spending
 Economic Liberal: Favor government regulation
of business and government spending for
social priorities
 Social Lifestyle Liberals: People who favor
greater civil liberty and protection, recognition
of liberties; abortion rights; alternative
lifestyles
 National Defense Conservatives: Favor Strong
Military
Role of Government
 Social Conservatives: Lifestyle
conservatives, favor traditional values.
Support strong law and order meaures,
oppose further policy recognition for gays,
oppose abortion
 Neoconservatives: “A liberal who’s been
mugged by reality.” Tend to “look at the
world as it is but act as we would like it to
be.” More willing to embrace government
action to target certain social goals than
traditional conservatives. More
missionary- but with the sword. Different
from liberals, however, in their “tough”,
“realistic” outlook.
Foreign Policy Attitudes
 We’ll get into this more w/ foreign policy….
 Isolationism: Policy of avoiding involvement in
foreign affairs. Paleoconservatives and
Jeffersonian conservatives.
 Unilateralist: Stance towards foreign policy that
suggests Americans should go it alone.
 Multilateralist: Stance that suggests Americans
should seek cooperation among other nations,
transnational entitities.
 Realists: Believe in balance of power, traditional
state politics.
Foreign Policy Attitudes
 Hawks: Believe in Strong Military
Action. Jacksonians.
 Doves: Believe military action rarely
accomplishes stated goals.
 Wilsonians: Believe world can and
should be made a better place and
that this requires cooperation
among countries and action. (Neo-
Wilsonians/Neoconservatives)
The News Media
The Role of the Watchdog
 Notion that free press should watch
over government and hold feet to
the fire.
Yellow Journalism
 Sensationalist Newspaper stories
with large headlines, sometimes
color cartoons.
Magazines
 News mags: Time, Newsweek
 Ideology Mags: New Republic, the
Nation, Weekly Standard, the
National Review, American
Conservative
Radio
 Talk Radio: The Domain of the
Right.
TV
 Variety of formats, still dominant
media
The Internet
 In its infancy
 Provides blog space
 Netroots
Late Night Comedians
 Letterman
 Leno
How the Main Stream Media Works

 Corporate Ownership: Rupert Murdoch

 Traditionally uniform
 Takes responsibility serious
 Tries to report equally
 Profit motivation
 CNN vs. Fox News, NY Times, LA Times,
Chicago, Boston, and DC
 Reliance on “sources” “leaks”
Sources
 The people who work in or around
government and have insider
knowledge
Sources
 Double edged sword for journalists
 Sources have needs, agendas too
Bias
 Liberal bias
 Conservative bias
Prevailing Themes in Media
 Nationalism
 Approval of U.S. economic system
 Concentrate on Negativity, scandal
 “Infotainment”: Bill O’Reilly
 Pundits- Talking Heads
 Limited, fragmented and incoherent political
info. Episodic rather than sustained,
analytical, or dispassionate
Agenda Setting
 Media decides what’s important,
covers it, people* take notice, pols
react
 *Not all people… the voters… and
not all voters… the active ones.
Remember: in politics, the squeaky
wheel gets the grease.
Framing
 Media “frames” the conversation.
Political Linkages II

Industry Groups and Big Business

Interest Group
 Private Organization
 Seeking to influence public policy
 As a way to protect or advance a
particular interest or set of interests
 Examples:
 NRA
 National Organization of Women (NOW)
Political Pressure
 Usually associated with an imminent
political issue, such as a vote in
Congress
 Typically occurs when a Rep. or
Senator has to balance competing
constituencies
Pressure Group
 Somewhat Synonymous With
Interest Groups
 Group that advances its political
agenda by creating political
pressure for/against a certain issue
Lobby
 Noun: An interest/pressure group
that seeks to convey the group’s
interest to lawmakers.
 Verb: The act of informing or
advocating on a certain issue to
lawmakers
Faction
 James Madison’s term for groups or
parties that try to advance their
own interests at the expense of the
public good.
 Today a faction is most often used
to describe a subgroup within a
larger political order (i.e. the liberal
faction vs. the moderate faction in
the Democratic party)
Interest Groups: A Help or A
Harm

Consider…
Pluralist Argument: Interest Groups Helpful

 Free elections not enough to

sufficiently communicate electorates
wants and needs to lawmakers…
IGs fill this gap
 IG’s easy to create: Allows greater
involvement and democratic
participation
Interest Groups In Recent History

 Growing number of IG’s

 Increased Diversity Means More Diverse
Interests in our nation
 Federalism creates more opportunities for IG’s,
1st Amendment protects their actions
 Government Continues to Grow, thereby
increasing the number of potential
winners/losers (Disturbance theory, pg. 192,
Incentive theory and opposing free rider
theory, pg. 193)
Private vs. Public Interests
 Public Interest Group: Advocates for
a cause or an ideology (NRA)
 Private Interest Group: Seeks to
protect or advance the material
interests of its members (Toyota)
Private Interest Group
 Business: Advocates for policies
helpful to a specific business or a
certain sector
 The Professions: Lawyers, Doctors
 Labor Unions
 Racial, ethnic and gender orgs.
Public Interest Groups
 Sometimes called Citizens Groups
 Try to sway government to act in a
way that will serve the general
public “good”
 Examples: Christian Coalition, the
NRA, pro-choice groups
What Interest Groups Do
 Lobbying is an “Insiders Game”
 Relationships Matter: The Delay
example
 Lobbying Congress requires
fundraising prowess
 Lobbying the Executive Branch:
Less politics and more technical
 Lobbying Courts: Most effective
lobbying takes place in Congress
b/c of lifetime appointments in
court. Also, Amicus briefs
The “Outside” Game
 Grassroots: term used to describe
activity at the level of the rank and
file voters
 Mobilizing Memberships- The art of
ginning up membership excitement
and related m’ship activity
 Organizing the District: Members
listen mostest to those who are
closest
Lobbying at the Grassroots Level:
Shaping Public Opinion

 Educating the public on particular

issue(s)
 Getting Involved in campaigns and
elections
Critiques of Pluralism
 Representational Inequalities
 Resource Inequalities
 PACS: Political Action Committees
 Soft money
 Independent Expenditures
 Bundling
 Access Inequality
 Policy Benefits often spread thoroughly and not
realized (i.e. free trade- benefits many but
they may not realize it. The few who are
harmed are more likely to attempt to change
policy.)
Big Business
 Most important lobby in America
 Often relates back to our triangle’s
base: remember the economy
 Large employers influence
politicians (Coal in KY, WV)
 Big money
 Harm seen in going against
businesses by pols
Checking the mischief of “factions” or
special interests

 More involvement at the basic level

means less chance of special
interests trumping the democratic
process
 More public involvement requires:
 More political awareness
 More political activity

*How might blogging relate to this issue?

The Parties
Political Parties
 Keep elected officials responsive by
providing alternatives’ with support
 Give voters a way to structure their
political affiliations without the
necessity of deep study
 Usually a big tent consisting of
many factions
 Ensure Accountability
 Makes Government work more
effectively
America’s Early Two Party Systems
 Federalists vs. Republicans
 Democrats vs. Whigs
 Republicans vs. Democrats, acts 1-
6:
 I. Post Civil War
 II: The Progressive Era
 III: The New Deal
 IV: The Cold War and the South in Flux
 V: The Roaring 90’s
 VI: The War on Terror
Federalists vs. Republicans
 Jefferson, Madision vs. Hamilton,
Adams
 Federalists favored burgeoning
industry
 Republicans more agrarian, split
among factions of poor white
farmers and plantation owners
 Federalists associated with British,
died after war of 1812
Democrats vs. Whigs
 Democrats: The Party of Agrarian
Interests, still includes two factions,
supported slavery
 Whigs: The Commerce Party,
favored internal improvements, a
Northern and Southern party, split
over slavery
Democrats vs. Republicans I
 Civil War era
 Republicans under Lincoln a
plurality
Republicans v. Democrats II
 Post Civil War to 1896
 Parties in Balance
 Republicans did well initially: Grant,
Hayes
 Reconstruction dismantled following
Hayes-Tilden battle (class
discussion)
Republicans vs. Democrats III
 Progressive Era
 Schism between Agrarian South and
Commercial North
 Republicans dominated until 1932
Republicans vs. Democrats IV
 The New Deal era
 Republicans lost steam in the wake
of the depression
 FDR rallied a nation
 Southern conservative base allied
with Working Class North
 Lasted Through 1952 and cracked
up with the loss of FDR, the Cold
War and Korea
Republicans vs. Democrats V
 The Cold War era
 Dems branded as soft on
communism, weak on issues of war
 From 1952-1992 only 12 years of
Democratic Presidents (1960-1968
& 1976-1980)
 With the fall of the Berlin Wall
America concentrated more on
economy and the Clinton era came
into being.
Republicans vs. Democrats VI
 Began in response to Clinton years.
 Voters initiated Republican Congress in
1994 as reaction against perceived
Clinton mistakes
 Not enough to win the Presidency until
2000, again largely using Clinton’s
mistakes
 On 9/11/01 the world changed. Bush and
Republicans known as the party of
strength in the War on Terror. Signs of
cracking thanks to Iraq as we speak.
Why a 2 Party System?
 Proportional Representation (247) not
present in America
 Winner Take All Discourages Minority
Party, Encourages Participation as Faction
Among Many
 Restrictions on Minor Parties Make
Running Difficult
 Absence of Strong Labor Government
which in Europe led to Conservatives,
Liberals, and Labor
Organization of Political Parties
 Study graphic on 254
 National Party (reports to the
President if the Prez is of the same
party)
 State Party
 Congressional Party Leadership
 No clear chain of command
Party Conventions
 Held Every Four Years
 Serve to Set the Stage for the
Presidential Election
 Highlights the importance of the
President over Congress
Congressional Campaign Committees

 Serve to raise funds for individual

races
State Parties
 Serve as election organizations for
state Republicans
 Similar to national parties if that
party has the Governor’s mansion
(though not with Governor Fletcher)
Primacy of Candidates
 Candidates and elected officials
have the most power in America.
Parties are vehicles for candidates,
not vice versa.
Ideology and Party
 Liberal: In America, the political position
that holds that the federal government
has a substantial role to play in economic
regulation, social welfare and eliminating
racial inequality. Also known as non-
traditional on social issues. Pro-choice,
pro-gun control. (Urban)
 Conservative: Position in America that
holds the federal government should play
a small role in economic regulation, social
welfare and racial issues. Known as
traditional on social issues, pro-life, anti-
gun control. (Rural)
Gov 141: Political Linkages
Elections: Participation and
Voting
Elections
 Not merely a referendum where we
decide who’s up and who’s down.
 Very structured, organized and
dated well in advance.
 In conjunction with term limits for
Presidents and Governors, tend to
take on a life of their own.
Elections
 Blend of local and national themes
 Fought over small number of voters
 Many voters have already made up their minds
well in advance.
 Group Identity a factor.
 Voters decision making process not
completely logical… so campaigns aren’t
completely logical
 Issues framed illogically
 Money disproportionately powerful
3 Theories of How Elections Bring
Popular Control of Government

 Prospective, or Responsible Party

Voting Model
 Electoral Competition Voting Model
 Retrospective, or Reward and
Punishment Voting Model

 NOTE: By “popular” we mean mass, or

democratic
Prospective, or Responsible Party
Voting Model Theory

 One theory on how elections bring

popular control of government
 Responsible Party: Takes clear and
distinct stands on the issues and
tries to enact them when in office
 The theory: Voters will decide what
parties will do in the near future by
choosing a particular party
Prospective Voting Model Theory
 Problems with the theory:
 No guarantee that party will truly work
to implement voters agenda once in
office (Republicans and abortion,
Moderate Dems and social issues)
 Even if they do, not guarantee they can
get it done. (Bush and Social
Security.)
 True PVM conditions don’t exist in
America since we choose candidates
and personalities over issues
The Electoral Competition Voting
Model Theory

 Theory: Parties will attempt to adopt the

most popular party platform to win office.
This means party platforms should be
roughly the same.
 Problems with ECVM Theory:
 Parties aren’t unified; can’t adopt single
realistic platform
 Once elected, parties often deviate from
platform
 Parties too restricted by the past and internal
constituencies to change platforms with the
wind
Retrospective, or Reward and
Punishment Voting Model

 Theory: Elections are decided by

voters who review what an
administration or political party or
candidate has accomplished/not
accomplished over the course of
their term and makes decisions
based on this evaluation.
How the Reward and Punishment Part
works

 Good times: Reelection

 Bad times: “Throw the bums out!”
Problems with Retrospective Theory

 In theory, reasoned analysis

 In practice, toss the bums out
 At times, even tendencies to punish
can be overcome by fears of
alternatives
Challenges to Any Unified Theory
 Government is gridlocked and elections
take place over 50 states, 432* House
Districts and within electoral college
system
 Personalities often more important than
issues
 Most voters don’t take time to study and
know issues
 Voters identity often stronger than any
analysis
 Campaigns are often illogical:
 Money gives some candidates disproportionate
ability to convey message
 Messages conveyed don’t always play to logic;
often tug at emotions, fears, disgust, etc.
Election Traits in America
 Elections are separate and
independent from one another: 50
states, 432 House Districts,
Electoral System
 InParliamentary system you choose
the party and the party chooses the PM
Elections Fill Offices for Set Term

 Affect: Regardless of how unpopular

an incumbent or incumbent party
may be at a given time, absent
impeachment and removal, they will
continue to serve until their term
has expired.
 Lame Ducks
 Ability to turn the ship around
Elections are held on a fixed date

 Pols can’t easily game election

dates
 Fixed by statute
 KY Governor’s Election:
 The exception that proves the rule
Highest Vote Getter Wins
 Very few states have run offs
 Winner takes all system
 In Presidential elections, highest
electoral vote getter wins
Election Structures in America
 Direct Partisan Elections:
Candidates directly elected by the
people within a two party system
 Candidates tend to be party loyalists
(except in marginal districts)
 Successful 3rd Party Candidates Rare
Primary Elections
 Elections where a candidate is
chosen to represent a particular
party
 Open Primary: Any registered voter
can participate
 Closed Primary: Only voters
registered within that party can
participate in election
Presidential Primary
 Each state holds their own primary
 A given number of delegates to the
party convention are chosen
according to:
 National party’s rules
 State party’s rules

 Candidate who wins delegate spots

gets to choose who will serve in those
spots
Caucus System
 Only used in a select few states
 Neighborhood meetings come
together pursuant to set rules and
choose delegates to convention
Political Participation
 Conventional: Participation in
campaigns, communications with
representatives
 Unconventional: Protests,
Demonstrations, Sit-ins, High profile
PR stunts
 Most unconventional activity today
associated with the far left
 In the past, extreme right (KKK) and
left (SNCC)
Franchise
 Franchise: The right to vote
 Suffrage: Refers to collective right
to vote. Historically we had:
 1st, White male property owners
suffrage
 2nd, White male suffrage

 3rd, White suffrage, males and females

 4th, Universal suffrage including African

Americans
Voter Turnout
 Historically low
 Spikes in times of crisis‘s
 Higher turnout favors Dems
 Repubs better at turning out their
voters
 Nobody works to turn out voters
generally
Causes of Low Turnout
 Lack of attractive choices
 Too complex
 Barriers to voting
 Alienation
 Lack of generalized turnout efforts
Who votes
 See graphic on 285
 Higher educated, wealthier you are,
more likely to vote
 Hispanics less likely to vote than
others
 Youth less likely to vote
Part II
Campaigning for the Most
Powerful Post in the World
The Rules of the Race to Become
President of the United States
Presidential Elections
 Generally regarded as the most
important elections in America
 Every four years: 2004, 2008
Traits of Presidential Elections
 Chosen from a select few group of
contenders
 In recent history, candidate has been
chosen well in advance of convention,
which formally selects candidates
 Candidate typically “chosen” after “his”
win seems inevitable based on initial
primary battles
 Primaries held in different states at
different times, thereby giving some
states disproportionate influence
Typical Contenders
 “Moderate” or “Centrist”
 Governors: Most likely to succeed based
on recent history
 Vice President: Next most likely to
succeed. Most likely to be party’s
nominee.
 Senators: More candidates are Senators
than any other post. Typically hard to
make leap from Senator to President.
Last time this worked: 1960. Before that??
Most Likely Contenders Continued

 Generals (following wars… last

successful General was Ike in 52)
 Successful Businessmen
 Severalstrong insurgency campaigns
but never successful in 20th century…
American history?
Getting Started
 Name dropping
 Draft campaigns
 Exploratory Committees
 Re-runs
 Raising money… lots and lots and
lots and lots of money
 Public financing?
The Convention
 In recent history, these events
serve to:
 Anoint party’s candidate
 Kick off campaign season

 Develop party’s/Presidential candidates

platform
 Convey candidate’s message
Traits of Presidential Elections
 Elections hit on:
 Issues

 Past performance
 Personal Characteristics
Elections Depend on Money
 Money drives commercials, mail
 Money comes from political action
committees and individuals and
national treasury
Election Outcomes
 Voters decide based on:
 Social Characteristics
 Party Loyalties

 Candidates’ Personalities

 Issues
 The Economy: The most important
 Foreign Policy: Esp. in times of war

 New issues: Environment, Abortion

The Electoral College System
 Voters choose electors according to
state’s rules
 Electors choose president
Gov 141: Political Linkages
Elections: Participation and
Voting
Elections
 Not merely a referendum where we
decide who’s up and who’s down.
 Very structured, organized and
dated well in advance.
 In conjunction with term limits for
Presidents and Governors, tend to
take on a life of their own.
Elections
 Blend of local and national themes
 Fought over small number of voters
 Many voters have already made up their minds
well in advance.
 Group Identity a factor.
 Voters decision making process not
completely logical… so campaigns aren’t
completely logical
 Issues framed illogically
 Money disproportionately powerful
3 Theories of How Elections Bring
Popular Control of Government

 Prospective, or Responsible Party

Voting Model
 Electoral Competition Voting Model
 Retrospective, or Reward and
Punishment Voting Model

 NOTE: By “popular” we mean mass, or

democratic
Prospective, or Responsible Party
Voting Model Theory

 One theory on how elections bring

popular control of government
 Responsible Party: Takes clear and
distinct stands on the issues and
tries to enact them when in office
 The theory: Voters will decide what
parties will do in the near future by
choosing a particular party
Prospective Voting Model Theory
 Problems with the theory:
 No guarantee that party will truly work
to implement voters agenda once in
office (Republicans and abortion,
Moderate Dems and social issues)
 Even if they do, not guarantee they can
get it done. (Bush and Social
Security.)
 True PVM conditions don’t exist in
America since we choose candidates
and personalities over issues
The Electoral Competition Voting
Model Theory

 Theory: Parties will attempt to adopt the

most popular party platform to win office.
This means party platforms should be
roughly the same.
 Problems with ECVM Theory:
 Parties aren’t unified; can’t adopt single
realistic platform
 Once elected, parties often deviate from
platform
 Parties too restricted by the past and internal
constituencies to change platforms with the
wind
Retrospective, or Reward and
Punishment Voting Model

 Theory: Elections are decided by

voters who review what an
administration or political party or
candidate has accomplished/not
accomplished over the course of
their term and makes decisions
based on this evaluation.
How the Reward and Punishment Part
works

 Good times: Reelection

 Bad times: “Throw the bums out!”
Problems with Retrospective Theory

 In theory, reasoned analysis

 In practice, toss the bums out
 At times, even tendencies to punish
can be overcome by fears of
alternatives
Challenges to Any Unified Theory
 Government is gridlocked and elections
take place over 50 states, 432* House
Districts and within electoral college
system
 Personalities often more important than
issues
 Most voters don’t take time to study and
know issues
 Voters identity often stronger than any
analysis
 Campaigns are often illogical:
 Money gives some candidates disproportionate
ability to convey message
 Messages conveyed don’t always play to logic;
often tug at emotions, fears, disgust, etc.
Election Traits in America
 Elections are separate and
independent from one another: 50
states, 432 House Districts,
Electoral System
 InParliamentary system you choose
the party and the party chooses the PM
Elections Fill Offices for Set Term

 Affect: Regardless of how unpopular

an incumbent or incumbent party
may be at a given time, absent
impeachment and removal, they will
continue to serve until their term
has expired.
 Lame Ducks
 Ability to turn the ship around
Elections are held on a fixed date

 Pols can’t easily game election

dates
 Fixed by statute
 KY Governor’s Election:
 The exception that proves the rule
Highest Vote Getter Wins
 Very few states have run offs
 Winner takes all system
 In Presidential elections, highest
electoral vote getter wins
Election Structures in America
 Direct Partisan Elections:
Candidates directly elected by the
people within a two party system
 Candidates tend to be party loyalists
(except in marginal districts)
 Successful 3rd Party Candidates Rare
Primary Elections
 Elections where a candidate is
chosen to represent a particular
party
 Open Primary: Any registered voter
can participate
 Closed Primary: Only voters
registered within that party can
participate in election
Presidential Primary
 Each state holds their own primary
 A given number of delegates to the
party convention are chosen
according to:
 National party’s rules
 State party’s rules

 Candidate who wins delegate spots

gets to choose who will serve in those
spots
Caucus System
 Only used in a select few states
 Neighborhood meetings come
together pursuant to set rules and
choose delegates to convention
Political Participation
 Conventional: Participation in
campaigns, communications with
representatives
 Unconventional: Protests,
Demonstrations, Sit-ins, High profile
PR stunts
 Most unconventional activity today
associated with the far left
 In the past, extreme right (KKK) and
left (SNCC)
Franchise
 Franchise: The right to vote
 Suffrage: Refers to collective right
to vote. Historically we had:
 1st, White male property owners
suffrage
 2nd, White male suffrage

 3rd, White suffrage, males and females

 4th, Universal suffrage including African

Americans
Voter Turnout
 Historically low
 Spikes in times of crisis‘s
 Higher turnout favors Dems
 Repubs better at turning out their
voters
 Nobody works to turn out voters
generally
Causes of Low Turnout
 Lack of attractive choices
 Too complex
 Barriers to voting
 Alienation
 Lack of generalized turnout efforts
Who votes
 See graphic on 285
 Higher educated, wealthier you are,
more likely to vote
 Hispanics less likely to vote than
others
 Youth less likely to vote
Part II
Campaigning for the Most
Powerful Post in the World
The Rules of the Race to Become
President of the United States
Presidential Elections
 Generally regarded as the most
important elections in America
 Every four years: 2004, 2008
Traits of Presidential Elections
 Chosen from a select few group of
contenders
 In recent history, candidate has been
chosen well in advance of convention,
which formally selects candidates
 Candidate typically “chosen” after “his”
win seems inevitable based on initial
primary battles
 Primaries held in different states at
different times, thereby giving some
states disproportionate influence
Typical Contenders
 “Moderate” or “Centrist”
 Governors: Most likely to succeed based
on recent history
 Vice President: Next most likely to
succeed. Most likely to be party’s
nominee.
 Senators: More candidates are Senators
than any other post. Typically hard to
make leap from Senator to President.
Last time this worked: 1960. Before that??
Most Likely Contenders Continued

 Generals (following wars… last

successful General was Ike in 52)
 Successful Businessmen
 Severalstrong insurgency campaigns
but never successful in 20th century…
American history?
Getting Started
 Name dropping
 Draft campaigns
 Exploratory Committees
 Re-runs
 Raising money… lots and lots and
lots and lots of money
 Public financing?
The Convention
 In recent history, these events
serve to:
 Anoint party’s candidate
 Kick off campaign season

 Develop party’s/Presidential candidates

platform
 Convey candidate’s message
Traits of Presidential Elections
 Elections hit on:
 Issues

 Past performance
 Personal Characteristics
Elections Depend on Money
 Money drives commercials, mail
 Money comes from political action
committees and individuals and
national treasury
Election Outcomes
 Voters decide based on:
 Social Characteristics
 Party Loyalties

 Candidates’ Personalities

 Issues
 The Economy: The most important
 Foreign Policy: Esp. in times of war

 New issues: Environment, Abortion

The Electoral College System
 Voters choose electors according to
state’s rules
 Electors choose president