Congressional Elections
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Transcript of Congressional Elections
Congressional Elections
Constitution
• Senators– 6 years– Selected by state legislatures– 17th Amendment, 1913: Direct election
• Members of House of Representatives– 2 years– Directly elected by people
Rules governing election to Congress
• The Constitution
Constitution: election to the House of Representatives
• Election every 2 years• Must be 25 years old• Citizenship for 7 years• Live in the state• Selected same way as largest house of state
legislature (popular vote)• Apportioned among states based on population
Constitution: election to the Senate
• Election every 6 years– Three Classes
• Must be at least 30 years old• Citizen for 9 years• Live in the state• Selected by state legislatures• 2 per state
Rules governing election to Congress
• The Constitution• Single-member, winner-take all districts• Reapportionment and redistricting
Reapportionment
• When the federal government reallocates seats among the states after the decennial census
Gains and losses due to 2000 reapportionment
• Gains– CA (+1)– AZ (+2)– CO (+1)– FL (+2)– GA (+2)– NV (+1)– TX (+2)
• Losses– CT (-1)– NY (-2)– IL (-1)– IN (-1)– MI (-1)– OH (-1)– OK (-1)– PA (-2)– WI (-1)
Redistricting
• When states redraw congressional district boundaries after decennial census
• Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)– Each district must have equal population
What criteria should states use in deciding where to draw
district lines?
Conflicting Values
• Contiguity of boundaries (requirement)• Equal population (requirement)• Compactness• Keeping together communities of interest • Protecting interests of racial minorities
– Meeting requirements of Voting Rights Act• Partisan gerrymandering• Incumbent protection• Maximizing competition
Rules governing election to Congress
• The Constitution• Single-member, winner-take all districts• Reapportionment and redistricting• Primary election laws
– Open vs. Closed• FECA
Federal Election Campaign Act(as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002)
• Contribution limit (individuals) = $2000• Total cycle contribution limit = $95,000
• Contribution limit (PACs) = $5000
How do voters decide?
Heuristics:
• Party ID
• Name recognition
• Incumbency!
Sources of incumbent advantage
• Voters recognize their name• Gerrymandering• Privileges of office• Ease of raising money
How do voters decide?
• Heuristics
• Campaigns
Cost of campaigns
2000 House:
• Ave. expenditures: $693,952• Incumbents’ ave. expenditures: $814,507• Challengers’ ave. expenditures: $369,823
Where does money come from?House candidates' ave. funding sources,
2000
Candidate11%
Individuals51%
Other5%
Party2%
PACs31%
Individuals PACs Party Candidate Other
Where does money come from?Senate candidates' funding sources, 2000
PACs13%
Party4%
Candidate24%
Other6%
Individuals53%
Individuals PACs Party Candidate Other
Fundraising9.40%
TV21.80%
Staff salaries17.80%
Other comm.3.90%
Travel 2.5%
Polling2.1%Direct mail
8.10%
Radio ads12.30%
Newspaper ads .4%
Voter reg/GOTV
1.30%
Campaign literature
8.00%
Overhead10.50%
Budget of a typical House campaign
Who gets elected?
• White men
Who gets elected?
• White men• Lawyers• Christians
• Previously elected officials
Small group discussion
What constitutes good representation?What characteristics of a representative would make you feel like he or she should do a good job representing you and your interests?
What behavior should a good representative engage in? When, if ever, should a representative put his
constituents’ interests aside and think of the greater good?
You will turn your notes in for participation credit.
Values associated with representation
• Looking like me, having my background– “Symbolic representation”
• Rep. uses own judgment to act on my behalf– “Representative-as-delegate”
• Doing exactly what I would do– “Representative as agent”
• Communication with me