U N I T 4

THE ELECTION PROCESS

THE NOMINATING PROCESSUNIT 4, NOTES 1

THE NOMINATING PROCESS

• The Constitution doesn’t explain how we choose our president or presidential nominees• Political parties have developed

how to do that on their own = national conventions• Party out of power holds

convention first• THIS IS HOW WE CHOOSE THE NOMINEES IN EACH PARTY

5 WAYS NOMINATIONS MADE IN US

1) Self announcement – oldest form of nominating process

- Person who wants to run, simply announces it

- Sometimes used by someone who failed to win regular party nomination or unhappy with party choice- Examples: Ross Perot and Arnold

Schwarzenegger

2) Caucus – group of like minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in election

- Began in colonial days- Open to all members of party

5 WAYS NOMINATIONS, CONT

3) Convention – Since 1830s all major party presidential nominees have been chosen by conventions

- At local caucus, party members select delegates (rep.) to represent them at state convention

- At state level more delegates chosen to represent party at national convention where it selects the party’s presidential nominee

4) Petition – candidates nominated by means of petition signed by certain # of required voters in that election district

- Mostly at local level- Used for minor party or independent nomination- Usually higher office more signatures required

5) Direct Primary

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

• A presidential primary is an election in which• 1)the party’s voters choose the states delegates to

national convention • 2)express a preference among the contenders for their

party’s presidential nominees

• Candidates for nomination campaign in each state that holds a primary hoping to win and get their names recognized• Want to build a national following

• This is why first few primaries are so important• Candidates will most likely drop out by convention

time if they aren’t receiving any votes in primaries

PRIMARIES

• Primaries force would-be presidential candidates to test their ability to win on a real election circuit

• For the party out of power the primaries are usually very heated fights with many contenders = many members of the party battle for nomination

• Doesn’t usually happen like that in party in power because either:• 1) the president himself is running for re-election• 2) the president has given support to the candidate he

favors for the nomination

• People in the party usually respect the president and what he wants

DIRECT PRIMARY

• Method used by most states to choose delegates to convention and to pick their candidate for election

• 2 basic forms of direct primary• Closed – only declared party members can vote in primary;

party membership is established by registration; go to vote at primary, you can only vote on your party’s ballot

• Open – any qualified voter can cast ballot; when you go to vote you are handed a ballot for each party; mark the ballot of your choice in a private voting booth

• Some states have open public primaries – must ask for the ballot of the party you want to vote for

• Alabama has this

CLOSED PRIMARIES

• Those in favor of closed primaries say they are good because:• Prevents a party from “raiding” the other party and

nominating a weaker candidate• Makes candidates more responsive to the party and its

platform• Voters have to think more because they must choose

between parties in order to vote

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Those in favor of open primaries say they are good because:• Voters are not forced to make public

their party preference• It does not exclude independent voters

EVALUATION OF THE PRIMARY

• Voter turnout in primaries not that good• Many resent having to declare a party• Many don’t understand the importance• Costly – a candidate must have the funds to

campaign for the primary and then, if they make it that far, for the general election too• Nominating happens within a party so it can

cause disputes and divide the party

MONEY AND ELECTIONSUNIT 4, NOTES 2

CAMPAIGN SPENDING

• Millions spent on campaigns - especially presidential campaigns• Money goes to signs, stickers, pamphlets, staff,

office rent, mailing, travel expenses • Largest amount spend on TV time (ads)

SOURCES OF FUNDING

• Draw from 2 sources – public treasury and private donations• Private givers are main source (5 categories)• 1) Small contributors – usually give what they can

• True believers – really giving because they believe in candidate

• 2) Wealthy individuals/families – do so because in their best interest • Want a favor, want business protected

• 3) Candidates themselves – many have lots of money • 4) PACs – political action committees – political arms of

special interest groups• 5) Temporary organizations – formed for campaign

• Parties and candidates themselves hold fundraisers – dinners etc.

• Public funds – subsidies from state & federal government

REGULATING CAMPAIGN FINANCING

• Congress Job• Federal Election Commission (FEC) – administers

laws passed by Congress about funding• Finance law not very well enforced• FEC is underfunded and understaffed

• FEC supposed to regulated 4 areas• 1) timely disclosure of campaign finance data• 2) place limits on contributions• 3) limits on expenditures• 4) provide public funding for presidential election

process

CAMPAIGNING

• Limits on Contributions• Labor unions & corporations not allowed to donate

• PAC Contributions• Labor unions & corporations can’t, but their PAC can • Over 4,000 PACs today

• BIPAC – Business Industry PAC• BANKPAC – American Bankers

• PACs get contributions from business leaders, labor union members, doctors, teachers

• Pools money

MONEY

• Have had limits on hard $ - money raised for electing candidates to office• Didn’t limit soft $ until recently – money given to

party for “party building” activities

U N I T 4 , N O T E S 3

PRESIDENTIALELECTIONS

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

• Many states hold these to choose their delegates to the national convention• A presidential primary is an election in which

the party’s voters 1. Choose the states delegates to national convention (see ch. 7.1 notes) 2. Express a preference among the contenders for their party’s presidential nominees

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, CONT.

• New Hampshire holds the first primary each time

• Candidates for nomination campaign in each state that holds a primary hoping to win and get their names recognized – want to build a national following

• This is why first few primaries are so important

• Candidates will most likely drop out by convention time if they aren’t receiving any votes in primaries

THE NATIONAL CONVENTION

• After all the primaries and caucuses held, the delegates chosen, and the nominees usually narrowed down both parties hold their national conventions • Meeting at which delegates

vote and pick their presidential and VP candidates

THE NATIONAL CONVENTION, CONT.

3 major goals at convention1) Name Pres. And VP candidates2) Bring different groups within the party together

for a common purpose – promote party unity3) Adopt the party’s platform = formal statement

of its basic principles, stands on major issues, etc.• Also promotes party unity and gains national attention for

the party

FIRST TWO DAYS

• First Two Days = used to organize and welcome the delegates = lots of speeches by various party members to fire up the crowd

2 MAIN HIGHLIGHTS• Keynote address- loud, exciting speech delivered

by one of the party’s best speakers and well-known members – designed to glorify they party, its accomplishments, and speak badly of other party

• Platform announced- a statement of party stands, but also very important that it appeal to as many people as possible, so its usually generalized

THE LAST TWO DAYS

• Last Two Days = first nominate VP – usually the pres. Candidate has announced already who his running mate will be, so all the convention has to do is ratify the choice• Ends with selection of the Pres. Candidate- many

nominating speeches are given by party• States are then called on in alphabetical order and

the chair of each state’s delegation announces how their votes cast• Counted and candidates nominated• Last day = candidates acceptance speech• Fire up crowd and generalizes what he plans to do

THE FRAMERS

• Framers decided on method of choosing the President• Didn’t want to let Congress

decide • Gave them too much power

• Popular vote would not work because• 1) People didn’t know about

candidates• 2) People didn’t know about

elections• 3) Representation – large state

population would count more

THE FRAMERS, CONT.

• Agreed to have electors from each state • Cast one vote for President and one for VP

• Electors would vote based on popular vote• Within their state

• Supposed to be men who were educated, knew about politics

• Electoral College is the group of electors chosen from each state and DC to formally select the Pres. and VP

• Plan worked okay while Washington was President• But once political parties developed it didn’t work

PROBLEMS• Candidates win same # of votes• Who is President/VP?

• 12th Amendment = separate ballots for them

THE ELECTION

• Presidential campaign begins right after the convention• Campaign committees work to present

candidates in the best light • speeches, press conferences, debates, ads, bumper

stickers, “shaking hands, and kissing babies”

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY

• When you vote in presidential elections, you are not voting directly for that candidate• Instead you are voting to elect that candidates

presidential electors – those who will cast your vote for him• Each state is allowed as many elector votes as it

has members in Congress (senators + representatives ) • AL = 9

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY, CONT.

• Electors are expected to vote automatically for their party’s candidates for president and VP• Chosen on a winner-take-all basis • The candidate who wins the most votes in that state

(popular vote) gets all his electors, therefore he wins all the electoral votes from that state

• A candidate must win the majority of all the electoral votes in the country to become president • 270 out of 538

FLAWS IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

1) The winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency

• The fact that the electoral vote is on a winner-take- all basis leads to this problem

• Ex: Bush won Ohio by 51% of the popular vote, but still won all 20 electoral votes, even though Kerry won over 2 million votes, he didn’t get the electoral votes• Add up enough states like this and a candidate may win the

popular vote but not the electoral

• Four times a candidate has won the popular vote, but not won the electoral, therefore he can’t be president

FLAWS, CONT.

2) Electors aren’t required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote• they are expected to vote for the popular

winner, and as loyal party members they almost always do, but the constitution does not require them to

FLAWS, CONT.

3) Possibility that the election may have to be decided by the House of Representatives• Happens if no one receives the majority of the electoral

votes• A strong third party candidate would have to be in the

race to take some of the electoral vote for this to happen

FLAWS, CONT.

• Many people want a direct popular election • Each vote would count equally in the national result (no

electoral college – direct election by the people)• Say this supports democratic ideals • The winner would always be the majority choice

• Opponents point out that it would take a Constitutional amendment to change the election process and that is long and hard process

• Also it would put a huge burden on the election process – because every vote would count, candidates would have to campaign strenuously in every state • hard on campaign time and money

ELECTORAL COLLEGE SUPPORTERS

2 Major Strengths:

1) It’s a known process – know it works, we don’t know if other plans, once in effect, would work

2) It determines a winner quickly