Unit 3A: Electoral Process/direct Democracy

Front 1

Gain influence in Pres. campaign by:

(3) CEW

Back 1

Enthusing core voters- “energise the base”

Win over independent voters

Create momentum for the campaign by raising funds and creating an “electoral bandwagon”

Front 2

Pres. campaign has to take into account;

(4) WITH

Back 2

Huge size and diversity of the USA

Win key swing states such as Florida and Ohio by targeting them with funds and advertising

Target swing voters

“Incumbency effect”- although didn’t help Carter or Bush Snr.

Front 3

Reason for Kennedy winning 1960?

Back 3

First TV debate, came across as more media friendly

Front 4

Primary process:

(3) WTS

Back 4

Select delegates to attend the national nominating convention

These delegates cast their votes for the winning candidate

Winner of popular vote in the state primary receives delegates by proportional representation depending on party rules.

Front 5

State that uses a caucus?
How many states caucus?

Back 5

Nevada
14

Front 6

Old role of national nominating conventions + quote what is it now?

Back 6

Decide nominee

"More 'crowning' than 'choosing' the candidate"

Front 7

National nominating convention other roles:

(5) ROPPV

Back 7

Ratifies nominee healing political wounds from the campaign

Only time party meets nationally (from all 50 states)

Party platform adopted

Pres. candidate achieves a bounce in the polls

Vice-president announced beforehand but can see if the ticket is balanced

Front 8

Where do candidates get their money from?

(5) PONI5

Back 8

Own pockets

PACs

National party committees

527 groups raising money to spend on issue advocacy

Internet campaigns such as Obama

Front 9

Why is money so important?

(5) STACD

Back 9

Advertising on TV is very expensive

Travel and accommodation due to size of country

Diversity of voters mean that they have to have highly targeted message/s

Specialist staff hire for modern campaigns

Campaigning has a permanent nature with build up for next election

Front 10

Which states do not operate under a winner takes all system for EC?

Back 10

Maine

Nebraska

Front 11

How does Senate system work?

(3)

Back 11

2 from each state

6 year terms

Elections every 2 years for 1/3 senate

Front 12

What type of voting is it for House elections?

Back 12

FPTP

Front 13

Other methods to connect to voters in campaign

(4) WTFP

Back 13

“Whistle stop campaigns” visiting states and making speeches

TV debates

Focus groups

Political advertising using modern technology

Front 14

Coattails effect + example

Back 14

a strong candidate for a party at the top of the ticket can help ther party candidates get elected at the same time.

E.g. 1980 Ronald Reagan helped 33 other Republicans get elected.

Front 15

Split ticket voting + example

Back 15

Voting for candidates of two or more parties in the same election.

E.g. 1996 Republicans realised Bob Dole would not win presidential election, but pleaded with public to re-elect a Republican Congress instead, which is what happened

Front 16

Strong support for incumbents

Back 16

6/11

95% minus 2006/8

Front 17

Reverse Coattails effect example

Back 17

Clinton's election in 1992 but 9 Democrat seats were lost as wel

Front 18

Opposite of split ticket voting

Back 18

Straight ticket voting

Front 19

Media influences

(4) PEEC

Back 19

Personalises campaign with a focus on appearance rather than positions, style rather than substance.
E.g. Dole was unable to raise funds for her campaign as she was not seen to be as glamorous as her competition in 2000.

Elections are under 24/7 media coverage with polls etc

Emphasis on photos and soundbites- e.g. Obama “yes we can”. Can also be damaging to those who are not media friendly such as Gore (2000) and McCain (2008)

Cable networks (e.g. Christian network) send highly targeted messages to specific groups of people

Front 20

Impact of Electoral College on campaigns

Back 20

The focus is largely on the “battleground” swing states such as those with large Electoral College votes. Candidates rarely campaign in all states as they only need 270 EC votes to win

Front 21

Examples of swing states focused on

Back 21

Pennsylvania

Florida

Front 22

How many EC votes needed to win?

Back 22

270

Front 23

How are EC votes allocated?

+ examples

Back 23

Congressional representation: 2+districts

e.g. Florida has 27 but 8 states only have 3

Front 24

Debates surrounding Electoral College
Bad
(4) WOCF

Back 24

Candidate winning popular vote can still loose EC vote such as Gore 2000. Thus the president has a questionable mandate and legitimacy

Winner takes all means that even if the victory is marginal, they still get all the votes

Over and under representation (Florida/Wisconsin)

Faithless/rogue electors

Front 25

Debates surrounding Electoral College
Good
(3) SAN

Back 25

2000 was an anomaly and EC usually provides stability and has done so since 18th Century

States happy- small states are over represented and larger states are happy as attention on them

No consensus for a better method

Front 26

Referendums

Back 26

top->down, gives more legitimacy to political decisions. All states except Delaware that amendments to state constitution must be approved by referendum.

Front 27

Initiatives + example

Back 27

5-15% signatures on a petition depending on state means that an initiative must be taken into account.
E.g. June 6, 1978 Proposition 13, State of California. Cap on property tax rates in the state, reducing them by an average of 57%

Front 28

Bad direct dem.

(4) COOI

Back 28

Initiative voters only look at short term (e.g. proposition 13)

Outcomes can be based on small, unrepresentative outcome

Can be manipulated by pressure groups (e.g. Christian Coalition

Opposing sides have unequal resources which is unfair

Front 29

Good direct dem.

(4) VEEV

Back 29

Express will of people as purest form of democracy

Voters get what they want not what representative’s think they want

Encourage participation

Voters educated on issues

Front 30

Recall election example

Back 30

Grey Davis 2003 recalled and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Front 31

Balanced ticket examples

4 examples plus what it can include

Back 31

E.g. Obama and Biden, Dukakis and Bentsen, Mondale and (Geraldine) Ferraro, Kennedy and Johnson

Includes ideology, geography, gender, age, experience etc

Front 32

Soft money

(3) MCP

Back 32

Money donated to political parties in a way that leaves the contribution unregulated

Companies, unions and individuals may give donations in any amount to a political party for the purpose of "party building"

Party building may include ads that educate voters about issues, as long as the ads don't tell voters which candidates to vote for

Front 33

Hard money

(2)

Back 33

Political donations that are regulated by law through the Federal Election Commission

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971, as amended, imposes limitations and prohibitions on money from certain sources and public disclosure of money raised and spent in federal elections

Front 34

Negative campaigning

Definition plus 2 examples

Back 34

"Mudslinging”. Trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies

E.g. Johnson ‘Daisy’ advert, ‘President Zero’ by Rick Perry etc

Front 35

Example of insider candidates

(2)

Back 35

Kennedy, Nixon

Front 36

Example of insider candidates

(2)

Back 36

Carter, LBJ