Campaigning and Voting in AmericaCampaigning and Voting in AmericaMs. Suzie NesticoMs. Suzie Nestico

Grade 12 – Principles of DemocracyGrade 12 – Principles of Democracy

A. National ConventionB. Direct Primary ElectionsC. Nominating PetitionD. Caucus

A. National Convention (Presidential Elections Only) 1. Held every four years

2. Nominates presidential candidate 3. Nominates VP candidate 4. Develops the party’s platform

B. Direct Primary Elections (most other elections)1. Open Primary - voters may vote for

any party’s candidate

2. Closed Primary - voters may only vote for candidates within their registered party.

3. Caucus --Iowa Caucuses

C. Nominating Petition1. Used primarily at the local level**Robert Belfanti - PA State

Representative was recently replaced. Who were some of the candidates circulating petitions for this office?

2. Candidate circulates petitions obtaining voter signatures to be put on the election ballot

D. Caucus

1. Old caucuses vs. today’s caucus

2. Andrew Jackson - elections of 1824 and 1828

A. Keynote Speech - Day 1B. Committee Reports - Day 2C. Nominee is Chosen - Day 3D. Balance the Ticket - Day 3E. VP nominee Chosen - Day 4F. Acceptance Speeches - Day 4

A. Keynote Speech - Day One **person chosen provides a speech intended to

rally and increase the ‘hype’ of the convention-Who gave Democratic and Republican Speeches

in 2008 Campaign?

B. Committee Reports - Day Two 1. Credentials Committee - examines qualified

delegates from each state 2. Platform Committee - presents the direction of the

party’s overall platform in the upcoming election.

C. Nominee is chosen - Day Three 1. State delegates vote on the nominees presented by the states for the party’s presidential nominee for general election -”State delegates” is comparable to what voting body in the general election in the fall?

D. Balance the Ticket - Day Three 1. Nominations are taken for VP candidate

2. Usually chose someone slightly different with alternate characteristics and beliefs to appeal to a greater number of voters. -What were the implications of this in Decision ‘08?

E. VP Nominee is Officially Chosen - Day Four1. Delegates vote on Vice Presidential

Nominee for their party.

F. Acceptance Speeches & Close - Day Four1. All Nominees deliver acceptance

speeches2. Close of party business and plans to

move on with heart of campaign

“I made the canvass on my own horse; my entertainment, being at the houses of my friends, cost me nothing; and my only outlay was $.75 for a barrel of cider, which some farm-hands insisted I treat them to.”

~Abe Lincoln describing his 1846 run for Congress

Usual Positions in a CampaignCampaign ManagerTreasurerPress SecretaryMedia ConsultantSpeech WritersPolicy AdvisorsFundraisers

Information Gathering Finding the VotersCanvassingMass Media CoverageEndorsementPresidential Debates (televised)

1976 – approx. $456 Million spent on Federal Campaigning

1988 – 1992 – over $3 Billion spent

Sources:Individual candidates themselves (Kennedy,

Bush, Kerry, Clinton)

Other Individual ContributionsLimited by a series of Federal Regulatory Acts in the

‘70’sLimits individual contributions to $1,000

Sources (con’t.)PAC’s – Political Action Committees

Organizations created by interest groups to channel money to political candidates

PAC contributions limited to $5,000 H0WEVER there is no limit to how much money a PAC can spend on supporting a candidate’s campaign

Ending Discriminatory LawsPoll taxesLiteracy testsGrandfather clause

26th Amendment – extends voting rights to 18 yr olds

Australian ballot – “secret ballot”

Poll watchers

Who votes?Socioeconomic Status – refers to a combination of an individual’s social characteristics, such as age and education, and economic status, such as occupation and income

I. Voting A. Types of Participation B. Turnout Trends C. Who Votes? II. Elections A. The Election Process B. Money and Elections C. Variations in Federal Elections D. How Voters Decide

Voting◦ Historical Expansion of the Franchise◦ Voting for Multiple Offices at◦ Different Levels

Voting beyond Elections for Office◦ – Referenda◦ – Initiatives◦ – Recall

Conventional: Petitions◦ Letters to representatives◦ Campaign Activity (Canvassing; Money)◦ Regular Protest

Unconventional: Disruptive Protest March (Seattle, Genoa)◦ Occupying/Blocking Access to◦ Buildings (Abortion Clinics)◦ Vandalism (Greenpeace)◦ Political Violence (Oklahoma City, 9-11)

Why is turnout so low?◦ – Difficulty in Registration◦ – Number and Frequency of Elections◦ – Weak Political Parties◦ – Voter Apathy

Voting is Related to:◦ – Age◦ – Income◦ – Education◦ – Race

YES: Legitimacy of System◦ Potential Policy Bias◦ Functional Disenfranchisement

NO: Opportunity for All◦ Most Informed/Interested are◦ Participating◦ Non-voting and Contentment◦ Participation and Discontent

Voting on the Basis of Party Loyalty Voting on the Basis of Policy Issues

◦ – Prospective?◦ – Retrospective?◦ – General or Specific?

Voting on the Basis of Candidate Image