Political Science American Government and Politics

Chapter 9Campaigns, Nominations and

Elections and The Media

9-1

Why Do People Run for Office?

– to further their careers– to carry out specific political programs or

policies– to in response to certain issues or events

• Who Is Eligible to Run for Office– there are few eligibility requirements to run for

most U.S. offices

• President

9-2

Who Is Eligible to Run for Office– must be a natural born citizen– must be 35 years old– must be a resident of the country for 14 years

before inauguration

• Vice President– must be a natural born citizen– must be 35 years old– must not be a resident of the same state as the

presidential candidate

9-2b

Who Is Eligible to Run for Office (cont.)

• Senate– must be a citizen for at least nine years– must be 30 years old– must be a resident of the state from which

elected

• Representative– must be a citizen for at least seven years– must be 25 years old– must be a resident of the state from which

elected

9-3

Characteristics of Campaigns in the Twenty-First Century

• longer campaigns than in past times

• greater emphasis on funds

• lesser emphasis on political parties

• greater reliance on political consultants, who are hired to devise a campaign strategy

• greater emphasis on candidate visibility, or name recognition

9-4

Regulating Campaign Finance

• Federal Corrupt Practices Act of 1925– limited election expenses for candidates– required disclosures– was ineffective because of its many loopholes

• The Hatch Act of 1939– prohibited groups from spending more than $3

million in a campaign– limited individual contributions to committees

to $5,000

9-4b

Regulating Campaign Finance (cont.)

– designed to end influence peddling

• Federal Election Campaign Act of 1972 – restricted mass media expenditures– limited contributions by candidate and family

members– required disclosure of all contributions over

$100– provided $1 voluntary check-off for

presidential campaigns on federal income tax form

9-4c

Regulating Campaign Finance (cont.)

• Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974– created the Federal Election Commission– provided public financing of presidential

elections’– limited presidential election campaign spending– limited contributions

9-4d

Regulating Campaign Finance (cont.)

– required disclosure of contributions and expenditures

– allowed corporations, unions and special interest to establish political action committees (1976 amendment)

• Buckley v. Valeo (1976) declared the 1972 limitation on what an individual could spend on his or her own election unconstitutional

9-5

Beyond Campaign Finance Law

• soft money – the Supreme Court said that “party building activities” (like voter registration drives) should be encouraged, thus allowing unlimited and unregulated contributions to political parties

9-6

Soft Money Raised by Political Parties

9-5b

Beyond Campaign Finance Law (cont.)

• independent expenditures – are nonregulated funds spent by individuals or interest groups on advertising or other campaign activities that are not coordinated with any candidate’s expenditures

• bundling – is the practice of adding together maximum individual contributions and presenting them to the candidate together to maximize their impact

9-7

What is a Presidential Primary?– a statewide primary election of delegates to a

party’s national convention to help a party determine its presidential nominee

• Types of Presidential Primaries– closed primary – only voters who are declared

party members can vote in that party’s primary– open primary – voters can vote in either party

primary without disclosing their party affiliation

9-7b

What is a Presidential Primary? (cont.)

• blanket primary – voters can vote in primary elections for candidates of more than one party (a Democrat for the presidential nominee and a Republican for the Senate nominee, for example)

• run-off primary – if no candidate receives a majority in the first primary, some states require a second primary between the top two candidates

9-8

The Electoral College• Electors in the Electoral College actually elect the

president and vice president of the United States• the numbers of electors in each state in equal to

that state’s number of representatives in both houses of Congress

• electors typically cast their votes for the candidate that receives the plurality of votes in that state

• because of the winner take all system of the electoral college, it typically serves to exaggerate the popular margin of victory

9-9How Presidents and Vice Presidents Are Chosen

9-10

Why Don’t People Vote?

• political withdrawal – fewer citizens feel involved enough in their community to be interested in voting

• rational ignorance – people choose not to inform themselves on issue because they do not believe their vote is likely to be a deciding factor

• campaign effects – the length of campaigns and negative advertising may drive voters away

9-11

Factors that Influence How People Vote

• education

• income and socioeconomic status

• religion

• ethnic background

• gender

• age– geographic region

9-11b

Factors that Influence How People Vote (cont.)

• psychological factors– party identification– perception of the candidates– issue preferences

9-12

Voter Turnout for Presidential and Congressional Elections, 1086 to Present

9-13

The Media’ Functions in the United States

• entertainment

• reporting the news

• identifying public problems– setting the public agenda

• socializing new generations

• providing a political forum

• making profits

9-14

History of the Media in the United States

• The Rise of the Political Press– politically sponsored newspapers– the era of managed news

• The Development of Mass Readership Newspapers– development of the telegraph– increased urbanization

9-14b

History of the Media in the United States (cont.)

• The Beginning of the Electronic Media

• Changes in the Electronic Media– narrowcasting– the internet– talk show politics

9-15

Where Americans Get Their News

9-16

The Media and Political Campaigns

• advertising

• the management of news coverage (spin)

• presidential debates

• the media’s impact on voters

9-17

Spots Aired by the Parties in the Top Ten Media Markets

9-18

The Media and Government

• the Media and the Presidency– the role of the White House Press Corps– the role of the President’s Press Secretary

• Setting the Public Agenda

9-19 Bad News About Presidential Candidates Increases

9-20

Government Regulation of the Media

• controlling ownership

• controlling content– equal time rule– personal attack rule

• Versus

• the Public’s Right to Media Access– The FCC and the Courts are gradually

acknowledging citizens’ right to media access

9-21

U.S. Households with Personal Computers and Internet Connections