Campaigns and Elections gambling-and-no-tax-increase In Oregon, Ballot Measure 58 would prohibit schools from teaching foreign students in their native language after one year in elementary school or two years in high school. And in Missouri, Constitutional Amendment One would "establish English as the official language for all government meetings where public business is discussed or decided or where public policy is formulated". Large number of anti-gay marriage measures were on the ballot in 2004 Empowering the people? There is no big secret to the formula for manipulating California's initiative process. Find a billionaire benefactor with the ideological motivation or crass self-interest to spend the $1-million plus to get something on the ballot with mercenary signature gatherers. Stretch as far as required to link it to the issue of the ages (this is for the children, Prop. 3) or the cause of the day (this is about energy independence and renewable resources, Props. 7 and 10). If it's a tough sell on the facts, give it a sympathetic face and name such as "Marsy's Law" (Prop. 9, victims' rights and parole) or "Sarah's Law" (Prop. 4, parental notification on abortion). Prepare to spend a bundle on soft-focus television advertising and hope voters don't notice the fine print or the independent analyses of good-government groups or newspaper editorial boards...Today, the initiative process is no longer the antidote to special interests and the moneyed class; it is their vehicle of choice to attempt to get their way without having to endure the scrutiny and compromise of the legislative process.LawSarah's Law In a move that cuts directly against the secretive nature of dark money political efforts, Californias campaign finance watchdog on Monday publicly released the names of the donors behind an Arizona groups $11 million donation to ballot initiative efforts in the Golden State. In a sharply worded press release, Californias Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) said the money for the donation made by Americans for Responsible Leadership came from Americans for Job Security, the conservative organization, and had been funneled through The Center to Protect Patient Rights, a non- profit helmed by Sean Noble, a former congressional aide who has been tied to the movement of millions of dollars between political non-profits. The FPPC also said that in disclosing the donors, the Arizona group Americans for Responsible Leadership admitted to campaign money laundering. Americans for Responsible Leadership, a Phoenix-based 501(c)4 nonprofit group run by an unlikely collection of Arizona Republicans, began drawing criticism from California Democrats and progressives in October, when it made the enormous donation to another group, called the Small Business Action Committee PAC (SBAC). The SBAC is opposing Californias Proposition 30, which is Gov. Jerry Browns tax-hike initiative, and supporting Proposition 32, which would prohibit labor unions from raising political money through payroll deductions. Americans for Responsible Leadership today sent a letter declaring itself to be the intermediary and not the true source of the [$11 million] contribution, the FPPC said in its press release. It identified the true source of the contribution as Americans for Job Security, through a second intermediary, The Center to Protect Patient Rights. Under California law, the failure to disclose this initially was campaign money laundering. At $11 million, this is the largest contribution ever disclosed as campaign money laundering in California history. Electoral Districts Congressional and state legislative districts are typically drawn every 10 years in a process known as redistricting Most districts are gerrymandered to serve a particular groups interest Electoral Districts Gerrymandering Packing: ramming many voters of one party into a district to dilute their votes in other districts Cracking: tearing up dense pockets of party voters to dilute their votes in that district Stacking: merging two districts of the same party to force incumbents to run against each other Chapter Warm Up One person, one vote Spilt ticket Rhetoric, narrative, ideology Proportional representation cracking, stacking and packing Butterfly ballot Smoke filled rooms Legal gerrymandering Styles of campaigns Electoral Districts The Campaign Narrative The formula: What is the problem? Who are the villains? Who are the victims? Who are the heroes? What is the common sense solution? Republican narrative: heroes, villains, victims, common sense solutions. Democratic narrative: heroes, villains, victims, common sense solutions. Electoral Districts Congressional districts should be contiguous, compact, and consistent with existing political subdivisions Race can no longer be the deciding criterion Ballots Ballots can take many forms, and each state makes its own. Some differences among states are: Party line voting Electors, not the candidates names, listed first Party affiliations not listed Voting machines, paper ballots, punch cards, or touch screens Distribution of Electoral Votes in the 2008 Election WHO ARE AMERICANS? Chapter 10 WHO SUPPORTED OBAMA IN 2008? WHO ARE AMERICANS? Who Supported Obama in 2008? Election Results by State Population SOURCE: Mark Newman, Maps of the 2008 US presidential election results,(accessed 7/8/10). John McCain (R) Barack Obama (D) WHO ARE AMERICANS? Who Supported Obama in 2008? Election Results by State Electoral College Votes SOURCE: Mark Newman, Maps of the 2008 US presidential election results,(accessed 7/8/10). Demographics as Destiny? Electoral College The electors vote at their respective state capitols the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. If no candidate has a majority of the electoral votes, the House decides the result, with each state getting one vote. American Campaign Techniques Conquer the World Election Campaigns Campaigns: efforts by political candidates and their supporters to win the backing of donors, political activists, and voters in their quest for political office. Election Campaigns The first step is to allow candidates to start raising money and accepting donations. Two methods: form an exploratory committee file papers announcing candidacy Election Campaigns Staffing Election Campaigns Primaries Personality clash: candidates policies are roughly the same Ideological struggle: candidates policies differ dramatically The 2008 Primaries Presidential Elections Parties select their presidential candidates by delegates sent from each state GOP: winner-takes-all DEM: proportional to state vote share Most states hold primaries, but some hold caucuses Presidential Elections The primary season is earlier each election States seek to be influential by voting early Some states with late primaries are debating abandoning them Presidential Elections Early conventions selected the candidates themselves Primaries and caucuses were non-binding Deals were cut in smoke-filled rooms Party leaders wanted to determine candidates Presidential Elections Contemporary party conventions Ratify the decisions made in primaries Enact any new rules for future delegate selection Draft party platforms Present candidates and the party platforms to voters The General Election General Election Campaign Labor-intensive v. media-intensive campaigns Labor-driven campaigns Volunteers campaigning door-to-door Media-intensive campaigns Goal is to get media attention Few volunteers, lots of fundraising The Age of the Talk Show Campaign General Election Campaign Free Media v. Paid Media Free media: coverage by the press and visits to talk shows Reach wide audiences Can be unpredictable Paid media: advertisements purchased by campaigns Expensive Message is controlled Average House and Senate Campaign Expenditures, 19802008 Digital Media and Campaigns Crowd sourcing Facebook Twitter Campaigns & Political Equality Labor-intensive campaigns allow those at the bottom of the SES to have some influence on a campaign As campaigns become more paid media- intensive, candidates must focus on voters capable of donating large sums How Voters Decide Three main factors Partisan loyalty Issues and policy concerns Candidate characteristics Influence Campaigns and Elections Before You Cast Your Vote How Voters Decide Most voters who identify with a party vote for that partys presidential candidate Consumer Confidence and Presidential Elections How Voters Decide Issues are only relevant if candidates take differing stances on key issues A healthy economic can greatly help incumbents, especially presidents How Voters Decide Candidate Characteristics Voters tend to prefer candidates who they see as having characteristics similar to their own Federal Campaign Finance Regulation Figures for 2010 Averages Presidential Averages 2000 v 2008 Historical Pattern Sources of Campaign Funds Public Funding Top Donors to 527 Committees, 2008 Implications for Democracy Public Opinion Poll Which electoral system do you believe is best? a)A plurality system b)A proportional representation system Public Opinion Poll Do you believe it is appropriate to use race and ethnicity as criteria for drawing legislative district boundaries? a)Yes b)No Public Opinion Poll Do you believe the Democratic and Republican Parties should adopt a national primary to select their partys presidential nominees? a)Yes b)No Public Opinion Poll Do you think presidential candidate appearances on talk shows contribute to a more informed electorate? a)Yes b)No Public Opinion Poll Do you believe the Internet has made electoral campaigns more democratic, less democratic, or has had no effect? a)More democratic b)Less democratic c)No effect Public Opinion Poll Do you believe American political campaigns help voters make decisions, or do they produce more confusion than enlightenment? a)Help voters make decisions b)Produce more confusion Public Opinion Poll Do you support or oppose laws requiring voters to produce photo identification at the polls? a)Strongly oppose b)Oppose c)Support d)Strongly support Public Opinion Poll Do you believe there should be limits on the amount of money candidates can spend on campaigns? a)Yes b)No Public Opinion Poll Do you believe there should be limits on the amount of money individuals can contribute to campaigns? a)Yes b)No Chapter 10: Campaigns and Elections Quizzes Flashcards Outlines Exercises wwnorton.com/wtp8e Spot Review Warm Up Prospective, retrospective voting Narrative Earned media Momentum Contextual factors Importance of independent and swing voters Early primaries/caucus - why? 527s (501s) Super PAC Following this slide, you will find additional images, figures, and tables from the textbook. The 2008 Presidential Election Season The Convention Electing the President: Steps in the Process The Electoral College The General Election Campaign and High-Tech Politics The 2008 and 2010 Elections The 2010 Elections