Warwick School District



Unit 5 - Civics and Government

The U.S. Electoral Process: Ideologies & Political Socialization, Political Parties,

Elections, Campaign Finance, and Voting Rights

Section One – Political Ideology and Socialization

1. Ideology:

A. A set of basic beliefs on culture, life, government, and society.

B. The prism through which a person views the world.

2. The U.S. Political Spectrum

|The United States Political Spectrum |

|Radicals |Liberals |Moderates |

|(Demand Change) |(Want Change) | |

| | |⎢ |

Note: The political spectrum is subject to change over time.

3. Political Labels

A. There are a number of political labels associated within the broad categories of liberal and conservative ideologies.

B. Few, if any, individuals completely fall into anyone of these designations.

C. The vast majority of the American people hold moderate views on most issues.

D. Liberal / Pure Liberal

1) A person who is liberal on both economic and personal conduct issues.

2) Tends to support bigger government (more social programs).

3) Supports more government regulation of business and industry.

4) Believes the government does not have the right to interfere in most personal conduct issues (marriage, abortion, sexual conduct, and expression).

E. Conservative / Pure Conservative

1) A person who is conservative on both economic and personal conduct issues.

2) Tends to support smaller government, less taxes, and less government regulations.

3) Believes the job of the government is to maintain traditional values and promote / enforce a set of moral standards over society (anti-gay marriage, pro- life, etc.).

F. Libertarian

1) Conservative on economic issues but liberal on personal conduct issues.

2) Advocates minimum government control / oversight of the economy; opposed to government interference in the daily lives of citizens.

3) Citizens have a responsibility to care for their own well-being; people should not count on the government for help.

4) Citizens should be able to do whatever they want provided that they don’t hurt anyone by their actions.

G. Populist

1) Liberal on economic issues but conservative on personal conduct/social issues.

2) Supports government programs such as welfare, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and government regulation of the economy.

3) Believes the government needs to regulate personal conduct of its citizens and should require citizens to adhere to a set of moral standards.

4. Political Socialization

A. The process through which an individual acquires a particular political orientation; the learning process by which people acquire their political beliefs and values.

B. Agents of Political Socialization

1) The Family

A) Most important agent of socialization.

B) Party Identification

C) Views on political authority and the role of government.

2) School

A) Second most important agent of socialization.

B) Public schools vs. private schools.

C) Exposure to different peoples and ideas.

D) Broadening of one’s perspectives of the world.

E. Higher education (post-secondary) tends to have a liberalizing effect on the individual.

3) Peers, Friends, & Opinion Leaders

A) Peer group / organization membership.

B) Celebrities / talk show hosts (examples: Rush Limbaugh, Oprah, Glenn Beck, etc.).

4) The Media

A) MSNBC, NPR (Liberal).

B) Fox News, AM talk radio (Conservative).

C) The Daily Show / Colbert Report (Satire and Sarcasm).

D) The Internet, blogs, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook.

5) Religion

A) Protestants

B) Catholics

C) Jews

D) Evangelicals

6) Generational Events

A) Great Depression

B) World War II

C) Cold War

D) Vietnam

E) 9/11 and the War on Terror

7) Race

A) Whites

B) African-Americans

C) Hispanics

1) Mexicans

2) Puerto Ricans

3) Cubans

D) Other races

8) Income

A) Socio-economic status

B) Rich vs. Poor

C) Business owners vs. labor

9) Region

A) Northeast & West Coast (liberal)

B) South and Plains states (conservative)

C) City, Suburbs, Rural

10) Gender

A) Men (more conservative)

B) Women (more liberal)

11) Age

A) Youth (more liberal)

B) Older (more conservative)

Section Two - Different Types or Kinds of Elections

1. Partisan Elections

A) Elections in which candidates represent political parties.

B) At the state and national level, most elections are partisan (Democrat, Republican, ect).

2. Nonpartisan Elections

A) Elections in which candidates for office are not identified by party membership.

B) Most common at the local level of government.

C) Candidates stand on their own merit without party identification.

D) Nonpartisan candidates do not generally get aid and support of political parties.

3. General Elections

A) Regularly scheduled elections to select local, state, or national officials.

B) A general election decides which political party will control the various levels of government.

C) General elections in the United States are traditionally held the first Tuesday of November on even numbered years.

4. Primary Elections

A) Background

1) Primaries help parties to choose the most popular candidate to become their presidential nominee.

2) A primary is a state election that allows voters to pick their favorite candidate for president and elect delegates to support them at the national convention.

3) Delegates attend the national convention and nominate a candidate for president.

4) Presidential hopefuls campaign during primaries to persuade voters they are best suited to represent their party.

5) The primary season begins at the start of the election year and finishes in the summer ahead of the national conventions and the autumn presidential race.

6) New Hampshire is the first state to hold a presidential primary every four years.

B) Do the states follow the same rules regarding primaries?

1) No, primaries are organized in accordance with state laws.

2) In some states primaries are open while others are closed.

3) State parties can also organize their own primaries if the date or system being used by the state government does not suit them.

4) In all cases, political parties are allowed to determine the weight they give to votes cast in primaries.

C) There are three kinds of (direct) primary elections.

1) Closed Primary

a) Most common form of primary.

b) The election is limited to declared party members only.

c) Plurality - The largest number of votes determines a winner.

d) Pennsylvania is a closed primary state.

2) Open Primary

a) An election to select candidates is opened to all qualified voters regardless of party affiliation.

b) There are 12 open primary states (AK, HI, ID, LA, MI, MN, ND, UT, VT, WA, WI).

3) Run-Off Primary

a) Nine states have a run-off system.

b) If no candidate receives a majority (50.1%) of the vote than a second election is held between the top two vote getting candidates.

4) Criticism of the primary system:

a) The primaries last too long and are too expensive.

b) Media coverage emphasizes personalities at the expense of issues.

c) Losses in early primaries force some candidates to drop out before most voters can express a preference.

5. Caucuses

A) Not every state uses the primary system for parties to select candidates for general elections.

B) Caucuses are normally informal meetings throughout a state in which local party supporters gather together.

C) Participants are asked to stand on one side of the room according to the candidate they support.

D) The supporters of each candidate may then send delegates to the state convention where delegates to the national convention can be chosen.

E) Iowa – The nation’s first presidential caucus. (Iowa Straw Poll).

6. Special Elections

A) An election called before a regular election is due.

B) A special election is normally called to fill a vacant office (death, removal, or resignation).

C) Normally called 30 to 120 days after an office becomes vacant.

7. Ballot Issues

A) Issues that appear on a ballot for voter approval or disapproval.

B) There are three types of ballot issues:

1) Initiative

a) Electoral procedure for groups or individuals to propose new laws through petitions and then to vote for those proposals.

2) Referendum

a) Method by which voters may approve or reject legislation referred on by their local or state government.

3) Recall

a) Direct action allowing voters to remove an official from state or local office before the end of his or her term.

b) 15 states have recall provisions.

Section Three – The History of America’s Political Parties

1. Political Party

A. Groups of people, with broad common interests, who organize to nominate candidates, win elections, control government, and thereby influence public policy.

B. There is no mention of political parties in the U.S. Constitution.

C. The Framers (especially Madison and Washington) called them “factions” that would help to undermine and destroy the government for their own personal wants and needs.

D. Important functions of political parties.

1) They seek out candidates who have a good chance of being elected. Parties are often election-oriented (winning) rather than issue oriented (sticking to a strict ideology at all cost).

2) Political parties bring important issues to the public’s attention. They want to give informed citizens a choice between alternative approaches to a problem. Party affiliation can help voters understand generally where a candidate stands on key issues.

3) The party out of power criticizes government policy and offers its own solutions. Fear that the opposition may gain popular support makes the party in power more sensitive to the will of the people.

4) Political parties encourage groups with competing interests to work together. Parties contribute to a stable political environment and the peaceful transfer of power. This peaceful transfer of power from one party to another, as opposed to revolution, is a hallmark of stable societies.

E. The Party Base

1) The most hard core of supporters of the party.

2) The base tends to be more liberal than the general public for the Democrats and more conservative than the general public for the Republicans.

3) The base’s biggest impact comes in the primary elections. The base normally seeks candidate who share their ideological purity on issues.

4) One of the biggest juggling acts in American politics requires presidential candidates to first gain support of their base in the primaries. Once their nomination is secured they must begin to moderate their positions to have a change of winning a general election when voters are less ideologically driven.

2. Different types of party systems.

A. One-party system

1) The party is the government.

2) Usually found in nations with authoritarian governments.

3) A one-party government dominated by religious leaders is called a theocracy.

B. Multiparty system

1) Many parties represent widely differing ideologies.

2) Rarely does one party receive a majority of the vote.

3) Several parties must work together to form a coalition government.

4) When the coalition breaks down, the government must call for new elections.

5) Commonly found throughout European democracies.

C. Two-party system

1) Used in the United States.

2) The Democrats and Republicans are the two major political organizations.

3) Today U.S. voters are about equally divided as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.

4) Third parties

a) Sometimes referred to as minor parties.

b) Any party other than one of the two major parties.

c) On three occasions, a third party candidate has taken enough votes from one major party candidate to ensure the victory of the other.

d) Types of third parties:

1) Single-issue party

a) Focuses exclusively on one major issue.

b) It usually collapses when the importance of the issue fades or when one of the major parties adopts the cause.

2) Ideological party

a) Example – Communist Party.

b) Advocates major changes to the governmental system.

3) Splinter Party

a) Forms when a group splits off from a major party to support an alternative candidate for president.

b) Splinter parties typically disappear with the defeat of that candidate.

|The Evolution of American Political Parties |

|Party’s Name |Dates |Agenda |

|Federalists |1789 - 1820 |Promoted a strong central government. |

|Democratic-Republican |1796 - 1832 |Formed to oppose Federalists policies. |

|National Republican |1828 - 1836 |Split from the Democratic-Republicans to promote a strong national government and oppose Andrew Jackson’s campaign |

| | |for the presidency. |

|Democrats |1832 to the present |Party formed to support Andrew Jackson’s presidency. |

|Whig |1834 - 1864 |Included critics of Andrew Jackson’s states’ rights advocates, and support for internal improvements. |

|Republicans |1856 to the present |Formed to oppose the Democratic Party’s support of slavery. |

Section Four – The Organization of Political Parties

1. Background

A. To be successful a political party needs strong leadership and good organization at the local, state, and national levels.

B. The basic local unit of a party is the precinct.

1) A precinct is a district that ranges from a few to more than 1000 votes, all of whom cast their ballots at the same polling place.

2) A precinct captain supervises the efforts of party workers.

C. Ward

1) Several adjoining precincts.

2) Each ward sends a representative to the party’s county committee.

D. County Committee

1) Elects a chairperson who usually is the most powerful person in the local party.

E. State Central Committee

1) Every county organization has a representative on the state central committee.

2) Principle function

a) To help elect candidates to state office.

b) Assists local party candidates, coordinates the activities of the local organizations, and raise funds.

F. National Party Organization

1) Two main components:

a) National Convention

1) Meets once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president.

b) National Committee

1) Composed mainly of representative from state organizations, runs the party.

2) National Chairperson – oversees fund raising and promotes cooperation among the national, state, and local organizations.

2. The Organization of the Political Party

A. National Chairperson

B. National Committee

1) Congressional Campaign Committee

2) Senatorial Campaign Committee

C. State Chairperson

D. State Committee

E. Local Chairperson

F. City, Town, or County Committee

G. Precinct Captain

H. Precinct Workers

Section Five - Nominating Candidates

1. Self-Nomination

A. Announcing publicly one's candidacy for a particular office.

2. Party Caucus

A) Takes place at a conference of party members gathered to select leaders.

B) Many felt that the party caucus was an elitist and undemocratic process.

C) Today the party caucus has mostly been abandoned by the political parties and has been replaced by the state primaries.

3. Party Conventions / Nominating Conventions

A) Conventions became common in the 1840s.

B) At the conventions, party members met to vote on candidates first at a local convention, then at county and state conventions, and finally at the national convention.

C) At each level, members choose delegates to attend the next level of convention.

D) Delegates from each state attend the national convention and vote for the candidate they want to become the party’s presidential nominee.

E) In the case of both the Democratic and Republican parties, delegates to the national convention are chosen through state primary elections, caucuses, and conventions.

F) Both parties appoint the majority of their national convention delegates through primary elections.

G) Today the political conventions are more of a pep rally for the party than an actually debate on which candidates will run as the party’s nominee.

H) Super Delegates

1. Only the Democratic Party uses super delegates.

2. Super delegates are not selected by the voters.

3. Most are seated automatically based solely on their status as current or former party leaders and elected officials.

4. Super delegates are free to support any candidate for the nomination.

5. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention the super delegates made up approximately one-fifth of the total number of delegates.

6. Due to the closeness of the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the super delegates played a decisive role in selecting the Democratic presidential nominee.

7. The rationale for using super delegates is that the party’s base (it’s most hard core group of supporters) may vote for candidates in the primaries who are too extreme and could not win in the general election. The super delegates can cast their support for a less controversial candidate who has a much better chance of winning the general election.

I) Four committees lay the groundwork for the convention:

1. The Rules Committee proposes convention procedures and sets the order of business.

2. The Credentials Committee officially approves the membership of each state delegation.

3. The Committee on Permanent Organization selects the officials who will oversee the convention.

4. The Platform Committee writes the party’s platform.

a) Party Platform

1) A statement of the party’s principles, its position on vital issues, and its approach to those issues.

2) Planks – Individual parts of the platform.

Section Six - Political Campaigns

1. Organization

A) Candidates set up an organization to support his or her bid for office.

B) Chain of Command:

Candidate

Campaign Manager (responsible for the overall strategy and planning, oversees the organization).

Fund Raiser

Treasurer

Press Secretary

Media Director

Political Advisors

C) Running a Campaign

1) Presidential candidates need an effective strategy and an effective campaign organization.

2) The campaign organization carefully structures the candidate’s appearances to project a positive, presidential image.

3) It coordinates state and local efforts on the candidate’s behalf.

2. Funding

A) It is very expensive to run for office.

B) The expense of running often limits who can afford to run.

C) At the federal level, the primary sources of campaign funding are individuals.

D) Money and politics.

1) Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

a) Prior to this U.S. Supreme Court decision, corporations and trade unions were prohibited from contributing to a candidate or a candidate’s campaign.

b) After the ruling the Supreme Court decided that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections could not be limited because of the First Amendment.

c) The Court did uphold requirements for disclaimer and disclosure by sponsors of advertisements.

d) The case did not involve the federal ban on direct contributions from corporations or unions to candidate campaigns or political parties.

e) Corporations and unions can indirectly spend as much money as they want to help political candidates win elections.

f) This ruling made it legal for corporations and unions to spend from their general treasuries to finance independent expenditures (mostly TV ads).

2) Bundling

a) The "practice of rounding up contributions from your friends.

b) The law bars the national parties from collecting huge corporate, union and individual donations.

c) People who can round up lots of smaller checks from their friends and business associates have become the most sought-after volunteers in politics.

d) Motives for becoming a bundler can include the possibility of increased influence on government policy and consideration for appointment to ambassadorships and other government posts.

3) Political Action Committees (PACS) & Special Interests

a) PACS are organization created to raise money for candidates.

b) Since individuals, companies, and special interest groups are limited as to how much they are permitted to donate to a party or candidate, PACS are created to help raise additional funds without violating the law.

c) The financial contribution of PACS is limited but the number of PACS is unlimited.

d) Contributions by individuals to federal PACs are limited to $5,000 per year.

5) Hard Money

a) Money contributed directly to a candidate of a political party.

b) It is regulated by law in both source and amount, and monitored by the Federal Election Commission.

4) Soft Money

a) Money contributed to the political party as a whole.

b) Historically, "soft money" referred to contributions made to political parties for purposes of “party building” and other activities not directly related to the election of specific candidates.

c) These contributions are not used for specific candidate advocacy and are not regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act.

d) "Soft money" also refers to unlimited contributions to organizations and committees other than candidate campaigns and political parties.

e) Although the letter of the law is followed, the spirit of campaign finance law is not.

f) This often leads to the appearance that “Candidates are for Sale."

g) Organizations, which receive soft money contributions, are often called 527s.

5) 527s

a) The term is generally used to refer to independent, nonprofit political organizations that are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission or by a state elections commission.

b) The name “527” comes for the section of the tax code under which they operate.

c) 527s are not subject to the same contribution limits as PACs.

d) 527s tend to be issue advocacy groups and are not directly linked to a specific candidate or party.

a) Issue advocacy: any advertising that stopped short of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate through words and phrases such as "vote for," "vote against," "support," "defeat," or "elect".

e) 527s attempt to influence federal elections and public policy by attacking candidates they oppose but not specifically endorsing that candidate’s opponent.

f) Swiftboating

a) A term coined during the 2004 Presidential Election in which a group called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched a series of TV infomercials claiming that Democratic candidate John Kerry had lied about his Vietnam War record and would not be suited to serve as Commander-in-Chief.

b) Today the term is used to describe any type of smear campaign launched by a 527 group.

6) Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

a) U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled that limitations on donations to candidates were constitutional because of the compelling state interest in preventing corruption or the appearance of corruption.

b) Limitations on the amount campaigns could spend (spending limits or caps) were an unconstitutional abridgment of free speech.

c) Only speech that expressly advocated the election or defeat of a candidate could be regulated (8 Magic Words).

7) The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

a) Also known as McCain-Feingold after the two senators who sponsored the legislation.

b) Amended the Federal Election Campaign Act to ban national political party committees from accepting or spending soft money contributions.

c) It also included a "stand by your ad" provision requiring candidates to appear in campaign advertisements and claim responsibility for the ad (most commonly with a phrase similar to "I'm John Smith and I approve this message.").

8) Federal Funding of Presidential Campaigns

a) If candidates accept federal funding of campaigns, they must abide by a spending cap.

b) Candidates who do not accept federal funding may spend unlimited amounts of money.

c) In order for 3rd party candidates to be eligible for federal funding, they must have garnered at least 5% of the popular vote during the previous election.

9. Government Regulation of Elections

a) Background

1) In the 1970s the national government attempted to make elections more democratic. The laws they created were based upon three principles:

2) Public Funding – Major party candidates for president can receive millions of dollars in federal money.

3) Limits on Spending – Business and labor cannot make direct contributions, and law can limit the contributions from individuals.

4) Public Disclosure – Candidates, parties, and political action committees must keep records and report all contributions over $100 to the Federal Election Commission.

a) 1971 - Federal Election Act (law)

1) Requirement for candidates to disclose sources of campaign contributions and campaign expenditure.

2) Federal Election Commission created.

3) Legal limits on campaign expenditure for those that accept public funding.

4) Legal limits on campaign contributions by individuals and organizations.

b) 1974 - Federal Election Commission

1) An independent regulatory agency created to administer and enforce the statute that governs the financing of federal elections.

c) Candidates are required by law to reveal the names of donors & contribution size.

d) Contributions (as of 2011)

1) Individual U.S. citizens may give:

2) $2500 - To each candidate or candidate committee per election.

Section 7 – The History of the Right to Vote in the United States

1. The Historical Time

|15th Amendment (1870) |Prohibits denying a person’s right to vote on the basis of their race. |

|19th Amendment (1920) |Guarantees women the right to vote. |

|Congressional Act (1924) |All Native Americans granted U.S. citizenship. |

|Smith v. Allwright (1944) |The U.S. Supreme Court ban laws prohibiting African-Americans from voting in primary elections. |

|Civil Rights Act of 1957 |The Justice Department is empowered to bring lawsuits against states to protect the voting rights of citizens in those states. |

|Civil Rights Act of 1960 |Introduces penalties against anybody who obstructs an individual’s voting rights. |

|23rd Amendment (1961) |Residents of the District of Columbia given the right to vote in federal elections. |

|24th Amendment (1964) |Outlaws poll tax in national elections. |

|Voting Rights Act of 1965 |Literacy tests prohibited; Federal voter registrars authorized in seven southern states. |

|Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970 |The Supreme Court bans laws prohibiting African-Americans from voting in primary elections. |

|26th Amendment (1971) |Minimum voting age reduced to 18 for all elections. |

|Voting Rights Act Amendment of 1975 |Bans literacy tests and mandates bilingual ballots in certain areas. |

|Voting Rights Act Amendment of 1982 |Extends provisions of two previous voting rights act amendments. |

|Voting Rights Language Assistance Act (1992) |Extends the use of bilingual ballots and voting assistance. |

|National Voter Registration Act “Motor-Voter Bill” (1993) |Allows mail-in registration and driver license registration. |

|Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amend Act of 2006 |Prohibits the use of tests or devices to deny the right to vote; requires certain jurisdictions to provide voting materials in |

| |multiple languages. |

Section 8 – Propaganda Techniques and Politics

1. Propaganda:

A. A form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself.

B. Propaganda often presents facts selectively.

C. Propaganda techniques used during campaigns:

1) The Bandwagon

a) Depicting a candidate or campaign as unbeatable.

b) Example - “The polls show we are far in the lead; we expect to win by a landslide.”

c) Be part of the winning team!

2) Name Calling

a) Describing the opposition in negative terms.

b) Example – The candidate is inexperienced, untrustworthy, or dangerous!

c) Employed using sarcasm and ridicule.

3) Stacked Cards

a) Selective omission of material.

b) Only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it.

4) Glittering Generalities

a) Words that have different positive meaning for individual subjects but are linked to highly valued concepts.

b) Words often used include honor, glory, love of country, and especially in the U.S. – freedom.

5) Just Plain Folks

a) Convince the public that the candidate is an ordinary person who views reflect those of the common people.

b) Tailoring speeches to a specific audience.

6) Transfer

a) Linking two images or perceptions.

b) Most often used to transfer blame or bad feelings from one politician to another of his friends or party members or to the party itself.

7) Assertion

a) An enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true.

b) A statement that requires no explanation or back up – it should be accepted as fact without question.

c) Example – President Bush – Mission Accomplished in Iraq.

8) Lesser of the Two Evils

a) An approach that tries to convince the public of an idea or proposal by presenting it as the least offensive option.

9) Pinpointing the Enemy

a) This is an attempt to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific group or person as the enemy.

b) Although there may be other factors involved the pubic is urged to simply view the situation in terms of a clear cut right vs. wrong decision.

10) Simplification / Stereotyping

a) Similar to pinpointing the enemy.

b) Often reduces a complex situation to a clear-cut choice involving good and evil.

c) This technique is often useful in swaying uneducated audiences.

11) Endorsement / Testimonials

a) Quotations or statements, in or out of context, which attempt to connect a famous or respectable person to a candidate or campaign.

b) Closed connected to the transfer technique.

Section 9 – Factors Influencing Voters’ Decision

1. Personal Background

A. Includes a candidate’s upbringing, family, age, occupation, and income level.

B. Education, religion, and racial or ethnic heritage are other background factors that might influence a voter’s decision.

C. Many voters, however, are crossed-pressured, which means the elements in their backgrounds might have conflicting influences on their final decision.

2. Loyalty to a Political Party

A. Voters with the strongest allegiance to a party often vote a straight-party ticket (they select only candidates from that party).

B. Weak party voters are more likely to switch their votes to the rival party from time to time.

C. The number of independent voters, those who belong to no party, has increased in recent years.

3. Campaign Issues

A. Television and higher levels of education help modern voters to be more informed.

B. Issues with the greatest influence include Social Security, health care, taxes, education, affirmative action, abortion, gun rights, and the environment.

4. The Voter’s Image of the Candidate

A. The way voters perceive the issues is just as important as the issues themselves.

B. The image of the candidates in the voters’ minds is closely related to public perception of the issues.

C. Most voters want a president who appears to be trustworthy and strong.

5. Propaganda

A. Propaganda is information that is used to influence opinion.

B. Propaganda is not necessarily untrue, but it is used to support a predetermined objective.

C. The use of patriot symbols and celebrity endorsements to sway voter opinions are examples of political propaganda.

Section 10 – The Electoral College

1. Background

A. In the United States, citizens do not directly vote for candidates for the presidency.

B. It is possible for a candidate to win the national popular vote but lose the election if they cannot secure enough individual state victories.

C. Presidential candidates may get less than 50% of the popular vote, but they must get a majority of electoral votes.

D. The U.S. Constitution does not specifically use the phrase “Electoral College. However in Article Two, Section One it calls on each state to appoint a number of electors equal to the number of a state’s national Senators and House members for the purpose of selecting presidents.

E. Votes for a presidential candidate are really votes for an elector who is pledged to vote for that candidate.

F. Each state gets a minimum of 3 electoral votes regardless of the state’s population. This accounts for 150 electoral votes. The remainder is distributed to the states based upon the size of their population.

G. There are a total of 538 Electoral College votes.

1) 100 of these votes represent the two senators from each state.

2) 435 of these votes represent the number of congressional districts in the United States.

3) 3 of these votes represent the District of Columbia.

4) U.S. territories and overseas possessions are not entitled to any electoral votes (Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virginia Islands, American Samoa). U.S. citizens residing on these islands cannot vote for the presidency.

2. The U.S. Census and Electoral Votes

A. Since 1790, the national government has conducted a national population census every ten years.

B. The data collected from this census is used to reapportion the number of congressional seats to the House of Representatives to reflect shifting population patterns.

C. As states lose or gain seat in the House they too gain or lose Electoral College votes.

D. Over the last 50 years Pennsylvania and the rest of the northern states have lost population resulting in the loss of electoral votes.

E. Texas, California, and Florida continue to see their electoral vote totals grow as the nation’s population continues to shift to warmer climates.

3. What are the shortcomings of using this system?

A. Why was this system adopted in the first place?

1) The Framers were concerned that the average citizen was poorly informed / educated and may make a bad choice when selecting the national executive. The Electoral College was seen as a “buffer” between the passions of the uninformed masses and a responsible government who would not become the tool of mob rule. If the masses of voters made a radical choice for the presidency the electors had the power to vote for whomever they deemed most appropriate despite the public’s wishes.

2) The Electoral College system was also a compromise between the more populated states and the less populated states. Since every state is guaranteed at least three electoral votes, candidates cannot focus exclusively their campaign efforts in population centers (cities). The Electoral College forces a candidate to adopt a broad, moderate agenda in order to gain support from the diverse interests spread out through the nation.

B. Critics contend . . .

1) Smaller states have a disproportional say in the presidential election since every state is ensured three votes regardless of its population.

2) Individual voters living in states that are solidly “Republican” or solidly “Democrat” really do not have any impact on the outcome since the electoral votes are based on the state’s presidential race. Example – being a Republican in California or a Democrat in Texas.

3) A candidate can win the popular vote nationwide but still lose the electoral vote (Bush v. Gore in 2000).

4) It is possible to win with as few as 11 of the most populous states electoral votes.

4. Winning the Presidency

A. In 48 of 50 states, the candidate who wins most of the votes receives the state’s entire electoral vote. This is known as Winner Takes All. Only two states, Nebraska and Vermont, divide their electoral votes by congressional district.

B. The first candidate to secure 270 electoral votes wins the election.

1) It is possible, although unlikely, that a candidate could win the Electoral College vote with only a handful of the most populous states.

2) Since the nation is divided roughly into four time zones it is possible for a candidate to win the presidency in the east hours before voting ends in the west.

C. The possibility of a tie?

1) It is possible for there to be a tie in the Electoral College (269 to 269).

2) If a tie occurs the House of Representatives selects the U.S. President.

a) Each state gets one vote regardless of its population.

3) The Senate selects the Vice President in the same manner.

4) It is possible for the House to select a candidate from one party and the Senate to select the Vice President from the other party.

5. Red America vs. Blue America

A. Since the 1980s, the major television networks have been color-coding states on election night.

B. States that went for the Republicans were color-coded Red. States that went for the Democrats were color-coded Blue.

C. Red America (general characteristics):

1) More rural states.

2) More southern states (Solid South).

3) More conservative states.

4) Example – Texas, Wyoming, Alabama.

D. Blue America (general characteristics):

1) More urbanized states.

2) West coast, New England, Mid-Atlantic states.

3) More liberal states.

4) Vermont, California, New York.

E. Purple States

1) Also known as swing states.

2) States where candidates normally win by 5% points or less.

3) Mix of liberal and conservative, rural and urban populations.

4) Examples – Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin.

5) Today presidential candidates spend the bulk of their time in swing states since these approximately 12 states will decide the outcome of the presidential election.

6) The Pennsylvania “T”

a) The two liberal bastions in Pennsylvania are found in Philadelphia (southeast corner) and Pittsburgh (southwest corner).

b) The center of the state trends conservative / Republican along with the northeast and northwest corners of the state.

c) The key swing area for winning Pennsylvania rest in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Here residents tend to be economically conservative but socially more liberal.

6. Suggestions to fix the shortcoming of the Electoral College

A. Go to a popular votes instead on an electoral vote.

1) Problem – would have to amend the U.S. Constitution.

2) Small states would never agree to it.

B. Divide up the electoral vote by congressional district.

1) How a state chooses to distribute its electoral votes is up to the state. Two states use this method but most are unwilling since it could “muddy” the results and make it less likely to have a clear winner.

Unit 5 Vocabulary

Agents of Political Socialization

Assertion

Ballot Issues

Bandwagon, The

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Blue America

Buckley v. Valeo

Bundling

Campaign Manager

Caucus

Citizens United v. FEC

Closed Primary

Committee on Permanent Organization

Conservative

County Committee

Credentials Committee

Democrats

Electoral College

Endorsement

Federal Election Act

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

15th Amendment

527s

General Election

Glittering Generalities

Hard Money

Ideological Party

Ideology

Initiative

Iowa Straw Poll

Issue Advocacy

Just Plain Folks

Left Wing

Lesser of Two Evils

Liberal

Libertarian

Moderates

Multiparty System

“Mushy Middle”

Name Calling

National Chairperson

National Committee

National Convention

19th Amendment

Nonpartisan Elections

One-Party System

Open Primary

Partisan Elections

Party Base

Party Caucus

Party Convention

Pennsylvania “T”

Pinpointing the Enemy

Planks

Platform committee

Plurality

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Political Party

Political Socialization

Populist

Precinct

Precinct Captain

Propaganda

Primary Election

Public Funding

Purple States

Radicals

Reactionaries

Recall

Red America

Referendum

Republicans

Right Wing

Rules Committee

Run-Off Primary

Self-Nomination

Single-Issue Party

Soft Money

Special Elections

Splinter Party

Stacked Cards

State Central Committee

Straight-Party Ticket

Super Delegates

Swiftboating

Third Parties

Transfer

26th Amendment

Two-Party System

Ward

Winner Takes All

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download