Unit 5

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)

• Increased the amount of hard money (money that can be directly donated to a candidate’s campaign) an individual could donate

• Prohibited soft money (money donated to interest groups that could be used to buy advertisements on a candidate’s behalf) from being donated to national political parties

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC)

BCRA had made it illegal for corporations and non-profits to engage in campaigning 60 days before an election or 30 days before a primary. During the 2008 Democratic primaries, a conservative group named Citizens United wanted to release a film called Hillary the Movie, filled with damning accusations about Clinton, during that 30 day period before the primary. They challenged that part of BCRA. Citizens United argued that BCRA’s prohibition of electioneering efforts violated the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech. Citizens United won with SCOTUS saying that putting limits on corporations when it comes to political advertisement is not different from violating an individual’s right of freedom of speech. The result was that the people with the most money (corporations, labor unions, etc) can spend however much money they want on advertisement for candidate as long as they don’t directly communicate with them.

Candidate Centered Campaigns

Candidate centered campaigns started becoming more popular after the widespread use of TVs allowing candidates to build a following and after society started questioning public institutions (political parties). Candidates now speak directly to the people, weakening the power of political parties. Candidates who build their own campaigns are less indebted to party elites and can wield more personal power once they are in office. For this reason, parties are forced to work closely with charismatic candidates.

Caucus

People voting for their chosen nominee to represent their party in an election by discussing and debating and then, voting publicly

Open Primary

A type of primary election where voters are not required to be registered with a specific political party to participate in that party's primary, which can increase voter turnout

Closed Primary

A type of electoral process in which only registered members of a political party can participate in selecting that party's candidates for the general election, which reinforces party loyalty

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who participate in an election by casting their votes. Older individuals and those with higher education levels tend to vote at higher rates. Additionally, socioeconomic status can affect access to voting resources and motivation to engage in the electoral process, which was kind of combated with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's actions can influence political processes and that individuals have the capability to make a difference in governance

Voter Mobilization

The process of encouraging and facilitating individuals to participate in elections, ensuring that they are informed, motivated, and able to cast their votes

How do interest groups influence policy making?

• Educating the public

• Engage in lobbying with policy makers in order to influence them to pass laws in their favor

• Draft legislation and present it to legislators

• Mobilize its members to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies (Iron Triangle)

• Some interest groups have less members and influence and therefore less access to policymakers so it is important to know that the level of influence an interest group has is based off of that.

Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)

• Limited an individual’s contributions to $1,000 per election

• Limited a candidate’s own contribution to $50,000 per election

• Defined and regulated donations of political action committees (PACs)

• Created a voluntary public fund to assist viable presidential candidates

How did the BCRA limited PACs donations?

• Increased the limits on hard money donations to $5,000 for PACs

• Prohibited PACs from paying for electioneering communications on radio or TV using campaign treasury money within 60 days of the general election and 30 days of a primary.

Winner-Take-All

The candidate who wins the plurality of the popular vote in a given state will ultimately receive all of that state’s electoral votes

Critiques of the Electoral College

• One candidate can win the popular vote and not win the electoral vote

• Electoral vote strength is higher per capita in smaller states

• The winner-take-all system discourages those who voted for the runner-up

• If the election goes to the House and Senate, these delegations can vote independently of their states

Free-Rider Problem

When a group of people benefit from the efforts of an interest group without having to join

“Horse Race” Journalism

News coverage in which elections are reported as if the most important aspect is which candidate is in the lead

Third Party Effects on Elections

Third-party candidates take away votes from the two major political parties that will always win unless a major shift happens

Incumbency Advantage

• Name Recognition

• More money

Media Bias

• narrowcasting - media outlets with a specific political agenda and a targeted audience

• Fairness Doctrine - a former federal policy that required radio and television broadcasters to present alternative viewpoints

• Cable television and the Internet has given birth to a variety of outlets that have altered news delivery to specialized audiences.

Single Issue Groups

Interest groups focused on one topic like the National Rifle Association (NRA)

Straight Ticket Voting

The practice where a voter selects candidates from the same political party for all offices on the ballot

Structural Barriers to Voting

Barriers that prevent people from voting, registration, ballot complexity, two-party system, and elections are all considered institutional barriers - they all make voting difficult and can hinder some from voting