Notes: Campaigns, Electoral College, National Committee

Definition: Campaign is the act of reactivating people to vote or reactivating people to be able to vote for a certain listing (candidate or party). This is essentially voter mobilization or get-out-the-vote (GOTV).
Practical takeaway: Campaigns aim to increase turnout and support for a particular candidate or party among specified groups.

Core idea: The number of electoral votes a state has equals its number of Representatives plus its two Senators.
Formula: $E = H + S$ where
- $E$ = electoral votes for the state,
- $H$ = number of Representatives,
- $S$ = number of Senators.
Since every state has 2 Senators: S = 2\,\forall\ state\, so the relationship simplifies to: $H = E - 2$ .
Example from the transcript: If a state has $E = 15$ electoral votes, then there are $H = 15 - 2 = 13$ Representatives and $S = 2$ Senators, totaling 15 electoral votes.
Transcript note: The line "If we have 15 electoral college votes, then you have 13 people in the house of representatives because there's two senators" reflects this relationship. The reference to 13 representatives corresponds to the house membership for that state given 15 electoral votes.
Demographic groups mentioned: The speaker lists groups such as whites, Hispanics, Blacks, Jews, Catholics, etc., as examples of groups that could be represented or included among constituents or members. The exact meaning is cut off in the slide, but it indicates demographic representation concepts related to the electorate or body being discussed (likely the House).

Key terms:
- National committee: A national-level body within a political party.
- Party organization: The broader structure that governs party operations, including selecting leaders, delegates, and candidates.
Transcript point: The slides imply a flow where the national committee is involved in decisions; a clarifying question arises: "Which one is that?" The answer given in the transcript is that the party and organization is responsible for choosing the national committee and for picking national figures or candidates.
Clarification from the transcript:
- The statement: "The party and organization is choosing the national committee, picking national figures or candidates" indicates that the party organization at the national level selects the national committee and designates or endorses national-level figures or candidates for various races.
Practical takeaway: In the party structure, the national committee is selected by the broader party organization and, in turn, is involved in choosing or endorsing national figures or candidates.

Campaigns relate to mobilization strategies used in elections to maximize turnout and support for a listing (candidate/party).
The Electoral College mechanism determines how votes translate into presidency, with state-level votes determined by the sum of its Representatives and Senators.
The national committee is part of the party governance that shapes national candidates and strategy, illustrating how the party organization interfaces with candidate selection and national leadership.

Understanding E = H + S clarifies why states with larger populations have more electoral votes and how apportionment links to House sizes.
The fixed count of Senators (S = 2 per state) influences the available pool of Representatives (H) given a state’s electoral vote total.
The concept of a national committee helps explain how political parties coordinate across states for national campaigns and candidate selection.

If a state has $E = 20$ electoral votes, what is $H$ ?
- Solution: $H = E - 2 = 20 - 2 = 18$ ; $S = 2$ .
Why is it always true that $E = H + 2$ for a state?
- Reason: Every state has exactly $2$ Senators, so contributes two electoral votes in addition to its number of Representatives.
What is the role of the national committee within the party organization?
- Answer: The national committee is a national-level body chosen by the party organization to help govern the party and oversee national figures/candidates.

Campaign: Mobilization to vote or increase voter turnout.
Electoral College: The body that officially elects the U.S. president, with each state's electoral votes equal to its number of Representatives plus its Senators.
House of Representatives (House): The lower chamber of Congress; number of members depends on apportionment by state population.
Senate: The upper chamber of Congress; fixed at 2 members per state.
National committee: The national-level governing body of a political party.
Party organization: The broader structure, processes, and leadership that run a political party.