Recording-2025-02-28T01:22:26.133Z

Eligibility for Office

• Presidential Eligibility:

  • Must be a natural-born citizen

  • At least 35 years old

  • Resident of the U.S. for at least fourteen years

  • Term length: Four years; can serve two terms

  • If taking over as vice president, eligible to serve a maximum of ten years as president

• Vice Presidential Eligibility:

  • Same qualifications as the president with the additional stipulation that both candidates cannot reside in the same state during the election

• Senate Eligibility:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen for at least 9 years

  • At least 30 years old

  • Resident of the state that elects her

  • Term length: Six years; unlimited terms allowed

  • Distinction: No term limits for federal senators compared to Missouri state senators

• House of Representatives Eligibility:

  • U.S. citizen for at least 7 years

  • At least 25 years old

  • Resident of the electing state

  • Term length: Two years; unlimited terms allowed

  • Distinction: State representatives in Missouri are also term-limited

Candidacy and Campaigning

• Deciding to Run: Candidates must choose to run or may be recruited by political parties.

• Funding:

  • Political Action Committees (PACs) can provide direct contributions and indirect spending that supports candidates as long as it is not coordinated with their campaign.

  • Super PACs and 527 organizations:

    • Collect and spend funds to support candidates without direct coordination

    • Aim to gain access to congressional members through monetary contributions

Primaries and Caucuses

• Nomination Phase: Often involves primary elections or caucus meetings to select a party's candidate.

• Types of Primaries:

  • Open: Voters can choose candidates from any party

  • Closed: Only party members can vote; independents excluded

  • Partially Closed: Independents can participate, but other party members are excluded

• Caucuses: Meetings to determine delegate selection for presidential nominations which are less commonly used than primaries.

  • Historical importance illustrated by the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary schedule.

National Conventions

• Held every four years to tally delegates and officially nominate candidates for presidency.

• Announce the party platform (key positions on public policy) and other party business.

• Delegates from primaries or caucuses awarded to candidates at the convention.

The General Election

• Different from nomination processes; determines actual office winner.

• Electoral College:

  • 270 out of 538 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency.

  • States except Maine and Nebraska use a winner-take-all approach to allocate electoral votes.

  • Example: Missouri has 10 electoral votes (8 representatives + 2 senators), Washington D.C. has 3.

Voting Process

• Known as the Australian ballot ensures voting secrecy.

• Public funding supports elections.

• Incumbents: Often more likely to win due to known status.

• Coattail Effect: Popular candidates can boost votes for others of the same party.

• Voting Styles:

  • Straight ticket voting: Voting for candidates from one party

  • Split ticket voting: Selecting candidates from different parties

Legal Framework for Voting

• Must comply with the Constitution and federal laws (5th, 10th, 14th, 19th, and 26th amendments, Voting Rights Act of 1965).

• No discrimination based on race, gender, or age (18+).

• Different state laws may affect registration and voting, potentially leading to legal challenges.

  • Important Challenges: Voter ID laws and their potential discriminatory effects.

Trends in Elections and Voting

• Campaign finance remains contentious despite reforms aimed at limiting contributions.

• Increased reliance on campaign consultants.

• Supreme Court decisions on equal protection and vote counting standards continue to evolve.

• The Internet is critical for fundraising, though American voter turnout is lower than in Europe.

• Education level is a strong predictor of voter turnout.

• Importance of prospective voting: Evaluating candidates based on future potential, though incumbents still have an advantage.