Chapter 13~ Elections and Campaigns

Political Participation

\ The US is a representative democracy. Citizens are supposed to engage and participate in a democracy in a multitude of ways (JEPCWAD). They can:

Join interest groups or social movements
Educate other citizens and get out the vote (Political Mobilization)
Contact representatives & work on their campaigns
Attend political meetings, rallies & demonstrations
Donate money

\ However, the main way citizens can participate in democracy is by voting

Voting

\ There are two steps to voting: registration and then ballot casting. The US historically has had very poor voter turnout compared to other democracies. The main two things that affect voters and their choice to vote are individual characteristics and institutions.

Voting: Institutions & Registration

\ Institutions play a big role in the registration part of voting, and have changed over time.

15th Amendment: Prevented race based discrimination when voting
17th Amendment: Allowed for direct election of Senators
19th Amendment: Prevented gender discrimination when voting
Voting Rights Act of 1965: Enfranchised African Americans
24th Amendment: Prohibited the use of poll taxes
26th Amendment: Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

\ When registering to vote Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution gives states the ability to make their own voting laws. Often there are limits on when you can register, and how.

Some states allow same-day registration
Most states block would-be voters if they have not registered within 30 days
Most states offer online registration

\ To register it’s common to have to provide proof of residency and photo id. These laws can disenfranchise college students that reside at private institutions, and homeless people.

\ Some efforts to make things easier include the National Voter Registration Act, which let people register when renewing their driver’s license. Many states also allow absentee ballots, which is where people can vote even if they can’t make it to the official voting booth.

Voting: Identity & Ballot Casting

\ After registration, voting can still be difficult. It’s on a Tuesday, and it’s not recognized as a national holiday. In order to vote, an individual must have a high political efficacy, which is how much they believe they can make change. Political efficacy is often strongly influenced by their individual characteristics like:

Socioeconomic Status: Americans with a higher SES are more likely to vote
Age: Older people vote often and in large numbers. Young people often have a lower turnout
Education: The more educated a citizen is the more likely they are to vote
Gender: Has a small impact, but in general women tend to vote more than men
Race: Can be a very complex influence. During Obama’s years African Americans voted much more. In recent years, Hispanic Americans have been voting in larger numbers.

\ Though these influence citizen’s choices, citizens care less about the individual characteristics of the candidates. Citizens more so care about the candidates performance, party, or their own interests.

Rational Choice Voters vote for the candidates that will best serve their own interests.
Retrospective Voters analyze the past performances of candidates
Prospective Voters vote based on the promises politicians might’ve made
Party Line Voters vote for a specific party

\ Americans get more chances to vote on more positions compared to other democracies. Elections serve as a critical linkage institution to the government. However, Americans also vote less, and our campaigns are significantly longer and more expensive.

Presidential Campaigns

\ Presidential campaigns can be split into two phases. The nomination campaign, where they must secure the nomination of their party, and the general election campaign, where they must win the nation and the electoral college.

Nomination Campaign

\ Often the nomination campaign begins far before elections actually occur. Candidates busy themselves with raising money, conducting polls, attracting media coverage, and mobilizing voters. A lot of money is spent on hiring campaign staff and advertisements.

\ Nominees also must win favor with the party elite. However, over time the power has shifted from them to average people and party activists.

\ This stage ends after primaries, caucuses, and the national convention. After the nominee is chosen, the next stage comes.

General Election Campaign

\ Candidates now need to walk a tightrope act. They need to remain loyal to their core base while also trying to appeal to moderate and independent voters. However, they cannot become too center or they might alienate their core base.

\ During this time, more money is spent to:

Advertise: Most people don’t like negative advertisements, but many will either highlight a candidates positive qualities or policy differences between the candidates
Hire: Political consultants are hired to target messages, campaign consultants are hired to analyze voter turnout, and other staff is hired to coordinate media strategy, conduct polls, arrange for appearances, and get out the vote (GOTV).

\ During the final election day, though everyone votes the real victory is decided by the Electoral College.

\ Each state gets electors based on the representation in Congress. One per representative, and two for their Senators. Electors are chosen by party leaders, and ideally vote with their citizens. However, they can be faithless electors and vote against them.

\ 270 votes out of 538 is needed to win, and the Electoral College operates off of a winner-take-all system. Presidents often focus on battleground states with close elections and swing states where support for both parties is equal.

\ Some people argue against the Electoral College because it can discourage voters, and does not always reflect the popular vote. Supports argue it supports federalism, and without it candidates would ignore rural areas. The Framers created it because they wanted safeguards to democracy.