campaigning money (where does it go) 5.1

Question 1

what are the three branches where campainging money ends up

Answer 1

• organisation
• advertising
• media

Question 2

what needs to be taken care of in organisation

Answer 2

• staff, their salaries and related administrative costs
• In 2020 Biden promised that all his campaign staff would be paid a minimum hourly rate of $15 as well as full healthcare and sick leave benefits
• Biden spent $50 million on organisation

Question 3

what needs to be taken care in advertising

Answer 3

• Biden spent $12,075 on food from the Los Angeles-based Got Paella
• less money spent as it was during COVID so the multiude of money spent was not at its maximum

Question 4

what needs to be taken care in media

Answer 4

• 67% in the case of Trump’s campaign expenditure
• 80% in the case of Biden’s campaign expenditure
• Trump spent $11 million on an ad focused on his achievements with criminal justice reform that aired during the Super Bowl
• 2020 would see 8 million broadcast airings of political ads, an increase from 5.5 million in 2018.

Question 5

what did a former South Carolina congressman Mick Mulvaney say about congressional campaigning

Answer 5

‘We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.’

Question 6

what are the incumbents advantages

Answer 6

• name recognition
• fundraising
• single candidate
• executive position
• experience and campaign
• polarisation

Question 7

how is ‘name recognition’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 7

• will be well known to the electorate
• gives them media advantage
• proven leadership qualities

Question 8

how is ‘fundraising’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 8

• They have an established donor base from their first election campaign.
• spend less on campaign as they already have a foundation to build upon

Question 9

how is ‘single candidate’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 9

• usually unchallenged when it comes to opponents in the party
• if there are opponents they are usually insignificant
• rather want one strong candidate than to spend more campaign money then needed

Question 10

how is ‘executive position’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 10

• can use their power to persuade swing states to vote for them

Question 11

how is ‘experience and campaign’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 11

believe me been there done that…

Question 12

how is ‘polarisation’ an advantage for an incumbent

Answer 12

• polarisation creates further separation between left and right so more likely to reelected precedent president

Question 13

what are the disadvantages of presidential incumbency

Answer 13

1) ‘read my lips, no new taxes’ = failing economies, by the start of June 2020 = 40 million jobs lost
2) unemployment = 40 million jobs lost under Trump and COVID
3) three horse race = Perot winning 19% in 1992