Campaigns, Elections, Voting & Democracy

Question 1

527groups

Answer 1

• Created by Bipartisan Campaign Finance Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act) which tried to reform soft money;
• Groups that are supposed to educate you
• Don’t pay taxes because they don’t tell public who to vote for
• Can’t tell candidate how to run campaign
• Can raise unlimited amounts of money
• Give positive publicity to candidates they like/negative to candidates they don’t like

-Regulatory Loopholes: 527s - Can’t be sued for slander

Question 2

Independent expenditures

Answer 2

any expenditure by a person for a communication expressly advocating the election, passage or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or measure that is not made with the cooperation or with the prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request of a suggestion of, a candidate or any agent or authorized committee of the candidate or political committee supporting or opposing a measure. As used in this subsection, “expressly advocating” means any communication containing a message advocating election, passage or defeat including, but not limited to, the name of the candidate or measure, or expression such as “vote for,” “elect,” “support,” “cast your ballot for,” “vote against,” “defeat” or “reject.”

Question 3

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act)

Answer 3

Didn’t restrict PACs in any significant way but instead it eliminated unrestricted “soft money”

Question 4

Initiatives in California

Answer 4

Propositions; Proposed technically by the people (in reality interest groups)

Question 5

Voting qualifications

Answer 5

• U.S. citizen
• 18 years of age or older
• Never committed a felony
• Registered

Question 6

Voter turnout

Answer 6

• Has declined since the 1960s
  
  1. Result of less trust in the government 2. Some say it threatens the legitimacy of this country
     a. The “governed” are not giving their consent (i.e. voting)

Question 7

Obstacles to voting in the U.S.

Answer 7

-Registration Requirements 
(Deadline to Register)
-Frequency of Elections 
(Vote for everything - Voter fatigue)
-Two Party System
(Not a part of system - Don't Vote)
-Miss 
(Vote on a weekday)
(Feeling alienated or apathetic towards gov't)

Question 8

Primary election

Answer 8

-Used to select each party’s candidates for the general election
(took power away from Party Bosses)

Question 9

Expansion of suffrage in the U.S.

Answer 9

A. Many groups of people were originally excluded from voting.

       i. The process of including more people to vote (i.e. granting them suffrage) has been a challenge
       ii. "The history of voting in the United States has not been characterized by a smooth and inexorable progress toward universal political participation. It has instead been much messier, littered with periods of both expansion and retraction of the franchise with respect to many groups of potential voters."- Grant M. Hayden

      1. White, male property owners twenty-one or older who passed a religious test could vote
           a. Religious test removed by about 1730 b. Property owning requirement removed in the 1800s
 	     i. “By the 1850s, most economic barriers to voting had disappeared.”- Ed Crews c. Color barrier removed (Fifteenth Amendment)1870 & later in 1965 with the VRA.
 	     i. Native Americans received U.S. citizenship in 1924
         d. Sex barrier removed (Nineteenth Amendment)-1920
         e. Age barrier removed (18-20 year olds- Twenty Sixth Amendment) 1971

Question 10

Electoral College

Answer 10

(in the US) a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Question 11

Democratic legitimacy & voting

Answer 11

A. The U.S. is one of the few democratic countries in the world which has low voter turnout.

      1. It is about 50-55% in presidential elections
      2. “ “ 40% in midterm elections (mostly for Congress)
      3. “ “ less than 20% in local elections

 B. Voter turnout in most democratic countries-where it is not mandatory- is about 80% or higher

      1. France
      2. Germany
      3. Chile

Question 12

Money in campaigns (3 questions)

Answer 12

• Money comes from interest groups and private donors
• Candidates have to be good at raising money
• Modern campaigns spend a lot of money fundraising
• Campaigns more professional and hire professionals

Question 13

PACs vs. Super PACs

Answer 13

PACs
-no limit of PACs
-$5000 limit for PACs
Super PACs 
-a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

Question 14

Campaign finance reform

Answer 14

• Citizens United (2010): Can spend as much as you want as long as you don’t violate ind. expend.
• Regulation Federal Campaign Contributions (Via the FEC) Growth of PACS
• McCain Feingold Act: created 527 groups

Question 15

501c4s

Answer 15

• Regulatory Loopholes: money spent on a candidate behalf (fliers, posts)
• supposed to be for charities (don’t pay taxes), aren’t supposed to be political, can hide donors, unstated what party they go for