Chapter 7 - Post Persuasion Elections Flashcards
What major insight did Matthew Dowd uncover after the 2000 election?
The share of true persuadable voters had declined dramatically—from 22% to 7%—meaning campaigns needed to focus more on base mobilization than persuasion.
How did George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign strategy differ from his 2000 strategy?
In 2004, Bush emphasized base mobilization over persuasion by energizing Republicans through clear identity-based issues and partisan contrasts, a reversal of his more unifying 2000 campaign.
What is the key finding of Costas Panagopoulos’s study “All About That Base”?
Campaign outreach shifted from independents to strong partisans beginning in 2000, reflecting a long-term trend toward base mobilization.
How did Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns reflect identity-based mobilization?
Obama activated identity stacking (young, liberal, racially diverse coalitions), while Clinton adopted progressive stances on race and immigration to mobilize Democratic constituencies, running to Obama’s left.
What does it mean that we have “strong partisanship but weak parties”?
Voters are more loyal to party identity, but political parties have less control over who gets nominated—creating conditions where outsider or extreme candidates can win primaries.
How did changes in the primary system weaken party gatekeeping?
Party nominations shifted from elite-controlled conventions to voter-controlled primaries and caucuses, which favor candidates with intense base support.
What are superdelegates, and why did they become controversial in 2016?
Superdelegates are party elites with free votes at the convention. In 2016, Sanders supporters argued they could unfairly override primary outcomes, prompting the DNC to reduce their role in 2020.
What has driven ideological primary challenges in recent decades?
Increasing polarization among primary voters, especially in the Republican Party, has led to more challenges focused on ideological purity and identity.
Why do extreme candidates thrive under modern electoral incentives?
They attract small donor funding, media attention, and intense base loyalty—outweighing the moderating influence of party leaders or general electability concerns.
What does the Trump phenomenon reveal about the risks in our electoral system?
In highly polarized systems with weak party control, even demagogues can win if they capture the base, and they are nearly guaranteed elite support once nominated.
How did Trump defy historical precedent set by Goldwater and McGovern?
Unlike those earlier polarizing nominees, Trump received full elite and voter support from his party after winning the primary due to hyper-partisan alignment.
What’s the impact of access-based (PAC) vs. partisan (individual) money in politics?
PACs tend to fund moderate candidates for influence, while individuals fund polarizing candidates for identity affirmation or ideological purity.
What is the difference between purist and pragmatist donors, according to La Raja and Schaffner?
Purists (small donors) are driven by ideological goals; pragmatists (party elites/institutional donors) are focused on winning and governing effectively.
How did Joe Wilson’s “You lie!” moment illustrate changes in campaign finance?
It showed how ideological outrage can become a fundraising asset, with Wilson and his opponent raising millions from polarized, nationalized donors.
