Outcome 5 Flashcards
campaign strategy
the plan laid out by candidates to guide their electoral campaigns
national party convention
supreme power within each party. meets every 4 years to nominate candidates and write the party’s platform
McGovern-Fraser Commission
party leaders can’t handpick the convention delegates in secret
Super delegates
national party leaders who automatically get a delegated slot at the democratic party’s national convention
caucus
system for selecting convention delegates used in about a dozen states. voters must attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference
presidential primaries
elections where voters go to the polls to express their preference for a party’s presidential nominee. most delegates to national convention are chosen this way
frontloading
the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar to capitalize on media attention
party platform
party’s statement of goals and policies for the next 4 years. drafted before party convention. best formal statement of a party’s beliefs
direct mail
method of raising money for a political cause/candidate where information and requests for money are sent to people who’s names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past
Federal Election Campaign Act 1974
passed or reforming campaign finances. created FEC and provided for limits on and disclosure of campaign contributions
Federal Election Campaign (FEC)
6-member bipartisan agency created by FEC Act. Administers and enforces campaign finance laws
soft money
political contributions for party building expenses for generic party advertising. Contributions used to be unlimited until banned by the McCain-Feingold Act
527 groups
independent political groups that aren’t subject to contribution restrictions because they don”t seek the election of particular candidates. Section 527 of the tax code specifies contributions to groups must be reported to the IRS
selective perception
phenomenon that people’s beliefs often guide what they pay the most attention to and how they interpret events
political efficacy
belief that one’s political participation really matters- one’s vote makes a difference
civic duty
the belief that in order to support a democratic government, citizens need to vote
motor voter act
requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license
mandate theory of elections
idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people who carry out their platforms and politics. Politicians favor over political scientists.
policy voting
electoral choices made on the basis of voters’ policy preferences and where candidates stand on issues
battleground states
the key states that are most likely to determine the outcome of an election, presidential campaigns focus on these.
political action committees (PACs)
groups that raise money from individuals and then distribute it in the form of contributions to candidates
matching funds
primary candidate can ask government to give them the same amount of money they raised; most don’t use
What 3 factors are needed for success in nomination
momentum, media attention, money
Criticisms of the primary and caucus systems
- disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries
- prominent politicians find it difficult to take time out from their duties to run
- money plays too big of a role
- participation in them is low and unrepresentative
- system gives too much power to the media
Factors determining media coverage of a campaign
- how candidates use their advertising budget
- the “free” attention they get as news makers
How to organize a campaign
- Campaign manager
- Fundraiser
- Campaign counsel
- Hire media+ campaign consultants
- Campaign staff
- Plan logistics
- Research staff + policy advisors
- Hire a pollster
- Good press secretary
- Website
McCain-Feingold Act provisions
- prohibited corporations and unions from using general treasury funds to pay for electioneering communications in the last 60 days to federal campaigns
- intended that big money would be removed from politics by the next presidential election
How campaigns weaken impact on voters
- most pay little attention to campaigns: selective perception
- long-term factors (ex. party identification) influence voting behavior regardless of campaigns
- incumbents have advantage because of name recognition and track record
effects of campaigns on voters
- reinforcement
- activation
- conversion
why people might vote
- political efficacy
- civic duty
demographic factors that impact voter turnout
- education
- age
- race+ethnicity
- gender
- marital status
- government employment
necessary conditions for true policy voting
voters must…
- have a clear sense of their own policy positions
- know where candidates stand on policy issues
- see differences between candidates on policy issues
- cast a vote for the candidate whose policy positions coincide with their own
importance of electoral college
- introduces a bias into the campaign and electoral process
- less populated states are over represented
- winner-takes-all means candidates will mostly focus on winning a relatively small number of battleground states
