Chapter 6 and 15 Elections Campaigns and Voting Political Participation Engaging Individuals Shaping Politics Elections campaigns and voting are fundamental aspects of the civic engagement of Americans and people in other democracies Representative governments which are the product of individuals political engagement tend to be more stable and to make the decisions that best reflect the needs and the will of the people who elect them Elections offer a wealth of opportunities for citizen involvement o Members of political parties recruit candidates to run for election o Cadres of volunteers organize campaign events including fund raisers rallies and neighborhood leafleting o Phone bank volunteers try to persuade other people to participate in the electoral process for instance by giving campaign contributions putting a candidate s sign on their lawn or simply voting for the candidate o Other volunteers focus exclusively on GOTV Get out the vote o Volunteer to work at the polls on Election Day Elections in the United States Presidential elections held every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November Congressional elections held every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on even number years Five types of elections o Primary elections determines the party s nominees o General elections parties respective nominees run against each other and voters decide who should hold office since the person with the most votes wins o Runoff if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote several of the top vote getters usually the top two run in another subsequent election o Referendum elections election in which voters in a state can vote for or against a measure proposed by the state legislature Frequently referenda concern matters such as state bond issues state constitutional amendments and controversial pieces of legislation o Recall election allows voters to cut an officeholder s term of office short Typically citizen sponsored efforts that demonstrate serious dissatisfaction with a particular officeholder Constitution gives states control over elections within their borders Localities typically administer elections Elections are overseen by state regulators Nominations and Primary Elections o Primaries choose candidates who will run in the general elections Primaries do not elect people to office o Open Vs close primaries Voters can participate in either party primary or not Voters do or do not register with party affiliations States may have caucuses members meet and vote in the open o General Elections Determine who gets to hold office Typically draws the most voters o Runoff Elections If a candidate does not win a majority in the general election some states hold a runoff between the two highest vote getters Happens more frequently for Primary elections o Criteria for Winning Majority vote to win the candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes plus one Plurality vote the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins Most American elections are plurality vote Different types of ballots o States decide which types they will use o State ballot variations include Straight ticket option on ballot Party affiliations not listed Ballots available in multiple languages Voting machines paper ballots punch cards or touch screens mail only Running for Office The Choice to Run Why Run o Might as well o Civic duty o Party loyalty o Personal goals Ambition Power Name recognition and status Formal Eligibility Requirements o President Natural born citizen At least 35 years old Must have been a resident of the United States for 14 years by time of inauguration o Vice President o US Senator Natural born citizen At least 35 years old Must not be a resident of the same state as the candidate for President o US Representative Must have citizen status of 9 years Must be at least 30 years old when taking office Must be a resident of the state from which he or she is elected Must be a citizen for at least 7 years Must be at least 25 years old when taking office Must be a resident of the state from which he or she is elected Informal Eligibility Requirements o Local level Individual liked and respected in community Lived in community long enough to know the voters Gainfully employed a homemaker or retired Expected to have some kind of professional career o State level o Federal Level Have higher qualifications than candidates for state and local offices Have considerable professional and leadership experience Strong communication skills Election Campaigns o First step is to allow candidates to start raising money and accepting donations o Two methods Form an exploratory committee o Advisors o Fund Raisers o Polling Media to public Mobilization File papers announcing candidacy Professional strategic decisions about organization budgeting executing the campaign Identify donors find allies for indirect spending Test ad messages find out what voters think of them and opponents strengths weaknesses push polls o Strategic decisions program appearances spokespeople campaign surrogates message focus to convey o Prepare for high coverage events like debates and conventions with extensive news coverage o Rapid response teams to diffuse opponent attacks o Online ads fund raising event updates o Strategic decisions where to invest money on advertising number of candidate events o Collaborate with party interest groups state and local supporters online and in person o Since 2008 significant mobilization occurs online where campaigns and supporters coordinate efforts and resources more efficiently Electoral College o Founders created Electoral College because citizens were not trusted to make a good decision Even today citizens do not directly vote for president but rather for electors o State electoral votes number of U S Representatives Senators 2 Texas has 38 o All states but Maine and Nebraska allocate all electors to the popular vote winner Money and Politics Contributions and Expenses o Campaigns are VERY expensive o All political money is regulated by the federal government under the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971 1974 and 1976