Lobbying trying to convince elected officials to do something Ligation sure through judicial branch if electorate is not doing job Political Participation and Voting Non electoral Participation Grassroots Participation o Contact officials o Sign petitions o Attend meeting o Join organizations Electorate people whom representative is responsive constituents Voting 15th amendment voting not limited by race Poll tax amount 2 50 which is 87 50 today White primary o Determines who the candidates are o Democrats o 1944 supreme court ruled violation against Equal Protection Clause Grandfather Clause o You only had the right to vote if your grandfather had the right to vote o Way to get around the poll tax Who Participates and How Gender gap differences in how men and women vote Women had 19 of seats in house after election Pelosi first woman speaker of house Explaining Political Participation Civic Engagement o You re involved do things in public with other people o More involved in life more political participation Putnam Study o Bowling Alone o When people bowled together they would be more politically active o When we do stuff on out own we are less involved o Electronics or social media is to blame Political Parties Party Mascots Democratic Was first a rooster Then was Donkey b c Jackson was and ass Party Mascots Republican Silhouette of Lincoln Eagle 1874 cartoon w elephant trying to create reform The two party system in America Internal Mobilization like minded people already in government come together Tea Party External mobilization Politicians not in government come to be abolition of slavery started republican party Order of Parties o 1800s federalists lost power o Democrat republicans gained more power o 1896 Republicans dominate until 1930s o New Deal comes about democrat o 1968 Nixon changed things Convinces South to go Republican Southern Strategy Divided Government Contemporary system PR vs Congress Realignments Switching voters preference from one party to another Dealighment abandon party affiliation without inventing new one to replace it decline by voters Third Parties Single member plurality districts o One person elected for every seat o Used in US o Person with most votes wins Multi member districts o Fewer votes are wasted o Multiple people can be elected Proportional Representation Systems o More than one person is elected o Percentage of votes determines that number of seats that are held Types of Third parties o Constitution Party Conservative o Green Party Liberal environmental Ralph Nater o Libertarian party economically conservative socially liberal Ron Paul Party Organizations National Conventions o Every 4 years last for 4 days o Nominate candidates for VP PR o DNC of votes is of representation o RNC winner takes all o Chairperson in charge of committees o Soft money money that doesn t have any limits o 527 committees o non profit advocacy groups raise a lot of money o Related to political parties o Citizens United o Brought back soft money o Not having violated freedom of speech of organizations o Machines o Strong parties at the local level Power Houses o Controlled by bosses o Patronage give people jobs o Big Tent Parties o People with different ideologies o One Umbrella and under the umbrella separate parites Campaigns and Elections Elections in America General Election Selects who will hold office Primary Election Select people to nominate o Closed primaries must be registered member of party register before o Semi close primaries have to ask to vote for only candidate of one party register day of o Open primary candidates are all on same ballot o Blanket Primary unconstitutional in 2000 b c of 1st amendment association Direct Democracy o Only exists in some states and local place o Not at national level o Referendum voters decide o Initiative petition to change if law makers not doing job o Recall last Gov to be recalled was Gray Davis The ballot o Split ticket voting vote democrat and republican o Straight ticket voting all one party o Coattail effect straight ticket helps candidates from your party Election Campaigns to better Advisers can become the chief of staff Media Consultants deal with ads commercials Press spokesperson speak to press on behalf of candidate Staff directors in charge of paid and volunteer workers Presidential Election Campaigns Free media candidates hold press conference and invite media to show up Spot Ad o Short amount of time o Focuses toward specific group o T V ads Electoral college o Each state had number of college votes based on senators and house reps o States determine how electors are chosen o Plurality winner takes all o 538 possible 270 are needed o Faithless electors committed to one candidate but end up voting for someone else o When Bush and Al Gore were running Al Gore won popular vote but Bush won the election o If no one gets a majority vote for PR House decides between top three candidates Each state gets one vote Only happened twice 1800 1824 o If no one gets VP Senate decides between top two candidates Presidential Campaign Music Tippecanoe and Tyler Too 1840 o Written for Harrison o Expansion of right to vote was issue o Got out message to people who could not read o Negative campaigning little Van Happy Days are here again o Roosevelt o After Great Depression and Dust Bowl Bridge over troubled Water o George McGovern o Vietnam o Wanted to end the war God Bless the U S A o Greenwood o Popular song o Patriotism freedom Don t Stop o Clinton o Younger candidate o Will take country in different direction o The future I won t Back down o Bush o Petty didn t want him using it o Petty sent letter from lawyer o Song was removed You and I o Hillary Clinton o Let supporters choose song o Originally written in Canada We take care of our own o Obama o Healthcare reform Groups and Interests Public interest groups Ideological groups o Very liberal conservative Public Sector Groups o Employees o Different levels of government Pluralism o Focus on public interest environmental protection o Belief that all interests can and should be free to lobby government o Supported by Hillary Clinton o Critics claim that interest groups with more money power over represent wealthy o Conservatives like liberals dislike Organization of Interest Groups Agency office that must be able to carry out certain task Free Rider Program o People get benefits without paying for them o Hard to do things on our own Why Join Interest Groups