Campaigns and Voting; Interest Groups

run-off election

Special elections between two candidates to decide a disputed election result

public interest group

an organization that supports causes that affect the lives of Americans in general

open primary

any registered voter can vote, not necessarily registered for party, used by states to choose candidates for office

elitists or elitism

argue that the power of a few is fortified by wealth and power

states

determine voter eligibility

PAC's

make campaign contributions in order to gain access to government officials

Federal Election Campaigning Act (FECA)

1971 act requires disclosure of federal campaign contributions and expenditures. Limited expenditures - candidate helps own campaign - was declared unconstitutional.

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (BCFRA)

2002 act regulating contributions to political parties as weel as candidates. Resulted in formation of 527 political orginizations, unregulated groups that focus on an issue in an attempt to influence an election. (also called McCain-Feingold)

Shelby Co. v. Holder

2013 Supreme Court decision, ended sec. 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that required preclearance before making changes to voting provisions in areas with history of voter discrimination

make-up of the electoral college

538 members and each state is entitled to the same number of electors that it has senators and congressperson. D.C gets 3 electoral votes even though it has no vote in Congress.

Citizens United v. FEC

A 2010 decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Leads to creation of SuperPACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering (Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow)

Get-out-the-vote

A campaign near the end of an election to get voters out to the polls

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

A commission created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of campaign finance information, public funding of presidential elections, and enforcing contribution limits.

literacy test

A test given to persons before being allowed to register to vote

campaign fund-raising summary

All donations and expenditures must be made public.

twenty-third amendment

Amendment that gives the right of voting to citizens in Washington D.C. as they got 3 votes in the electoral college

twenty-sixth amendment

An amendment to the US constituion, adoped in 1971 and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18

campaign finance

Congress has passed campaign reform acts that attempt to limit the danger and candidates being unduly influenced by donors.

direct lobbying

Direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

selecting delegates to national convention

Each state determines how it will select its delegates how it will select its delegates

primary election

Election in which voters choose the candidates from each party who will run in the general election

special election

Election in which voters replace members of the House of Representatives who have died or left office.

campaign for the Presidency

For campaigns, candidates focus on swing states and states with large populations. Generally candidates moderate their views and move to the political center to win over a wide spectrum of voters.

popular vote for president

General Election identifies the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in each state. Slate of electors pledged to the presidential candidate who wins popular vote are chosen to cast the state's votes in the electoral college.

swing states

In a presidential race, highly competitive states in which both major party candidates stand a good chance of winning the state's electoral votes.

political apathy

Lack of interest in political participation

pluralists or pluralism

Modern democratic societies are characterised by power being dispersed between the plurality of elite groups, pressure groups, and political parties

soft money

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Motor Voter Act

Passed in 1993, this was a law to encourage more people to participate in voting. This allowed people to register to vote while they renewed their license.

initiative

Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters

nineteenth amendment

The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote.

national convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.

voter turnout

The number of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

referendum

The practice of letting voters accept or reject measures proposed by the legislature

front-loading

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention. Candidates attempt to win in early primaries in an effort to boost their support and emerge as a front-runner.

Fifteenth amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

suffrage

The right to vote

popular vote

The vote cast by individual voters in the presidential election.

hyperpluralists or hyperpluralism

Theorists that see too many groups competing for the resources of government which causes gridlock

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld federal limits on campaign contributions and ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns.

caucus

a meeting held by members of a political party to choose their party's candidate for president and select delegates to the national convention, may also be used to decide policy

general election

a national or state election; select from among party's nominees

presidential preference primary

a primary in which the voters indicate their preference for a person seeking nomination as the party's presidential candidate

recall election

a special election called by voters to remove an elected official before his/her term expires.

poll tax

a tax payable as a requirement for the right to vote

provisional ballot

a vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered

majority v. plurality

all electoral votes go to the person with the most votes (plurality) even if don't get 50% (majority)

winner-take-all system

an electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election

interest group

an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

advantages/disadvantages of electoral college

avoids prospect of a national recount of popular vote which may take months and produce no conclusive winner. but winner may not be the person who won the popular vote.

extension of suffrage before Civil War

before 1861-property ownership and payment of taxes were gradually eliminated as requirements to vote state by state.

types of primary elections

closed: only voters registered in the party may vote in party's primary; Open: Voters choose party nominee they want

lobbying

direct contact made by an interest group representative in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors

state election laws

each *state* makes its own *election laws*, including whether or not to allow referendums, initiatives, recall elections, direct primaries; considerable variation among states as to how voters register, the voting process, scheduling of elections

grassroots lobbying

efforts by groups and associations to influence elected officials indirectly, by arousing their constituents.

at large

elected from the state as a whole, rather than from a particular district

527's

election focused groups that are not subject to FECA regulations - a 527 is part of the tax code that allows tax exemption for activities that promote democracy - they have become a loophole that is a key to going around FECA rules

public financing of presidential elections

federal govt will give money to candidate to buy ads; if you take public money you have to limit your spending

primary function of interest groups

focus attention on one particular party issue

efforts to increase voter turnout

focus on making both voter registration and voting easier; Motor Voter law allows citizens to register at state driver's license offices; many States experimenting with extended voting period and alternative voting methods such as mail-in ballots

groups with below average turnout

generally, this includes younger people, racial and ethnic minorities, males, person with lower income.

trends in U.S. voter turnout

gradually decreasing in the U.S.

economic interest groups

groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members (AFL-CIO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NEA - professional association for teachers)

mid-term or off-year elections

held in the middle of the president's term of office; all of House and 1/3 of Senate run; President's party generally loses seats in Congress due to this.

When the House picks the President

if no candidate has majority in the electoral college, the house elects president from top 3 candidates. when choosing the president, each state gets one vote regardless of the number of representatives it has.

$5,000

individual contribution limit for PACs

$2,000

individual contribution limit per candidate (indexed for inflation)

strategies of interest groups

influencing Elections: Endorsing and supporting specific candidates. Lobbying:Influencing Policymakers. Litigation: Going to court to either force or block an action of government. Going Public: Building public support for a cause.

branch of government lobbying impacts least

judicial

suffrage and U.S. Constitution

leaves voter eligibility to states but specifies that all voters qualified to vote for largest house of state legislature can vote for House of Representatives

limits on campaign contributions

limits made it to where campaign contributions can only be made by individuals and PACs. The goal is that candidates raise little money from a lot of people rather than a lot of money from a few special interests. court decision Citizens United crippled this law

methods of interest groups

lobbying, testifying before committees, advertising for issues, using the courts to bring lawsuits

amicus curiae brief

may be filed when a case that an interest group is interested in, but not actually sponsoring, comes before a court

closed primary

only registered party members can vote, used in states to choose candidates for office

attitudes producing low voter turnout

political apathy, mistrust of government, lack of political efficacy, no perceived differences between candidates

election of President

president is only nationally elected office.

two types of elections

primary: Selects the party's candidate that will run in the general one. And then General: Selects which candidate is elected to the office.

candidate voting v. issue voting

purpose to choose the winning candidate for office v. Purpose to enact/reject proposed law or constitutional amendment.

extension of suffrage after Civil War

racial restrictions eliminated by 1870, Women able to vote in 1920, minimum voting age lowered to 1971.

reasons for low voter turnout

registration requirements, apathy, weakened parties, weekday voting, frequency of elections

federal election laws

set uniform date for elections in all states for federal office; other election issues such as voter registration procedures and the voting process are decided by state.

membership in interest groups

some organized groups restrict membership, others are open; Not all citizens who share a common goal join. Many citizens are members of multiple ones at the same time.

lobbyist

someone who tries to persuade legislators to vote for bills that the lobbyists favor

functions of interest groups

stimulate interest in public affairs, represent members, provide information, vehicle for political participation, checks and balances, competition

political efficacy

the belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

electoral college

the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president

electorate

the body of enfranchised citizens

coattail effect

the boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially if the president is popular

Political Action Committee (PAC)

the political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.

universal suffrage

the right of all males to vote in elections

interest groups that promote causes

these are groups that promote a certain cause to their members, welfare of a specific group, or view of the public interest. (NRA - National Rifle Association, VFW - Veteran's of Foreign Wars, MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

types of lobbying

these are types to influence policymakers; Direct, Grassroots, Coalition

how interest groups influence elections

they can endorse candidates and encourage members to vote for them. They can also form PACs to raise campaign contributions.

voter registration process

this is required in order to vote and each state determines its own voter registration process

groups with above average turnout

those with higher levels of education and income, more active in the community, religious institutions, labor unions, and those with strong party identification.

how interest groups use litigation

to block an agency's action, or in some cases, force an agency to take action to enforce a law.

how interest groups build support

try to bring attention to an issue or story in a way that they believe will resonate with the public using various forms of media to gain support.

regulation of interest groups

use PACs to support endorsed candidates are subject to campaign finance laws and *regulation* by FEC. Laws require lobbyists to register and disclose information about their activities and funding.

public money

used to help fund presidential campaigns

ways of participating in an election

voting, campaigning, contributing Money, running for office