2. Elections
Elections and Democracy
Three
models of how elections can lead
to popular control.
Prospective voting model
Electoral competition model
Retrospective voting model
3. Elections
Prospective Voting Model
Definition:A theory of democratic
elections in which voters decide what
government will do in the near future.
Potential problems:
Might increase the intensity of political
conflicts.
Likely to lead to gridlock within the
separation of powers.
4. Elections
Electoral Competition Model
Definition:A form of election in which
parties seeking votes move toward them
median voter or the center of the political
spectrum.
Potential problems:
Needs unified parties in order to work
Voters must know exactly where the party
stands and the party must keep their
promises (Which is unlikely)
5. Elections
Retrospective Voting Model
Definition:A form of election in which
voters look back at the performance of a
party in power and cast their vote to the
better party.
Electoral reward and punishment states
that the voter votes for the incumbent
when times are good, against when times
are bad.
Potential problems:
Gets rid of bad political leaders after
disaster, and not before.
6. Elections
The Unique Nature of American Elections
Key features:
Numerous and frequent elections
Usually separate and independent form
anther.
Inconsistent election procedures and Vote-
Counting.
Elected positions have fixed terms
Elections are held on fixed dates
First past the Post wins
Meaning the first one with the most votes
wins. Not necessarily with majority.
7. Voting
Voting in the United States
Expansion of the Franchise:
Before the 14th and 15th amendments, it
was up to the states to determine who
gets to vote. The states set a limit, called
a Franchise, on the right to vote.
Barriers were also set to limit the vote. This
left universal suffrage, or the ability to
vote.
White property owning males usually voted
in the elections.
8. Voting
Low Voting Turnout
Why is turnout so low?
Barriers to voting
Too much complexity
Weak voter mobilization
Decline in competitive elections
9. Voting
Barriers to Voting
One of he biggest barriers to voting in the
United States is that the public has to
register in advance to vote.
Many procrastinate and do not register in
time.
How the United States could increase voter
turnout:
Make voting easier by lowering registration
requirements.
Make election day a legal holiday.
10. Voting
Too Much Complexity
When voters go to the polls they must
make their choices for the
federal, state, and local offices and often
decide on constitutional and policy
measures put on the ballot by state
legislatures or the public.
Referenda (state legislatures)
Initiatives (the public)
Manyvoters feel overwhelmed and stay
home.
11. Voting
Weak Voter Mobilization by the Parties
Theparties are only worried about getting
their own supporters to the polls, and not
increasing voter turnout.
12. Voting
Decline in Competitive Elections
Many states find themselves as
Democratic or Republican.
Candidates tend to only worry about
states that are affiliated with their party.
Only focused on the big states.
13. Voting
Who Votes?
Main Factors:
Income and education
Race and ethnicity
Age
14. Voting
Income and Education
Higher income voters
Tend to have more time making it easier to
get to the polls.
More money to get things done and
donate to their candidates.
Educated voters
More knowledge about politics
Less troubled by registration requirements
Voter with little education and a small
income are less likely to vote.
15. Voting
Race and Ethnicity
Whites are more likely to vote, but in the
past years African Americans have
increased their voting turnout.
Whites and African Americans now have
proportional voter turnout
16. Voting
Age
Older people tend to vote more.
They have more time, more money, and
are in the routine of voting. They know
what to expect.
Young voters are less likely to go to the
polls.
They know little about politics and are
unsure who to vote for.
17. Campaigns
Campaigning for Office
Money In general elections:
Campaigning for the elections cost a lot
of money.
The estimate for the 2007-2008 election was
about $5.3 billion
18. Campaigns
Hard Money
Money In general elections:
Hard money refers to contributions and
spending that fall under the jurisdiction of
the Federal Election Commission.
The FEC wanted to set limits on what the
candidates could spend on
advertising, and air time.
This
meant that corporations and unions
would play a much bigger role financing
campaigns.
19. Campaigns
Where the Money Comes From
The money comes from the following:
Individuals and candidates
Pac’s (Political Action Committees)
527’s
501’s
20. Campaigns
Individuals and Candidates
Individuals
are the largest single source of
funding for presidential campaigns.
Voters give contributions to their candidate
but have a limit on what they can give.
Senate and house candidates usually
donate money to their own campaigns.
Presidential candidates will usually spend
a lot of their own money seeking the party
nomination.
21. Campaigns
Political Action Committees
Pac’s are entities created by interest
groups.
These pacs collect money and make
contributions to candidates in federal
elections.
22. Campaigns
527’s
527s are entities that can use unregulated
money to talk about issues, mobilize
voters, and praise or criticizes candidates
and office holders.
No limits on donations and spending of
527s, but have to report their contributors
to the IRS.
This source of money is not used often
anymore.
23. Campaigns
501’s
501’s do not have to report the identities
of the contributors to the IRS like the 527s
do.
They still have to report the donations but
not as much as the 527s, making it an
easier and less stressful process.
24. Voters
How Voters decide
Voters decide on their candidate by their:
Social Characteristics
Party Loyalties
Issues
25. Voters
Social Characteristics
A citizens socioeconomic status, where
they live, religion, gender, and age are all
related to how a citizen casts their vote.
African American, Jews, and lower
income citizens tend to vote democrat.
White upper income citizens tend to vote
republican.
26. Voters
Party Loyalties
Party loyalty is the concept of two
parties, Democrat or Republican.
When a person uses their party
identification to vote it means they vote
for the candidate closest to their party
and issues.
27. Voters
Issues
Voters usually vote for the incumbent
when the economy is strong. If the
Economy was worse off after the
presidents term the voters may be more
likely to vote for the other candidate.
28. Decision
How Does the Votes Elect a
President
A voter usually votes for an elector. They
do not vote directly for the president.
These electors will cast the vote for their
people.
The president with the majority of the
electoral votes win.
29. Terms
Other Terms to Know
Provisional Ballot – A vote that is cast but
not counted until determination is made
that the voter is properly registered.
Congressional Primaries – Election in which
voters choose delegates to the national
party convention.
Congressional Caucuses – Supporters and
activists hold meetings for selecting
delegates.
