Chapter 17 Elections and Voting

1. Chapter 17Elections and Voting

2. 17-1Election Campaigns

3. Key Decisions What consultants to use What issues to focus on Whether to run a positive or negative campaign What states to concentrate on Where to spend the money

4. Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) Created in response to Nixon and Watergate scandals; huge illegal contributions from large corporations. Designed to make candidates responsive to the public rather than wealthy supporters. Also to allow public officials to focus on their jobs rather than non-stop fund raising.

5. Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) Federal Election Commission (FEC) created. Disclosure: candidates required to disclose the SOURCE of campaign contributions and list their EXPENDITURES. Public funding: available for presidential primaries and general elections, in exchange for accepting campaign spending limits. Limits on contributions. Originally there were expenditure caps.

6. Supreme Court Decisions Limits on how much individuals may contribute to their own campaigns are unconstitutional. Campaign expenditure limits are unconstitutional. Contribution limits on non-candidates okay. Spending cap in exchange for public financing okay.

7. New Federal Contribution Limits per election cycle (2 years) Individuals: $2,300 per candidate $5,000 per PAC $10,000 per state or local party committee $28,500 per national party committee $108,200 aggregate total PAC’s $5,000 per candidate $5,000 per state or local party committee $15,000 per national party committee

8. Public Financing Primaries “Matching funds” for first $250 of contributions IF candidate raises at least $5,000 in each of 20 states AND limits personal spending to $50,000. 2000 – Nine candidates got matching funds; only Bush and one other opted out. General Elections Grant of about $85 million IF candidate agrees to not accept private funds and limit own contribution to $50,000.

9. Third Party Public Financing Third party candidates can only receive federal funding if their party got 5% of the vote in the previous election. 1992 – Ross Perot got 19% of the vote, received public funding, spent $60 million of his own money. John McCain 2000 - Ralph Nader got almost 3% of the vote.

10. Ways to get around FECA Hard money – money donated to candidates or political parties that is limited to a certain amount per individual or PAC. “Soft money” – money contributed to a party for “party building activities”; could be unlimited in amount and given by anyone: labor unions, businesses, or wealthy individuals “Party building activities: Get-out-the-vote, issue advocacy advertising, “vote democratic” or “vote republican” type advertising, etc. Issue advocacy advertising – advertising related to an issue, that helps a candidate. Issue ads cannot say “vote for so and so” nor can they be coordinated with a candidate’s campaign; but they may mention a candidate’s name.

11. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 Political parties may not raise or spend “soft money.” “Hard money” limits raised. Issue oriented ads that mention a candidate’s name may not be aired within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.

12. Recent Elections 2004 Both candidates opted out of public matching funds for PRIMARIES and raised $500 million. “Snowball effect” started with Steve Forbes. 527 groups spent $400 million (about 25 individuals gave $146 million to 527 groups). 2008 It appears that the leading candidates will opt out of public financing for BOTH the primary and general elections and raise over a billion dollars.

13. 527 Groups Non-profit groups, named after part of the tax code. They have taken over much of what “soft money” used to be spent on. There is legislation pending that might curb 527 groups, but it keeps being amended.

14. Public Financing Problems Not enough money. Not early enough, due to earlier primaries. Fund may become insolvent.

15. Political Slang Pundit – an expert who provides commentary Maven – Yiddish word for “expert” Blog – web log – online journal Vlog – web log using video as its primary format Hack – writer paid to write quick, low-quality articles or books Flack – publicist Wonk – nerd, expert, overly studious person Neocon – neoconservative

16. Political Slang The Beltway – Washington, D.C. and adjoining suburbs of Virginia and Maryland enclosed by the I-495 freeway The Hill – hill upon which the Capitol and some adjoining neighborhoods are located

17. 17-3Influences on Voters

18. More Propaganda Ad homonim attack – attack on a person rather than debating the issues Straw man – creating a misrepresentation of an opponent’s argument that can be easily refuted, and then refuting it