2. Suffrage; the right to vote, is not mentioned anywhere
in the Constitution until the 15th Amendment.
The Fifteenth Amendment (Amendment XV) to the
United States Constitution prohibits each government
in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote
based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Ratified on February 3, 1870

3. Since the 15th Amendment, who can vote is
the subject of other Amendments
19th 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 sex. (1920)
24th Amendment - The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of people pay poll tax or other tax. (1964)
26th Amendment - The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. (1971)

4. The Twenty-third Amendment (Amendment XXIII) to the
United States Constitution permits citizens in the District of
Columbia to vote for Electors for President and Vice President.
The amendment was proposed by Congress on June 17, 1960,
and ratified by the states on March 29, The first
Presidential election in which it was in effect was the presidential
election of 1964.

5. Campaign
An organized, planned action for the purpose of getting a candidate elected. It may include campaign manager(s), political consultants, fund raisers, speech writers and speeches, press secretary, policy experts, lawyers and accountants, researchers, travel planner, events coordinator, image building, etc. It is how the candidate will become known to voters.

6. Platform
A platform is the candidate’s or political party’s declaration of beliefs in areas such as crime, drug abuse, education.

7. Primary Election
Is an election held before the general election in which candidates from the same party compete for the party nomination.

8. Primary Election
In a primary election, Democrats run against Democrats and
Republicans run against Republicans. The Democrat winner
and the Republican winner face each other in the general election.
There are two types of primaries; open primary and closed primary.
In a closed primary only registered party members may
take part in the election and vote for their party’s
candidate.
In an open primary any
registered voter may vote for any
Candidate running in the election.

9. General Elections
Regularly scheduled statewide elections at which voters make the final selection for public office-holders

10. Run-off Election
A repeat election between 2 front runners in a prior election when no candidate has received a majority of votes. Run-off elections are usually held in places where the law requires a majority vote.

11. All states have different election laws.
How elections are run is a state right to decide.
Majority vs. plurality election
In a majority election one candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote usually in a two person race.
Candidate A: 50.1%
Candidate B: 49.9%
In a plurality election the candidate that receives the highest
percentage of votes wins the election
Candidate A: 37%
Candidate B: 32%
Candidate C: 19%
Candidate D: 12%

12. The only nationwide election in the country is
the Presidential election.
The election for president begins in January of the election
year. A party primary is held in nearly every state from
January till the summer months leading into the party
convention where the party candidate is chosen.
Some states may hold a caucus rather than a primary. A
caucus is a meeting of members of a political party to
coordinate members' actions, choose group policy, or
nominate candidates for office.

13. Once all primaries and caucuses are held, the
Candidate that has won the most delegates to the
convention for their party will become the party
nominee.
On the first Tuesday of November an election is held for
president between the Democrat candidate and the
Republican candidate. Other parties may run candidates as
well, these are 3rd parties.
In December the electors from each state meet in their state
capitols the cast their Electoral College vote for president based on the popular vote of the people.

14. Electoral College
The group of electors who are selected by the voters in each state to officially elect the president and vice president. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state’s representatives in both houses of Congress.
Many people believe the Electoral College is an
undemocratic way to elect the president.
Do you think the Electoral College should be eliminated?

15. How the Electoral College works?
Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its
U.S. senators plus the number of its U.S. representatives.
Currently, the Electoral College includes 538 electors,
535 for the total number of congressional members, and three
who represent Washington, D.C., as allowed by the 23rd
Amendment. On the Monday following the second Wednesday in December, the electors of each state meet in their respective state capitals to officially cast their votes for president and vice president. These votes are then sealed and sent to the president of the Senate, who on January 6th opens and reads the votes in the presence of both houses of Congress. The winner is sworn into office at noon on January 20th.

16. How the Electoral College works?
When a candidate wins the popular vote of a state on election day, that candidate wins the party electors for that state and those electors will vote in their respective state capitol for president.
What makes the Electoral College democratic is that it is based
on the popular vote of the state. A candidate may win the
popular vote in the whole country but lose the Electoral College
vote.

17. 1980 Electoral vote, Reagan vs. Carter

18. 1984 Electoral vote, Reagan vs. Mondale

19. 1988 Electoral vote, Bush vs. Dukakis
Bush was Reagan’s VP, notice the support change

20. 1992 Electoral vote, Bush vs. Clinton

21. 1996 Electoral vote, Clinton vs. Dole

22. 2000 Electoral vote, Bush vs. Gore

23. 2004 Electoral vote, Bush vs. Kerry

24. 2008 Electoral vote, Obama vs. McCain

25. Analyzing the Electoral vote
Which parts of the country consistently support the Republicans?
Which parts of the country consistently support the Democrats?
Which states have switched party support during the years?
Which states have lost Electoral College votes over the years?
Which states have gained Electoral College votes over the years?
What would cause a state to gain or lose Electoral College votes?

26. What election is conducted with the Electoral College
system?
What is the number of electors in each state determined by?

27. Terms primary/general elections run-off elections Electoral College
independent voter
secret (Australian) ballot

28. Political Parties

29. What are political parties
Organizations of people with similar ideas that are formed to win elections.

33. What are political parties
Political parties can form from factions.
Washington warned against factions tearing the country apart.
Madison wrote in Federalist 10 that they were bound to develop.

34. Political Party History
The 1st political party was the Federalists from began by Madison and Hamilton.
The Democratic-Republicans began in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson

35. Democrats
In 1828 the modern Democrat party began and elected Andrew Jackson as their first President.

36. Whigs
The Whig Party began around 1834 and ended around 1852.

37. Republicans
In 1853 the Republican Party grew from the abolition movement.
The abolition movement was a started to end slavery.

38. Republicans
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the 1st Republican president. He ran on the issue to end slavery.

39. Third Parties
Over time Third Parties have formed in an effort to challenge the Dems and Repubs

40. Some 3rd Parties Anti-Masonic Constitutional, Southern Democrats
Populist
Progressive
States’ Rights
Socialist-Labor
American Independent
Libertarian
Green
Communist

41. Structure National Committee State Central Committee County Committees
Precinct Level
Party Workers

42. Political Parties Nominate candidates Pick the best person to run
Governs
Acts as a watchdog

43. Political Parties
A multi-party system brings a broader and more diverse electorate but it also causes instability.
A one-party system is the same as a no-party system.

44. Political Parties
Democrat electorate usually consists of Catholics, Jews, African-Americans, high-school graduates single, younger.
Republican electorate usually consists of Protestants, business people, college graduates, married, older.

45. Political Action Committees
Political Action Committees, commonly called "PACs," are organizations dedicated to raising and spending money to either elect or defeat political candidates.

46. Political Action Committees
Most PACs are directly connected to specific corporations, labor groups, or recognized political parties.

47. Political Action Committees
Examples of these PACs include Microsoft (a corporate PAC) and the Teamsters Union (organized labor).

48. Political Action Committees
PACs solicit contributions from employees or members and make contributions in the PACs name to candidates or political parties.

49. Political Action Committees
Non-connected or ideological PACs raise and spend money to elect candidates -- from any political party -- who support their ideals or agendas

50. Political Action Committees
Non-connected PACs are made up of individuals or groups of U.S. citizens, not connected to a corporation, a labor party or a political party.

51. Political Action Committees
Examples of non-connected PACs include the National Rifle Association (gun owner rights) and Emily's List (abortion, pro-choice). A non-connected PAC can solicit contributions from the general public of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

52. Political Action Committees
A third type of PAC, called "leadership PACs" are formed by politicians to help fund the campaigns of other politicians.

53. Political Action Committees
Politicians often create leadership PACs in an effort to prove their party loyalty or to further their goal of being elected to a higher office.

54. Political Action Committees
Under federal election laws, PACs can legally contribute only $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC.

55. Lobbyists
Someone who tries to persuade legislators to vote for bills that the lobbyists favor

56. Lobbyists
A lobbyist is one who is professionally employed to lobby on behalf of clients or who advises clients on how to lobby on their own behalf.

57. What Are Interest Groups?
An interest group (special interests) is an organization of people with similar policy goals that try to influence the political process to try to achieve those goals.
Interest groups try to influence every
branch and every level of government.

58. The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups
Interest groups have been part of the American political landscape since the country’s founding.

59. What Do Interest Groups Do?
The most common and effective interest group technique is lobbying or seeking to influence and persuade others to support a group's position.

60. What Do Interest Groups Do?
Lobbyists are hired by a college or
university, businesses, foreign countries, trade associations, and anyone else wanting their voice heard on policy matters.

61. Important Points to Think About
Interest Groups:
Promote interest in public affairs
Provide useful information
Serve as watchdogs
Represent the interest of citizens

62. Interest Groups and PACS

63. The Media and Public Opinion
Public opinion is a dominant force in American politics and especially so during the long electoral process. If a presidential candidate fails to hit it off with the media at the first primary, then that presidential candidate is likely to have a political mountain to climb up to the November election.
National television has ensured that candidates pitch every
word that they say with great care. What a candidate does,
what a candidate will do on a campaign trail and what he says is usually determined by the availability of television coverage. It is the primary purpose of a campaign manager to ensure that a candidate gets this. Speeches have now become orientated to television and 30 seconds sound bites have become the norm rather than a classic speech. Short, sharp quotes are far more media friendly than a long speech on financial reform, welfare reform etc

64. In the modern United States, four types
of groups, known as 
"LINKAGE" INSTITUTIONS,
play a vital role in connecting citizens to the
government. They are not officially
a part of the government, but without them,
a democracy would be very difficult to
maintain. These groups in American politics
include the following:
Political parties
Media
Campaigns and elections
Interest groups

65. POLITICAL PARTIES represent broad points of view — or IDEOLOGIES — that present people with alternative approaches to how the government should be run. Each party seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy. For example, both the Republican and Democratic candidates for President present competing plans for solving a wide array of public issues. People, then, link to their government by identifying themselves as "Democrats," "Republicans," or "Reform" party members

66. CAMPAIGNS and elections involve citizens by reminding them of their ultimate power — the vote. Campaigns today are increasingly elaborate and long, costing millions of dollars, and attracting the public's attention in any way they can. For all the expense and glitz, the process of electing government officials provides citizens with vital information regarding issues and candidates' qualifications for office.

67. INTEREST GROUPS organize people with common interests and attitudes to influence government to support their points of view. They generally represent only one issue or a closely related set of concerns. So, people can organize according to their profession, business, corporation, or hobby — yet another way to "link" to government.

68. The MEDIA play an important role in connecting people to government
The MEDIA play an important role in connecting people to government. Most of us find out about candidates for office, public officials' activities, and the burning issues of the day through television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet. The media's power to shape the American mind has often been criticized, but it also allows people to give feedback to the government.

69. Political process:
political parties
two-party system
third parties
campaign
platform
national conventions (Republican, Democratic)
role of media
special interest groups and associations
PACs
Lobbyists
Political spectrum
reactionary
conservative
moderate
liberal
radical
hawk
dove