Voting Ch. 10

Warm up 2. What do you learn about by reading a party platform? 1. What kind of political party system do many democracies have? 2. What do you learn about by reading a party platform? 3. What is a political parties stance on a single issue called? 4. What is the main purpose of a political party? 5. What country is governed by a one party system 6. What can 3rd parties be based on? 7. What is an alliance with another political party called? 8. What is the purpose of the ‘watchdog’ role?

Eligibility to Vote 18 years old Resident of the state for a specific time Citizen of the U.S. No felonies Once registered, a person is assigned to a district You can only vote once!

Voting Process Gather information Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, and internet Websites of candidates & political parties Political parties Go to polling place & receive a ballot Cast your ballot – fill out your choices Wait for returns – reporting of election results Absentee Ballot – a way to vote if you will be unable to vote on election day Exit Poll – way of predicting the winner before all of the votes are counted by asking people as they leave who they voted for

Voting Process

North Carolina Sample Ballot

Not Voting Electorate – people eligible to vote Apathy – lack of interest. #1 reason why people don’t vote Following can’t vote Felons Those in mental hospitals People who do not meet state requirements Registration is not a problem – states allow people to register when they renew their driver’s license. Presidential elections – 50% of electorate vote Elections without Presidential candidates – between 7% and 20% vote

The right to vote belongs to every U. S citizen The right to vote belongs to every U.S citizen. In your opinion, what do citizens forfeit if they do not exercise their right to vote?

Political Cartoon Voter apathy is a big issue in the U.S. I want you to draw a political cartoon that depicts a reason or several reasons people give for not voting.

Special Elections Initiative – a way citizens can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments. a petition is signed with enough signatures from qualified voters, to put an issue on the ballot Proposition – (the proposed law). It is put on the ballot at the next general election Referendum – a way for citizens to approve or reject a state or local law. people can gather signatures to review a law passed by the state legislatures and have it sent back to the voters for their approval at the next general election Usually with very controversial issues Recall – special election where voters can vote an official out of office before their term is up

Campaigning Creation of a positive image for a candidate 2 types Television is the most common means of campaigning 2 types Mass Campaigning – TV, mail – less time consuming but more expensive Grassroots – small level – Canvassing or making phone calls – cheap but time consuming – the voters get to personally know the candidate and the candidate gets to know the voters Incumbents – win 80% of the time Name recognition Franking privilege Endorsements – a famous or popular person supports a candidate

Financing Campaigns The Federal Election & Campaign Finance Act of 1971 Established rules for campaign finance Public disclosure of spending Established federal funding of presidential elections Limits how much individuals & groups could spend Created the FEC (Federal Election Committee)

Private Funding Soft Money Donations Donations given to political parties & not designated for a particular candidate Most goes to TV ads for the parties’ candidates Elaborate dinners with individual donations Political Action Committees (PACs) Organized by special interest groups Funds candidates who favor their position on issues Hard money vs. Soft money Hard money – directly to a candidate Soft money – general purpose

Public Funding Presidential Election Campaign Fund Taxpayers check a box on their federal income tax returns to designate $3 of their taxes to the fund Candidates can get the money for primary elections if they have raised $100,000 on their own Barack Obama did not take any public money for the 2008 Presidential Election

How do you think the internet has affected campaigns, or might affect future campaigns?