1. U.S. Election System Kangwon National University November 23, 2011

2. Non-Presidential elections – House of Representatives 435 members, allotted to states based on population – States control shape of districts; gerrymandering common Two-year terms; elections every two (even-numbered) years – Senate Two senators from each state (100; VP breaks a tie) Six-year terms; elections every two (even-numbered) years – State elections Governor Legislative Judges – Local elections Mayors; sheriffs; school board members generally elected Varies by locality – Presidential coattails

3. Party system – Shunned by founders but entrenched soon after – Winner-takes-all (plurality of votes wins) voting system for state and federal legislatures leads to two-party system – Evolution of Republican and Democratic Parties – Parties are generally fairly inclusive and party-line voting not the rule Moderate wings losing members in recent years, especially in Republican party – Declining power of parties to choose candidates – Democrats generally win urban areas, Northeast, California. Republicans win rural areas, South, Great Plains. Pac. Northwest and upper Midwest competitive: http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html – Small third parties exist, as do independents, and they occasionally (i.e., in 2000) influence outcomes of elections. They also can focus debate on issues the two major parties would like to ignore.

4. Presidential elections – Every four years – First Tuesday after the first Monday in November – 2012 elections (Nov. 6) – Current candidates Dem.: Barack Obama Rep. : Mitt Romney; Herman Cain; Rick Santorum; Rick Perry; Newt Gingrich; Michele Bachmann; Jon Huntsman; Gary Johnson; Ron Paul

5. Presidential eligibility – Born a U.S. citizen Obama, McCain controversies Many reform proposals – At least 35 years old – Two-term limit – Permanent resident of the U.S. for last fourteen years – Often former VPs, Senators or Governors

6. Voter eligibility – Voters must be registered – Must be over 18 – Cannot discriminate on race, gender or age – Many states do not allow voting from felons / prisoners Over five million individuals without vote; minorities and democrats disproportionately affected – No general election vote in U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa), although there is participation in primaries Washington D.C. residents barred from voting until 1961 (23 rd amendment) Absentee voting and early voting is permitted and common Voter turnout = 61.7% of eligible population in 2008 (relatively low on a global scale)

7. Presidential Primaries – Pre-primary campaign has increased considerably in recent years Exploratory committee sometimes exist two years before first primary Declared candidacies sometimes a year before – Primaries Indirect elections where registered voters choose representatives to a convention who will elect which party member to run under party’s name in general election Representatives are generally (but not always) bound (pledged) to vote for a particular candidate Closed Primaries (most common) – only registered party members can vote Open Primaries – any registered voter can vote, but they can only vote in one party primary

8. – Caucuses (11 states) Meetings that occur at precincts and involve discussion of each party's platform and issues such as voter turnout in addition to voting (often by public declaration) – Earliest are traditionally in New Hampshire and Iowa (January of election year) Early primaries provide momentum; significant campaigning State movement to get early primaries – Front-loading – Strong challenge to incumbents are rare – Criticism of primary system Leads to nomination of candidates from political margins Too much power for few early states

9. Presidential primary winner chooses vice president and runs alongside him/her Role of Presidential Conventions – Four-day events; managed for television – Party platform adopted (relatively meaningless document) – Candidate nominated – based on delegates elected in primaries / caucuses (specific allocation varies) Little controversy in recent years, but used to be controversies; backroom dealing – Widely publicized speeches from party leaders – Republicans: Tampa, week of Aug. 27, 2012 – Democrats: Charlotte, week of Sep. 3, 2012

10. Presidential campaigning – Campaign tours – Endorsements – Role of advertisements – Role of televised debates Important in both primaries and general election Starting 1960 (Kennedy – Nixon) Large viewership; major impact on election (or at least election polls) – Role of media Polling and focus groups

11. Electoral College System – Origins in Constitutional federalism compromise – Each state has group of electors based on number of Senators (2) plus number of Representatives (based on population): http://wapedia.mobi/thumb/9ac5499/en/fixed/470/272/Ele ctoralCollege2012.svg?format=jpg http://wapedia.mobi/thumb/9ac5499/en/fixed/470/272/Ele ctoralCollege2012.svg?format=jpg States have winner takes all system (except for Maine and Nebraska) 538 total electors (270 votes win) House of Reps decides a tie – Electors now vote with popular vote of the state (almost always), but no legal requirement to do so – Electors meet in December; President inaugurated on January 20 (Inauguration Day)

12. Criticisms – Undemocratic Doesn’t matter if you win state by a small or large margin Popular vote winner can lose presidency (and this has happened, most recently in 2000) Favors states with small (largely white/rural/republican) populations – Wyoming has a population of 493,782 and 3 EC votes, 164,594 people per EC vote – California has a population of 33,871,648 and 55 EC votes, 615,848 people per EC vote

13. Concentrates campaigning (and policy favors) in a few swing states (i.e., Florida; Ohio; Pennsylvania) – Or even swing districts Reduces democratic involvement in non-swing states (i.e., California; New York; Texas and South) Winner takes all system makes it hard for third parties to gain influence – Reform? National Popular Vote Interstate Compact? Fundamental structural reform only possible by Constitutional Amendment – ¾ of States would have to approve; unrealistic as many States benefit from current system

14. Campaign Finance – 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act Requirement to publicly disclose source of funds and how they are spent Later amended to limit amounts of individual and PAC contributions and create Federal Election Commission to oversee campaign financing – "Hard" money is contributed directly to a candidate of a political party (maximum $2500). – "Soft" money is contributed to the political party as a whole. – Limits to expenditures by candidates have been invalidated on First Amendment (freedom of speech) grounds. – Political Action Committees (PACs) – Increased prominence of rich and super-rich candidates – Increased influence of lobbyists and interest groups Unions Corporations Special interest groups

15. Contemporary issues – Role of internet and new media – Increased polarization of parties Tea Partiers – Increased cost of elections Overall spending in 2012 Presidential election expected to top $8 billion.