1. How American Elections Work
3 types of elections:
To select party nominees (primary elections vs. caucus method)
2. To select/deselect officeholders (in general elections)
Recall (2013-CO voters recalled two state senators for supporting gun control in the state)
3. To select options on specific policies:
Initiative petition:
Voters in some states propose legislation to be voted on.
Requires a specific number of legislative signatures to be valid.
Proposition 13 in CA to reduce property taxes by 57% (1978)
Referendum:
State voters approve/disapprove of proposed legislation.
Used in the past for constitutional amendments or presently for state or local govt projects
Ex. -raise the minimum wage in AL, allow rec marijuana use in CO and WA (2014)

2. How Americans Vote: Explaining Citizens’ Decisions
Elections and the Scope of Government.
Voters feel they are sending a message to government to accomplish something and expect the government to fill the needs of the voters.
For politicians, it is a difficult balance….
Mandate Theory of Elections: The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. VS.
Independence of Judgment Theory: Politicians should make their own decisions in policy-making
Each politician must weigh his different mandates (voters, party, interest groups) and make his own decisions. He/She is the one who has to vote Yay or Nay but won’t win if too many mandates are ignored.

3. The Changing American Vote: Candidate and Issue-Centered
Party Identification vs. Non-Affiliated Voters
Historically, People have generally voted for a party whose platform they agree with.
Rise of candidate-centered politics has changed this view.
Now many voters are voting for their choice of candidate based on their responses to personal issues (leads to party dealignment)
Characteristics of each candidate have become more important than party, especially for federal offices. Party strength tends to still continue in local contests. WHY?

4. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior
Democracy and Elections
Parties can steer government only when there are noticeable policy differences between the candidates so today candidates are forced to take a clear stand in the party primaries. (GO to the WINGS and then RUN to the MIDDLE!)
Voters and Policy Voting
Basing your vote choice on issue preferences.
Candidates who vow to continue popular policies are more likely to win elections (retrospective voting).
Bad economies make politicians nervous and may encourage prospective voting.
Must know where candidates stand on issues and know the differences between candidates (has led to ambiguity among candidates in response to issues)
The press tends to focus on the “horse race” not the issues.

5. The Last Battle: The Electoral College
Electoral College actually elects the President - founders wanted him chosen by the elite of the country
How it works today:
Each state has as many electoral votes as it does Reps in HOR and US Senators.
Political Parties in each state choose the electors who will elect the President for that state (PARTISANSHIP)
Winner of popular vote typically gets ALL the Electoral College votes. (UNIT RULE)
Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states
Electors meet in December, votes are reported by the President of the Senate (US V. Pres) in January.
If no candidate gets 270 votes (a majority), the House of Representatives votes for president, with each state getting ONE vote.

6. Elections & partisan interests
1800: The First Electoral Transition of Power between Adams (Federalist) and Jefferson (Dem-Rep)
No primaries, no conventions, no speeches but newspapers were very partisan.
Campaigns focused on state legislatures - they were the ones that chose the Electoral College.
Jefferson and his running mate, Burr tied in EC throwing election into HOR where Federalists prevailed…Would Adams win even with fewer electoral votes?
After many votes in the House, power was finally transferred to Jefferson by Adams peacefully.

7. The Last Battle: The Electoral College
In 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected president despite not winning either the popular vote or the electoral vote. Despite his victories, Jackson didn’t reach the majority 131 votes needed in the Electoral College to be declared president. The decision went to the House of Representatives, which voted JQAinto the White House.
In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes won the election (by a margin of one electoral vote), but he lost the popular vote by more than 250,000 ballots to Samuel J. Tilden.
In 1888, Benjamin Harrison received 233 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland’s 168, winning the presidency. But Harrison lost the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes.
In 2000, George W. Bush was declared the winner of the general election and became the 43rd president, but he didn’t win the popular vote either. Al Gore garnered about 540,000 more votes than Bush. However, Bush won the electoral vote, 271 to 266 after winning a SCOTUS decision that voted against a recount in Florida.

8. Elections & partisan interests
: The Ratification of a Polarizing Presidency
George W. Bush became only the fourth Republican since McKinley to win a second term in (against Sen John Kerry)
The intensity of the election was in part due to the controversy of the 2000 election. (against Gore)
2004 campaign was characterized by negative campaigning. Leadership in war on terrorism and “moral values” proved to be the key issues.
HOWEVER, this began the current period of polarized parties within Congress and between Congress and the Exec. Branch…resulted in lack of gov action and laws.