1. CAUCUSES AND PRIMARIES

2. Background McGovern-Fraser Commission
Response to a tumultuous 1968 DNC
Demands for better representation average citizens could be delegates

3. Primaries & Caucuses Primary Caucus Increased use in last 30 years
Voters vote for candidates and state parties select delegates to attend Nat’l Convention
Run by STATE
Local precinct caucus  county convention  state convention  nat’l convention
Each level selects delegates to attend higher level
Run by PARTY

4. Types of Primaries Closed Open Blanket Format used in most states
Independents may vote
Pretty much anything goes!
Only registered party members can vote for partisan offices
Ballot of any one party the voter wants
Independents can vote
Crossing party lines allowed
Voters can “mix and match”/split-ticket
No crossing party lines!
Trend is favoring open primaries
Danger of “raid”

5. Iowa Caucuses First test of a candidates-vote getting ability
Media frenzy!
Narrows the field of viable candidates
Momentum!
Iowa Caucus explained
Inside the caucus

8. What do we have in Washington?
For state elections (and most other positions):
Top 2 primary
Voters don’t have to declare party affiliation (open)
System was changed by initiative passed in 2004, upheld by SCOTUS
For Presidential election:
Closed primary + caucusing (D)
Closed primary (R)

10. “Frontloading”
States move up their primaries to capitalize on the media attention
Delegates choose candidates within weeks of the Iowa caucus and NH primary
Potential problems:
Rush to judgement
Late primaries are irrelevant

13. Evaluating the system Disproportionate attention goes to early states
Prominent politicians find it difficult to take time out to run
Money plays too big a role
Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative
Too much power to the media: HORSERACE!

14. Turn and talk
Are there any solutions to the problems presented by the primary system?
Does it need to be reformed?

15. PATH TO THE PRESIDENCY

17. National Convention Selection of presidential nominee
Nominee is candidate that wins a majority of party delegates
Mere formality
More about the image

19. National Convention Selection of vice president
Chosen by nominee and “stamped” by convention
“Balancing the ticket”

20. National Convention Development of party platform
Reconciliation & unification

21. Analysis of nominating system
PRO
CON
Highly participatory (or at least lots of opportunity)
Highly representative
Testing ground for candidates
Low rates of turnout
Too lengthy
Does not test qualities needed to be President
Too much of a media game
Frontloading
Voters in primaries tend to be better educated & more affluent then general election
Delegates are unrepresentative

22. After the nomination… Fall campaigning Election Day
Meeting of the Electors
Formal election
Inauguration Day

23. Voter Turnout & Voting Behavior

24. Factors Affecting Voting Behavior
What do we already know about who votes? Who votes for which party?
Predict: What the number one predictor of whether someone votes or not?

25. Factors Affecting Voting Behavior
Geography
Solid South
Great Plains
Rocky Mtn. region
New England
Great Lakes region
Far West

26. Factors Affecting Voting Behavior
Presence of a strong candidate
Time—maintaining, deviating, critical, midterm
Party identification
Demographic factors—sex, race, socioeconomic status, religion
Issues
Candidate appeal

29. Does low voter turnout matter?

30. Voter Turnout Current qualifications Citizenship Residency Age
Historical qualifications for suffrage
Current qualifications
Religion (state leg)
Property (state leg)
Race (15th Amendment)
Sex (19th Amendment)
Income (24th Amendment—poll tax)
Literacy (Voting Rights Act of 1965)
Minimum age of 21 (26th Amendment)
Citizenship
Residency
Age
Registration (in all states except ND)
And other state to state laws…

31. Voter turnout in the U.S. About 50-60% in presidential elections
30%-40% in midterm congressional elections
Even lower in state/local elections
Steady decline since 1960
How does this compare to other industrialized nations?
As high as 90%
Multi-party systems
Automatic or same-day registration
Compulsion penalties

32. Recent Turnout 2016: 139 million votes 2012: 130 million votes cast
60.2% of eligible voters
2012: 130 million votes cast
58.6% of eligible voters
2008: 132 million votes cast
62.2% of eligible voters

34. Reasons for low voter turnout
Institutional barriers
Registration
Easing or eliminating would add about 9%
Motor Voter Act (1993)
Ballot fatigue
Excessive number of elections & offices
Type of election
Difficulties obtaining absentee ballots
Young vote
Political reasons
And…why do we vote on a Tuesday?!?

36. PATH TO THE PRESIDENCY
Electoral College

39. Rationale
Poor communication—common people would lack essential information
Desire to have the “best” people to select president
Compromise between direct election and Congress selection

40. Allotment of Electoral Votes
Each state has as many electoral votes as it has members in Congress
Minimum—3 votes
Total 538 votes (3 votes to DC)
California has highest number—55

42. Selection of Electors
Each party develops a “slate” of electors prior to election

43. Winning Electoral Votes
Candidate with most popular votes (plurality) wins all the state’s electoral votes (winner-take-all)
Concentration of campaigning in large, competitive states (battleground/swing states)
Electors meet in December to cast ballots

44. Winning the Election Majority of electoral votes 270 to win
If no candidate has the majority
House selects from top 3 candidates
Each state has one vote
Senate selects vice pres. from top 2 candidates

45. Criticisms
President can be elected with a plurality, not a majority, of popular votes
Possibility of minority president
1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, 2016
“Faithless electors”—no law that requires electors to vote the way they are supposed to
Small states are proportionately overrepresented
And WAY overrepresented if decision goes to the House
Inhibits development of third parties
(Clip)

46. Alternatives Direct election—one person, one vote
District system (Maine & Nebraska)
Proportional system—candidate gets same % of electoral votes as popular vote
Keep electoral votes, but abolish electors

47. So why hasn’t the EC been abolished?
Tradition!
Difficulties in amending the Constitution
Opposition from overrepresented small states

48. CAMPAIGN FINANCE

49. Federal Election Campaign Act
Passed in 1974, post-Watergate
Established Federal Elections Commission (F.E.C.)
Bipartisan (3 R’s, 3 D’s)
All candidates must disclose contributions & expenditures
First limits on individual contributions
Regulations on political action committees (PAC’s)
Candidates can receive federal subsidies but are subject to spending limits

50. Hard $ vs. Soft $ Hard money = Federal (regulated) money
$ contributed directly to a candidate of a political party
Soft money = Non-federal money
$ to parties for “party building” activities

51. Contributions & Expenditures

52. Campaign Contributions
Donations made directly to a candidate or campaign
Individuals can donate:
$2,500 to a candidate
$5,000 to a PAC
PACs can donate:
$5,000 to a candidate
$15,000 to a party
All disclosed to the F.E.C

53. Independent Expenditures
Expenses made on behalf of a “political message” but not directly coordinated with a campaign

54. 527 groups Non-profit, tax-exempt
Can not make a clear political endorsement
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth:
Remember the Mankha Dhingra ads? Republican State Leadership Committee 
Unlimited contributions
Disclosed to IRS

55. 501(c) groups & Super PAC’s
Unlimited contributions
Donors undisclosed
Cannot spend more than half their funds on political activities
Unlimited contributions
Can advocate for a specific candidate but can’t be coordinated
Donations are disclosed to F.E.C.

56. Key Laws & Cases

57. Buckley v. Valeo, 1976
CONSTITUTIONAL to limit amount of money individuals or PACs can donate to party or candidate
Struck down portions of FECA that limited the amount individuals could contribute to their own campaign
Ross Perot—60 million of his own $
Mitt Romney—44 million
Donald Trump—60 million

58. McCain-Feingold Act Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002
Attempt to limit large soft money donations
Upheld by McConnell v. FEC

59. Citizens United v. FEC, 2010
Citizens United sued for an unconstitutional restriction of free speech. Overturned parts of McCain-Feingold
Court sided with Citizens United
Money is a form of speech
Corporations are afforded same free speech as individuals
Corporation/unions can donate unlimited amounts of $ to groups that make independent expenditures

60. Warm Up
I am a non-profit, tax-exempt group with no limits on contributions. Only half of my “mission” can be focused on campaigning. All my donors are anonymous/undisclosed.
I am a 501(c) group

61. I am an interest group that pools money from various sources and then donates it to candidates and political parties. Donors can give me up to $5,000 per year, and then I can give up to $5,000 to a candidate per election year. I am regulated by the FEC.
I am a PAC

62. I am fairly new in the world of politics and very influential
I am fairly new in the world of politics and very influential. I can advocate for a specific candidate but not give money directly to them. There are no limits on who can contribute and how much they can contribute. I am regulated by the FEC.
I am a Super PAC

63. I am a non-profit, tax-exempt group with no limits on contributions
I am a non-profit, tax-exempt group with no limits on contributions. I cannot expressly advocate for/against a specific candidate or give money to a political party. My donors will eventually be disclosed to the I.R.SFEC.
I am a 527 group

64. The Cost of Campaigns

65. Discuss

66. Do we need to reform our campaign finance system?
Split in two groups (Team A and Team B)
5 min. to compile the strongest arguments for your side
3 min. to argue your side as a group
After both sides have stated their case, you can step out of your assigned position and discuss more openly
Team A: In favor of campaign finance reform
Team B: Opposed to campaign finance reform

67. Do we need to reform our campaign finance system?
Discuss
Do we need to reform our campaign finance system?
Extension Q’s—
What should be the most pressing reform?
Should Citizens United v. FEC be overturned?
Who benefits most from our current system? Who does it hurt most?

68. 4 at a time discussion 5 chairs, never more than 4 people up front
Do we need to reform the campaign finance system? What would be the most pressing reform?
Should Citizens United v. FEC be overturned?
Who benefits most from our current system? Who does it hurt most?