1. Voting, Campaigns, Campaign Finances, Media and Interest Groups

2. “Let us never forget that government is ourselves
“Let us never forget that government is ourselves. The ultimate rulers of our democracy …are the voters of this country.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

3. A right and a responsibility of citizenship.
VOTING
A right and a responsibility of citizenship.

4. VOTING: QUALIFICATIONS
18 years old
U.S. Citizen
State Resident
Mentally Competent
Not a convicted felon

5. VOTING: REGISTRATION Must register 20 days before the election at: DMV
Registrar’s Office
Mail in Application

6. VOTING: PARTICIPATION
Increased turn-out in Presidential Elections
Participation more likely:
Education
Age
Income

7. VOTING: NON VOTERS Lack Interest Forget to register
Not informed on issues
Participation less likely:
Income
Age
Education

8. VOTING: MAIN IDEA
Qualified citizens have a responsibility of stay informed about campaign issues and exercise their right to vote.

9. Voting: Absentee For people who can not get to voting booths
Request form prior to Election Day
Mailed in and counted on Election Day

10. Voting: Why your vote matters!!
Stay informed!
Separate fact from fiction
Gives you a chance to choose your government leaders
Express/voice your opinion
Elect new leaders

11. Election Campaigns General Election:
* First Tuesday after the first Monday of November
* All seats in H.O.R. and 1/3rd of Senate are up
* Every 4 years
* Ballot can include governor, state legislatures, county government, local offices

12. Presidential Elections
3 steps:
Nominations of Candidates
Campaign
Vote

13. Presidential Election: Nomination
Campaigns start a year or so before election
National conventions held Summer before election
Today, used to kick off the campaign and rally party members

14. Presidential Elections: Campaign
Travel giving speeches, appearing on T.V., news conferences
Debates!

15. Presidential Elections: Vote
Electoral College
Person who wins the popular vote, wins the states Electoral Votes (winner-take-all system)

16. ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The President and the Vice President are elected by a majority vote in the Electoral College.

17. # of electoral votes in each state
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Each state has the same number of electors as it does Congress Members
# of Senators +
# of Representatives =
__________________
# of electoral votes in each state

18. ELECTORAL COLLEGE 538 Total Electoral Votes
270 Electoral votes needed to win the election

19. WHY ELECTORAL COLLEGE Why do we need electors?
What made the framers of the Constitution create this system for the election of the President and Vice-President?
WHY
Why do we need electors?

20. Electoral College Why we need it??
* Compromise between founding fathers
* To have each state legislatures choose presidential electors
* Popular vote chooses who will receive electoral votes

21. How to balance power between the large and small states?
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Representation
Question for the framers:
How to balance power between the large and small states?
Result: Electoral votes for each state are determined by population

22. ELECTORAL COLLEGE Fear
Issue for the framers: People are not educated enough to make a good decision.
Result: Electors who were educated about the process would make the official vote.

23. ELECTORAL COLLEGE Knowledge
Issue for the framers:
Voters do not know about candidates from other states.
Result: Using electors would keep people from only voting for candidates from their state.

24. ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Electoral College
The President and the Vice President are elected by a majority vote in the electoral college.
Each state has the same number of electors as it does Congress Members
# of Senators +
# of Representatives =
____________________
# of electoral votes in each state

25. Process ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Each party picks electors who promise to vote for their party’s candidate.
Popular vote: first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

26. Electoral Vote: December
Winner take all system
The candidate with most votes in a state wins all of the electoral votes for that state.
Electoral Vote: December
Electors cast the official votes for President and Vice President.

27. Effect of the Electoral College on Campaigns
Candidates concentrate on states with more electoral votes (California, New York)
Small states can make the difference in close elections
Favors a 2-party system
It is possible to tie (269 electoral votes each)

28. A TIE!!! What if… no candidate receives 270 votes?
House of Representatives selects the President
Senate
selects the Vice President

30. Electoral College Schoolhouse Rock-Electoral College
Schoolhouse Rock-Electoral College

31. Campaign Financing
Canvassing: Political party members going door to door asking for votes or taking polls

32. Campaign Financing
Endorsements: Famous and popular person supports or campaigns for a candidate
Point= If people like the person who is making the endorsements, people might vote for the candidate as well

33. Campaign Financing
Campaign Expenses: T.V. ads cost tens of thousands of $$
-Airfare and other transportation
-Salaries of staff members
-Fees
-Computer, television, phone, postage, printing costs

34. Financing a Campaign
*Congress placed control on campaign financing after 1970
Law required:
Public disclosure of each candidate’s spending
established federal funding of presidential elections
tried to limit how much individuals and groups could spend

35. Financing a Campaign Public Funding:
* Presidential Campaign Fund= allows taxpayers to donate $3 of their federal income tax return to go to the fund.
* Presidential candidates can qualify to get some of this money to campaign in primary elections if they have raised $100,000 on their own

36. Financing a Campaign Private Funding:
* Private sources provide campaign funds and include individual citizens, party organizations, and corporations, special interest groups (labor unions) donate funds to candidates
* Donations given to political parties and note designated for a particular candidate’s election campaign = SOFT MONEY
*Soft Money must be used for general purposes – voter registration, direct mailings, or advertisements

37. Gives an advantage to rich people$
Rising Campaign Costs
Lots of fund raising by candidates and parties
Gives an advantage to rich people
Limits opportunities to run for office.

38. Limits opportunities to run for office.
Interest Groups have more power
Encourage PACs
Campaign Finance Reform
Rising campaign costs have led to efforts to reform campaign finance laws. Limits exist on the amount individuals may contribute to political candidates and campaigns.

40. Political Action Committees
PACs
Political Action Committees
Established to raise money to support an issue or candidate

41. Political Action Committees
PACs are the political branch of a special interest group.
PACs raise voluntary donations of money from people who agree with their cause.
They give money to elections campaigns of people they support and to the political party that will work for their goals.

42. PAC’s give their soft money to INCUMBENTS (politicians who have already been elected to office)
* Result: lawmakers were reluctant to change the rules in ways that could help their opponents in the next election

44. Financing a Campaign Running for office is expensive!

46. How does campaign financing work??!

47. The Role of the Media in Elections

48. MEDIA
T.V.
Radio
Newspapers
Internet

49. Role of the Media in Elections
The editorial section of the newspaper, a televised debate or T.V. program can provide candidates and experts a way to present opposing viewpoints on the issues.
Air Different Points of View

50. Role of the Media in Elections
Call Attention to Important Issues
By printing articles or airing stories about a particular issue, the media is able to create interest in a topic where none existed.

51. Role of the Media in Elections
Identify candidates & their platforms (stand/opinion on the issues)
Government officials and candidates use the media to communicate
with the public.

52. How can voters evaluate speeches, literature and advertisements for accuracy?
BY:
Separating fact from opinion
Detecting bias
Evaluating sources of information
Identifying propaganda

53. Throughout media, we see things like:

54. “Candidate Roberts is corrupt and caters to special interest groups.”
Name Calling
“Candidate Roberts is corrupt and caters to special interest groups.”
Use of an unpleasant label or description to harm an opposing candidate.

55. Name Calling

56. “Vote for Hillary Clinton, who understands the problems of Florida.”
Plain Folks Appeal
“Vote for Hillary Clinton, who understands the problems of Florida.”
Candidates describe themselves as regular people; average, hard working citizens.

57. Plain Folks Appeal

58. Public Policy
How individuals, interest groups and the media influence the actions of the government.

59. What influences people’s opinions??
Family & Friends
Media (Print and T.V.)
Importance

60. Why might a group have more influence than an individual?
Louder Voice
More $
Represent more people

61. The actions of the government as they deal with the issues of the day.
Public Policy
The actions of the government as they deal with the issues of the day.

62. Ways that individuals influence public policy.
Voting
Being informed
Participating in politics
Expressing opinions:
* Letters to politicians
* Demonstrating
Campaigning
Lobbying
Joining interest groups

63. Ways that groups influence public policy.
Interest Groups: organizations that seek to influence government policy
Identify and publicize issues
Offer different viewpoints
Lobby- seeking to influence legislators to introduce legislation or to vote for or against a bill.
Donate $

64. -Vary in size, goals and budget
Interest Groups
Interest groups:
-Vary in size, goals and budget
-Attempt to influence both the government and public opinion
-Hire lobbyists to represent their interests
An interest group is a structured organization of people with shared attitudes who attempt to influence public policy.

67. Public Policy is influenced by:
Individuals
Interest Groups
Media
Vote
campaign
Keep informed
Express Opinions by:
-Writing letters to politicians
-Demonstrating
-Lobbying
Join interest groups
Identify and publicize issues
Offer different viewpoints
Lobby
Donate Money $$$
Draws attention to issues
Shows different views on issues
Holds candidates accountable
Allows officials to communicate with citizens

68. Influencing Government: Lobbyists
Lobbyist: Representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making
 Persuade government officials to support their interest groups policies
 Give important information to lawmakers (suggest solutions for problems and issues) Draft their own bills for lawmakers
 Concerned with making sure laws are carried out, enforced, and upheld in court

70. Initiative- a way a citizen can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments
Citizens will get qualified voters to sign a petition. If enough people sign the proposed law, PROPOSITION, is put on the ballot at the next general election.
Referendum- a way for citizens to approve or reject a state or local law.
-Citizens have the right to have a law referred (sent back) to voters for their approval at the next general election.

71. Another type of special election is called a RECALL
* citizens vote to to remove a public official from office
*Starts with a petition and can recall an official because they do not like his or her position on issues or because the official has been charged with wrongdoing.

72. Straight-Ticket: When a citizen votes for all republican or democratic candidates on a ballot.
Returns: Ballots and results of an election
Butterfly: A ballot that has candidates and issues on both sides and it separated by the numbered marks to punch down the middle.