Nominations and
Campaigns
Chapter 9
The Nomination Game

Nomination:
– The official endorsement of a candidate for
office by a political party. Generally, success
requires momentum, money, and media
attention.

Campaign Strategy:
– The master plan candidates lay out to guide
their electoral campaign.
The Nomination Game

Deciding to Run
– Campaigns are physically and emotionally
taxing.
– Other countries have short campaigns generally less than 2 months.
– U.S. campaigns (especially for President) can
last 18 months or more.
The Nomination Game

Competing for Delegates
– The Caucus Road
 Caucus: Meetings of state party leaders. Used to
selected delegates.
 Now organized like a pyramid from local precincts
to the state’s convention.
 Not used by many states.
 Iowa’s is first and considered the most important.
The Nomination Game

Competing for Delegates
– The Primary Road
 Primary: Elections in which voters choose the
nominee or delegates pledged to the nominee.
 Started by turn of the century reformers.
 Most states use one of the forms of a primary.
 Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold
primaries early- New Hampshire is first.
 Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.
McGovern-Fraser Commission
 McGovern-Fraser Commission led to selection of
delegates through primary elections
– After the 1968 Democratic National Convention
– Had the responsibility to make the convention delegates
more representative of the people, women, minorities,
young people
– Superdelegates: Democratic leaders (governors,
congressmen, party leaders) who automatically get a
delegate slot. To add some peer review of the delegates
choice.
The Nomination Game

Competing for Delegates
– Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System
 Disproportionate attention to the early ones.
 Prominent politicians find it difficult to make time
to run.
 Money plays too big a role.
 Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and
unrepresentative. 5% caucus 20% primary
 The system gives too much power to the media.
The Nomination Game

The Inflated Importance of Iowa and New Hampshire (Figure
9.1)
The Nomination Game

The Convention Send-off
– Once provided great drama, but now they are
a basic formality - which means less TV time.
– Are still important to the party to get
organized and motivated.
– Party platform: Statement of its goals and
policies and general beliefs.
– Official nominations and candidate speeches.
The Vice President
Chosen by roll call vote on the last day
 Custom dictates that delegates simply
vote whom ever the presidential nominee
recommends.
 Often announced way before the
convention to balance the ticket.

The Nomination Game

The Declining Coverage of Conventions on Network TV (Figure
9.2)
The Campaign Game

The High-Tech Media Campaign
– Direct mail used to generate support and
money for the candidate
– Get media attention through ad budget and
“free” coverage
– http://www.nbc.com/saturday_night_live/
– Emphasis on “marketing” a candidate
– News focuses on strategies and events, not
on policies
The Campaign Game

Organizing the Campaign
– Get a campaign manager
– Get a fund-raiser & counsel
– Hire media and campaign consultants
– Assemble staff / plan the logistics
– Get research staff, policy advisors & pollsters
– Get a good press secretary
– Establish a web site
– http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
– hppt://www.johnmccain.com/
Money and Campaigning

The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms
– Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)
 Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer campaign
finance laws for federal elections
 Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund $3 check-off
 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf?portlet=3
 Provided partial public financing for presidential primaries
– Matching funds: $5000 in 20 states -- Contributions of up to $250 are matched
for candidates who meet conditions, such as limiting spending. Many are now
choosing to forgo matching funds so they do not have to limit campaign
expenditures.
 Congressional Candidates receive no federal monies
 Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general
election
–
2008 spending limits $84 million per major candidate
 Required full disclosure and limited contributions approx. $2000
 Buckley v. Valeo struck down the limits on a person spending his own
money.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REFORM
OR
“MONEY,MONEY WHOSE GOT THE
MONEY”
1970s WATERGATE
Annenberg Syndrome
 Hoffa and the Unions
 Corporate Donations
 Untraceable Donations

Campaign Finance Act of 1974
Resolutions
Or
Loopholes
CFRA
PERSONAL DONATIONS
+All donations over $100 must be
documented with name, address and
occupation of donor
+All donations over $100.00 must be
reported to a Federal Elections
Commission
+No CASH donations over $100.00
PERSONAL DONATIONS

+Personal donations are limited to $1,000
per candidate per election.
CFRA
CANDIDATES MONEY
+Candidates have a limit placed on their
own personal money.
CFRA
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN FUND
+The federal government will pay the entire
cost of a candidates election (up to the
legal limit). The candidate may NOT use
other donated money once the federal
funds are accepted
CFRA
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FUND
+Matching funds in presidential election
primaries.
Candidates can get a federal match for
donations of $250 or less. The candidate
must $5,000 in each of 20 states from
donations of $250 or less.
CFRA
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
+Unions and others may create PACs to
donate. Donations are limited to $5,000
or less per candidate per election per year.
PACs formed by unions or associations may
not use dues but may create a separate
donation system.
PROBLEMS
OR
LOOPHOLES
Buckley v. Valeo
A candidates personal money is not subject
to regulation. Using it in the candidates
campaign is an act of free speech.
PAC proliferation
Example:
NEA $5,000
UEA $5,000
FEA $5,000
Each separate district $5,000
Any one can form a PAC
INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Private persons can use unlimited money to
finance election campaigns. They can not
work with, for or in union with a
candidate. They must be truly
independent.
SOFT MONEY
+No limit on money given to political parties
+Money from person to party to candidate
is untraceable
ABUSES
Doles doggies
 Clintons kids
 Soft Money and the Lincoln Bedroom
 Others?

MC CAIN – FEINGOLD
+Personal Contributions over $100.00
No change
+Personal Contributions raised to $2000.00
+PACs no change
+Unions and Corporations can not donate to
parties (Soft money)
+Soft money is banned
continued
Parties may use donated money to
+get out the vote
+conduct issue campaigns
+VOTE FOR the party campaigns

more

Independent expenditures still unlimited
but may not run with in 60 days of a
general election and 30 days of a primary
Soft Money


Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party
activities, such as get-out-the vote drives, but not on behalf of a
specific candidate. Money that could be spent by the party for
generic advertising and no limits on contributions.
Campaign Finance Reform Act 2002 (McCain/Feingold)
– Banned soft money and increased individual contributions to $2000
– Corporations, labor unions, trade associations and non profit
organizations can not use their own money to refer to a clearly
identified federal candidate in any advertisement during the 60 days
prior to a general election.
– 527 organizations
 Organizations that under section 527 of the IRS code, raise and spend
money to advance political causes – they can spend money on politics so
long as they do not coordinate with a candidate or lobby directly for that
person. No restrictions on amounts.
 http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/outside_groups/brave_new_films/
 In 2004 these groups spent $424 million.
Political Action Committee PAC
A PAC is formed when a business association or
some other interest group decides to contribute
to candidates they believe will support their
goals – they must register with the FEC
 Must have at least fifty members (all who enroll
voluntarily)
 And must not give more than $5,000 to any one
candidate nor more than 15,000 to a political
party.

Money and Campaigning

The Proliferation of PACs
– Political Action Committees (PACs): created by law in
1974 to allow corporations, labor unions and other
interest groups to donate money to campaigns; PACs
are registered with and monitored by the FEC.
– As of 2006 there were 4,217 PACs.
– PACs contributed over $288.6 million to congressional
candidates in 2004.
– PACs donate to candidates who support their issue.
– PACs do not “buy” candidates, but give to candidates
who support them in the first place.
– PACs are buying access
Money and Campaigning
Money and Campaigning
Are Campaigns Too Expensive?
 Americans spend about $2 billion every four
years in local state and national elections.

– Fund raising takes up lots of time.
– The closer the race, the more money is needed.
– Incumbents do worse when they spend more money
because they need it when they face tough
challengers.
– The doctrine of sufficiency suggests that candidates
need just “enough” money to win.
The Impact of Campaigns

Campaigns have three effects on voters:
– Reinforcement, Activation, Conversion

Mostly, they only reinforce & activate
– Selective perception: pay attention to things
we agree with.
– Party identification still has an affect
– Incumbents start with a substantial advantage
Understanding Nominations and
Campaigns

Are Nominations and Campaigns Too
Democratic?
– Campaigns are open to almost everyone
– But they consume much time and money
– Campaigns promote individualism in American politics

Do Big Campaigns Lead to an Increased Scope
of Government?
– Candidates make numerous promises, especially to
state and local interests.
– Hard for politicians to promise to make government
cuts.