Suffrage- Securing the Right to
Vote – A Brief History)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4iTZrbxdeI
Voting and Voter Turnout
World’s Election Turnout
Why People Don’t Vote
Philosophical Sides
A huge army of nonvoters, “hangs over the
democratic process like a bomb ready to explode
and change the course of history.”
-Arthur Hadley
“I’m not going to shed any crocodile tears if people
don’t care enough to vote….I’d be extremely happy
if nobody in the United States voted except for the
people who thought about the issues and made up
their own minds and wanted to vote.”
- the late Senator Sam Ervin
Purposes of Elections
Select policymakers and staff the
government
– Ensures accountability to the electorate
– Promotes ethical behavior and attention to
public opinion
Sets agenda for policy and shapes
public policy
– Linkage Institution
– Reelection = confirmation of policy ideas
Confer legitimacy on governments
– Popular Sovereignty  political power is
derived directly from the people (Consent of
the governed)
Presidential Elections
Stage 1: The Nomination
Nomination- Party’s official
endorsement of a candidate
3 M’s to win
– Money
– Media Attention
• Candidate Centered Campaigns
• Horserace Journalism
– Momentum
Presidential Elections
Stage 1: The Nomination
Campaigning begins well before any
declaration of candidacy, as candidates try
to
– line up supporters to win caucuses or
primaries in key states
– raise money for their nomination effort
Kansas Republicans will send 40 delegates
to the GOP national convention in
Cleveland, Ohio. It will take 1,144 delegates
to win the party's nomination.
Presidential Elections:
Nominating Process
Primary Elections
– Open Primaries  party members, independents, and
members of other party can participate
– Closed Primaries  only registered voters of party are
allowed to participate
Caucuses
– Some states use this this system instead of primaries because
it is cheaper including KS.
• States pay for primary elections but parties pay for caucus
– Seen by many as “un-democratic” due to lack of participation
among “regular” party members
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XebP6GSy
_6I
Presidential Elections:
Nominating Process
Front-Loading states choosing
an early date on the primary
schedule
Advantage to the “front-runner”
(Big Mo)
Iowa – Jan 18, 2016
New Hampshire- Jan 26, 2016
Kansas Caucus March 5th 2016
Presidential Elections:
Nominating Process
Criticisms of current nominating
system:
– Disproportionate influence to early
states (35% of all election coverage on
NH and IA = only 2% of delegates!)
– “Hype” and coverage surrounding the
winners/losers is out of proportion to
entirety of the race
– Low voter participation (15-20% eligible
voters)
Presidential Elections
Stage 2: Convention
National Party
Convention
(Summer before
election)
A national meeting of
delegates selected in
primaries, caucuses, and
conventions who assemble
every four years to
nominate candidates for
president and vicepresident, ratify the party
platform, elect party
officers, and adopt rules.
Presidential Elections
Stage 2: Convention
Party Conventions
– Serve 3 general purposes:
• Endorsement of president and vicepresidential candidates
• Endorse and/or change the party’s platform
• Raise voter awareness about the party
– Selection of delegates primarily done
through primary/caucus season
• Superdelegates  elected officials, national
party officers
– Designed to exercise some control over the
nominating process by the party
Presidential Elections
Stage 3: The General Election
Campaign
Strategies
– Party
Centered
– Issue
Oriented
– Candidate
Centered
“Presidential debates
give candidates an
opportunity to show
how quickly and
accurately they can
respond to questions
and outline their goals”
Presidential Elections
Stage 3: The General Election
Electoral College
- Representatives + Senators= # of electoral votes per state
- 538 total electoral votes
- Unfaithful Electors
- 270 to win
- What if no majority?
- Winner take all system (Effects)
- Swing states
- Large States
- Urban Areas
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468
Straight ticket vs Split Ticket
Voting
Campaign Strategies
– Party Centered
– Issue Oriented
– Candidate Centered
Congressional Elections:
Incumbency Advantage
Incumbents
have a strong
advantage when
seeking
reelection
–Name recognition
–“Scare-off” Effect
–Campaign
contributions
–Resources of
office/Staff Support
–Media and Travel
–Redistricting –
“Gerrymandering”
Congressional Elections:
Incumbency Advantage
How do we
attempt to counter
the forces of
incumbency
advantage?
Redistricting
efforts
Presidential
Coattails
– Popular OR
unpopular president
Democratic +7
-3
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Democratic +24
-2
1948
Harry S. Truman
Democratic +75
+9
1952
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican +22
+1
1956
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican -2
-1
1960
John F. Kennedy
Democratic -22
+2
1964
Lyndon B. Johnson
Democratic +37
+1
1968
Richard Nixon
Republican +5
+6
1972
Richard Nixon
Republican +12
-2
1976
Jimmy CarterDemocratic +1
0
1980
Ronald Reagan
Republican +34
+12
1984
Ronald Reagan
Republican +14
-2
1988
George Bush Republican -2
0
1992
William J. Clinton
Democratic -10
0
1996
William J. Clinton
Democratic -9
-2
2000
George W. Bush
Republican -3
-4
2004
George W. Bush
Republican +3
+4
2008
Barack Obama
Democratic +23
+8
2012
Barack Obama
Democratic +8
+1
1944
“Riding the Coattails”
President’s party
almost always
gains seat during
their 1st Election
President’s party
usually gains seats
during 2nd election
Congressional Elections- Midterms
President’s party
usually loses
Congressional
seats during
the midterm
election
Campaign Finance
Super Pacs (Tom Richey)https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=kcnkgDHU9I8