Starter Questions (1 paragraph
response)…
 First, let me say that the postings for the Current Events wiki look
good. I am waiting to make comments until later this weekend
when you have responded to your classmates postings.
 . Now for the starter... You need to write an answer to only one
starter. (1) If you watched Romney's speech last night, take a copy
of "Analysis: Romney Speech...". Either refute that article OR
provide your own evaluation of the speech. (2) If you didn't, please
take a copy of Clint Eastwood articles (1 & 2)
 When celebrity endorsements are promoted, what risks do the
politician and celebrity face? How is that risk different from an
endorsement agreement between a celebrity and corporation?
Voting, Campaigns, and
Elections
By Mr. Miguel
Academy of Our Lady of Guam
Overview
 What the founders were thinking when they established a role for
elections, and the potential roles that elections can play in a
democracy
 Americans’ ambivalence about the vote and the reasons that only
about half of the citizenry even bother to exercise what is supposed
to be a precious right
 How voters go about making decisions, and how this in turn
influences the character of presidential elections
 The organizational and strategic aspects of running for the
presidency
 What election means for citizens
Consider this...
 Was the United States in a constitutional crisis in the 2000
Florida election?
 Had the will of the people been thwarted?
 Could the new president – whoever it may be – govern
effectively under such dim circumstances?
 Are elections a state matter? Should they be turned over to
the national government?
 Is the electoral college merely an arcane institution that
needs to be replaced?
The Founder’s Intentions
 Selection of Leaders
 Policy Direction
 Citizen Development
The Function of
Elections
 Informing the Public
 Containing Conflict
 Legitimization and System
Stability
Selection of Leaders
John Stuart Mill
 “the natural tendency of
representative government…is
toward collective mediocrity;
and this tendency is increased
by all reductions and
extensions of the franchise,
their effect being to place the
principal power in the hands of
classes more and more below
the highest level of instruction
in the community”
The Truth?
 Process scares off candidates
 Elections ONLY ensure the
leader chosen = most popular
on ballot
Policy Direction
 We do note vote on
policies
 How responsive are they to
our interests?
 *elections speed up the
process by which changes
in public preferences are
translated into policy
Citizen Development
 Passive -> Active
 Political efficacy: citizens
feelings of effectiveness in
political affairs
Informing the Public
Containing Conflict
Legitimization and System Stability
 Age
 Gender
 Income
Exercising the Right
to Vote in America
Who votes and who doesn’t?
 Education
 Race and Ethnicity
 Summary:
 Wealthy, college- educated,
older whites voted at a rate
of 95% in 2004
 whereas poor, young,
minority group members
who went no further than
high school estimated at
54%
 Legal Obstacles
 Attitude Changes
 Voter Mobilization
Why Don’t People
Vote?
 Decrease in Social
Connectedness
 Generational Changes
 The Rational Nonvoter
Legal Obstacles
 Registration
 Quantity of Elections
 National Elections to be held on a Tuesday
 Why no changes?
 Legal Obstacles
 Attitude Changes
 Psychological orientation
 Partisanship
Why Don’t People
Vote?
 Voter Mobilization
 Ineffectiveness; negativity
 Decrease in Social
Connectedness
 Generational Changes
 The Rational Nonvoter
Decrease in Social Connectedness
Generational Changes
The Rational Non-voter
 Why does anyone vote?
 Definition: the benefits of an action outweigh the costs
 Is that true of voting?
 What are the benefits?
Does Non-Voting Matter
Question
 Would election outcomes
would be different if
nonvoters were to
participate? Do higher levels
of nonvoting indicate that
democracy is not healthy?
Consequences for…
 Election Outcomes
 More support for democrats?
 Democracy
 Non-voting can influence the
stability and legitimacy of
democratic government
 Sometimes, as little as 25%
of eligible electorate may
have voted for the winner
Essential Questions
 Are we being properly representative?
 Why are the voting turnout rates so low?
 How can we fix it? Is it necessary to fix it?
 Partisanship and Social
Group Membership
 Gender, Race, and
Ethnicity
How the Voter
Decides
 Issues and Policy
 The Candidates
Partisanship and Group Membership
 Party Identification
 Usually stable and long term
 Carries from one election to another
 Strong direct influence on voting decisions
 Unusual conditions can prompt change
 JFK in 1960s
Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
 Unclear
 Gender Gap
 Women tend to support Dem.
 Married women = more conservative than single women
 African Americans
 Since Civil Rights movement – 90% Democrat
 Ethnicity = less predictive than race as it differs from state to
stae
Issues and Policy
 Ideal Citizen: Well informed, highly attentive, analytial,
casitng votes for the candidate who BEST represents their
preferred policy solutions
 BUT, we know…Americans generally do not fit this model
 Role of Issues
 People are busy
 People know where they stand on issues
 Media is not as substantive as it should be
Issues and Policy
Prospective Voting
 PV = voters base their
decisions on what will happen
in the future if they vote for a
candidate
Retrospective Voting
 RV = casting votes as signs of
approval or to signal their
desire for change
Voters decide partly on what candidates promise to do and partly on what incumbents
have done
Candidates
 Public Image
 Stance on issues
 Other qualities
 Obama
 Experience – 54% McCain
 Theme – 54% Obama
 Temperament - 55% Obama
 Optimism – 62% Obama
Summary: voters come to a conclusion through a mix of
partisan considerations, membership in social groups,
policy information, and candidate image