Pursuit of Power
Politics in America
Political Socialization
• Process by which an individual acquires
their values, opinions, and beliefs
• Informal learning through socializing agents
are the most important and accidental
• Ideology-a persons values, opinions, and
beliefs
Political Socialization
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Agents of Political Socialization
1. Family
2. Church
3. Community
4. Media
5. Teachers
6. Peer Group
7. Other
The Political Spectrum
• Ideology- a body of ideas or views of the
world that reflect the social needs, values,
and ides of an individual or group
• Liberal-look to the future for change
• Conservative-feel that governments role in
society should be to protect the moral codes
of the past
IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM
Liberal
Left Wing, Radical
Conservative
Right Wing, Traditional
Favor government involvement, limiting certain activities.
1. Favor higher taxes, particularly progressive
2. Programs assisting the poor such as Head Start and
Medicaid
3. Redistribution of income.
4. Anti-trust legislation.
5. Sympathize with labor in labor-management issues.
Oppose Government involvement limiting certain
activities
1. Favor lower taxes, particularly regressive.
2. Fewer programs with the goal of redistributing
income
3. Oppose government regulation of market
4. Sympathize with business in labor-management
issues.
Liberal Viewpoints
• Group Responsibility: The government has a
responsibility to help those who are disadvantaged
or down on their luck. The government should
work to equalize opportunities for everyone and
also provide support for those who are unable to
support themselves.
• Personal Freedom: The personal freedoms of
people must be protected. When rules/laws/norms
infringe upon freedoms, they must be changed.
Liberal Viewpoints
• Non-Traditional Values: Many traditional values
represent old-fashioned ideas that are unfair to
women and minorities. These traditional values
tend to concentrate and consecrate power held by
wealthy white men.
• Activist government: The government has a
responsibility to regulate business to protect
workers, the environment, and the public from
abuse.
Liberal Viewpoints
• Use of Property for Public Good: The
government has the right to tell people how
to use their personal property in order to
maximize the public good.
Conservative Viewpoints
• Personal Responsibility: People have a
responsibility to follow the rules/laws/norms set
by society. Stern punishments should be given to
those who break the rules/laws/norms.
• Traditional Values: People should strive to live
by the traditional moral codes that our
grandparents followed. There are many dangerous
moral trends in society today that we need to
reverse. Religion should play a larger part of
peoples lives and the government should reflect
religious values.
Conservative Viewpoints
• Laisez Faire and Decentralized Government:
The federal government should not regulate
business practices, but instead should let free
market forces keep order in the business world.
The federal government should be as small as
possible, and most power should be vested in the
state and local government
• Maximum Benefit: If every individual maximizes
their own benefit, everyone will be better off
Conservative Viewpoints
• Property Rights: The government should
pass and enforce laws that protect personal
property.
Political Parties
• Political Parties have National, State, and
Local organizations
• The primary objective for the two major
parties is to organize to win elections
• Each party has core set of principles, look to
appeal to a majority of voters without
compromising those beliefs
Political Parties
• Two party system in America
– Democratic Party
– Republican Party
Roles of Political Parties
•
•
•
•
•
•
Select Candidates
Raise Funds
Conduct Campaigns
Identify important issues
Educate the Public
Monitor the party in power
Party Systems
• One party systems-one party has control of
the government and doesn’t allow other
parties to join.
– Allow elections but they are not competitive
because only that parties candidates are on the
ballot
– Soviet Union and Cuba are examples of one
party systems
Party Systems
• Two party systems-exist in only a handful
of countries in the world. In U.S., other
parties exist but are not believed to have
any chance at winning elections.
– United States and Great Britain are examples of
two party systems.
Party Systems
• Multi-party systems-more common in the
world today.
– Legislative branch is most important.
– Little or no separation exists between
Legislative and Executive branches.
– Multi-party systems use proportional
representation (10% of vote=10%
representation)
– Encourages parties to form coalitions
Third Parties
• Also called minor parties
• Can have major influence on elections
– Votes taken away from one party may help the
other win
• Third parties often force important issues
onto the national agenda
Types of third parties
• Economic protest parties
– Party dominated by feelings of economic
discontent
• Splinter parties
– Splints from one of the major party because of
serious diagreement
• Ideological parties
– Party based on particular set of beliefs or
ideology
• Single-issue parties
– Party focused on one issue
Types of Third Parties
Third Parties
• The Reform Party and The Libertarian Party
are the two major third parties in America.
The Effect of Third Parties on Vote Distribution
Minor parties play several
important roles:
“Spoiler Role”
•Minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the
major parties’ candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from
a splinter party.
Critic
•Minor parties, especially single-issue parties, often take stands on and
draw attention to controversial issues that the major parties would
prefer to ignore.
Innovator
•Often, minor parties will draw attention to important issues and
propose innovative solutions to problems. If these proposals gain
popular support, they are often integrated into the platforms of the two
major parties.
The Decentralized Nature of the Parties
Both of the major parties are highly
decentralized and fragmented.
Why?
•The party out of power lacks a strong leader.
•The federal system distributes powers candidate.
•The federal system distributes powers widely, in turn
causing the parties to be decentralized.
•The nominating process pits party members against
one another because only one person can chosen to
be the party’s presidential
A Theoretical Structure of the
American Political Party
State and Local Party Machinery
State and local party organization varies
from State to State, but usually follow
the general principles below.
The Three Components of the Party
Party
Components
The Party
Organization:
The Party in the
Electorate
The Party in
Government
Those who run and
control the party
machinery.
Those who always or
almost always vote
for party candidates.
Those who hold
office in the
government.
The Three Components of Political
Parties
The Future of Major Parties
Weakened connections to political parties:
For voters :
For candidates:
• More people are unwilling to
label themselves as
“Democrats” or
“Republicans”
• Split-ticket voting—voting
for candidates of different
parties for different offices at
the same election
• Structural changes have
increased conflict and
disorganization within parties
• Changes in the technology of
campaigning, especially the
use of television and the
Internet, have made
candidates more independent
of the party organization
• The growth of single-issue
organizations provides
candidates with another
source of financial support
Declining Partisan Loyalties
Parties Aim Their Campaigns to the Middle
Demographic Factors and Party Preferences
The Political Process
• Candidates may run for office by being
nominated in one of the following methods
–
–
–
–
Caucus
Nominating Conventions
Petitions
Direct Primary
The Political Process
• National Nominating Conventions are used
by both parties to select their Presidential
and Vice-Presidential Candidates
• State and Local parties choose the method
of selecting all other candidates
Campaign Contributions
• The Federal Election Campaign Act sets
limits on campaign funding for federal
elections
• The public can contribute to
– Individual Candidates
– Political Parties
– Political Action Committees
Political Action Committees
• PAC’s are spin offs of Interest Groups and
professional organizations whose goal is to
influence elections
• They have increased from about 600 in the mid
’70’s to 4,000 today.
• They give money to their favorite candidates
• It totals over 200 million dollars in an election
cycle
Political Action Committees
• Allows groups access to important decision
makers in our government
• Most contributions go to incumbents rather
than challengers
• It does not favor one political party over
another instead the party in power
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Campaign Spending
1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3
Private
and Public
Sources of
Sources
of Funding
Campaign Money
Small
contributors
Nonparty
groups such
as PACs
Wealthy
supporters
Temporary
fund-raising
organizations
Candidates
Government
subsidies
1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3
Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was
passed to replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
• The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to
the Watergate scandal.
• Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some of the measures in the
FECA Amendments of 1974. Most significantly, it also
stipulated that several of the limits that the 1974 amendments
placed on spending only apply to candidates who accept
campaign money from the government, not those who raise
money independently.
• The FECA Amendments of 1976 were passed in response to
Buckley v. Valeo.
Chapter 7, Section 3
•
•
•
•
The Federal Election Commission
(FEC) enforces:
the timely disclosure of campaign
finance information
limits on campaign contributions
limits on campaign expenditures
provisions for public funding of
presidential campaigns
Chapter 7, Section 3
Loopholes in the Law
“More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
• Soft money—money given to State and local party
organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered
to presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million
was given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
• Independent campaign spending—a person unrelated
and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend as much
money as they want to benefit or work against candidates.
• Issue ads—take a stand on certain issues in order to
criticize or support a certain candidate without actually
mentioning that person’s name.
Chapter 7, Section 3
Public Opinion
• Public Opinion is measured in a variety of
ways
–
–
–
–
Public Opinion Polls
Voting
Buying
Joining Interest Groups
Public Opinion Polls
• Polling has become a valuable tool in
Politics
• It measures how the public feels on issues
and candidates
• Politicians use the information to plan
strategy and policy
Public Opinion Polls
• Polling must be precise in order for the data to be
reliable
– Sample must be random and large enough to represent
entire population
– Polling method must be consistent throughout poll
– Poll must be current and dates the poll was given
should be published
– Questions should be without bias
– Sponsor of the poll must be known in order to check
bias
Analyzing Polls
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who was polled?
How many people were polled?
How was the polling conducted?
What questions were asked?
When was the poll conducted?
Who sponsored the poll?
Polling Bias Types
• A. Testimonial - Implied endorsements from
celebrities.
– Example Question: Did you know that Pat Robertson
does not believe John McCain will make a good
president? Do you plan to vote for George Bush or
John McCain in the Republican primary?
• B. Mudslinging – Name-calling or groundless
assertions about another candidate.
– Example Question: Do you favor the economic
policies of the Democrats, which will preserve Social
Security, or the policies of the Republicans, which will
destroy our Social Security system and leave many of
our elderly citizens homeless?
Polling Bias Types
• C. Transfer – Use of popular symbols or
causes to create a positive connotation for a
candidate or the use of negative or
controversial symbols and causes to create a
negative connotation of the competition’s
candidate.
– Example Question: Knowing that Texas has
one of the highest rates of child poverty in the
US, who do you think will be the best candidate
for president in 2000, Al Gore or George Bush?
Polling Bias Types
• D. Card stacking – Use of statistics in a onesided manner; the omission of information that is
crucial to drawing an informed conclusion.
– Example: Democratic television ads showing former
teachers and college administrators listing republican
George Allen’s failings concerning education. What
the ads do not show is the reasoning behind why he
didn’t support certain bills, and that many of the former
teachers and college administrators are disgruntled
democrats who lost their appointed jobs under Allen’s
republican administration.
Polling Bias Types
• E. Glittering Generalities – Use of very vague words
or phrases that may have a positive effect on the viewer
and appeal to a variety of interests.
– Example Question: Do you believe that we need a
Washington insider or a fresh new face from outside
Washington to lead our country through the next four
years?
• F. Contrast question or Sandwich question –
Juxtaposing positive images of one’s candidate with
negative images of the competition’s candidate.
– Example Question: Al Gore trusts the people of the
United States, not big corporations. Do you believe
Bush, who calls himself a “Compassionate
Conservative” or Gore, who is fighting for the people
not the powerful, will make a better president for most
Americans?
Political Advertising
• Advertising has become the costliest
expense of modern day campaigns
• Media outlets are required to provide equal
time all candidates if it gives time to one
candidate (equal time doctrine)
• Easy method for candidates to get their
message across in a short amount of time
Political Advertising
• Important to sort through all forms of
political advertising to check for accuracy
– All major propaganda methods are used to get
message across to the people
Four Journalistic Periods in America
a. Party Press: Early years of republic Papers subsidized by political parties;
addressed small elite; ruthlessly
partisan
b. Popular Press: changes in society and
technology, like high speed rotary press,
made possible rise of a self-supporting,
mass-readership daily paper; publishers
could become powerful political forces,
sometimes associated with yellow
journalism
Four Journalistic Periods in America
c. Magazines of opinion: Reaction of
middle class to yellow journalism
led to less sensationalism and more
nonpolitical coverage
d.Electronic Journalism: Radio & TV
allows for direct politician voter
link; get “sound bite”, selective
viewing, and need for dramatic to
get coverage
The Role of Mass Media
A medium is a means of communication; it transmits
some kind of information. Four major mass media are
particularly important in American politics:
Television
Newspapers
Politics and television have gone hand in
hand since the technology first
appeared. Today television is the
principle source of political information
for a majority of Americans.
The first newspapers carried mostly
political news. Even with the total
number of newspapers declining, they
are still the second leading source of
political information for most Americans.
Radio
Magazines
On average, Americans hear 20 hours of
radio each week. Radio has been a
source of news and entertainment since
1920.
Some 12,000 magazines are published
in the United States today. Several
magazines are devoted to American
news and politics.
The Media and Politics
The Public Agenda
Electoral Politics
• The media play a very large • Today, television allows
role in shaping the public
candidates to appeal directly
agenda, the societal problems to the people, without the help
that political leaders and
of a party organization.
citizens agree need
• Candidates regularly try to
government attention.
use media coverage to their
• It is not correct that the media
advantage.
tell the people what to think;
• Newscasts featuring
but it is clear that they tell the
candidates are usually short,
people what to think about.
sharply focused sound
bites—snappy reports that
can be aired in 30 to 45
seconds.
Media Statistics
Access to media varies from country to country.
Chapter 8, Section 3
Bad News About Presidential
Candidates Increases
Media Influence on Politics
a. Gatekeeper: Influence what becomes an
issue and for how long; example = crime,
Vietnam
b. Scorekeeper: Make or break politicians
reputations; examples = Carter, Gary
Hart, George McGovern
c. Watchdog: examining political and
personal lives; examples = Gary Hart, Bill
Clinton, Gary Condit
Limits on Media Influence
• Only a small part of the public actually takes in
and understands much of what the media have to
say about public affairs.
• Many media sources mostly skim the news,
reporting only what their news editors judge to be
the most important and/or most interesting stories
of the day.
• In-depth coverage of public affairs is available to
those who want it and will seek it out.
Regulations in Radio and T.V.
a. Equal time rule: If a station sells time to one
candidate, it must be willing to sell equal time
for opposing candidate
b. Right to reply rule: If a person is attacked on a
broadcast other than in a regular news program,
that person has the right to reply over the same
station.
c. Political editorializing rule: If a broadcaster
endorses a candidate, the opposing candidate
has a right to reply
Reporter and Source Bias
a. Routine: public events regularly covered by
reporters, comparatively little of bias
b. Selected: Public events knowable to inquiring
reporters but not usually reported, bias of
reporter/editor may figure prominently in
selection
c. Insider: Events not usually public, revealed
because someone inside reveals them, problem
of the motive of the leaker
The Nature of Interest Groups
• What role do interest groups have in
influencing public policy?
• How can we compare and contrast
political parties and interest groups?
• Why do people see interest groups as
both good and bad for American
politics?
Chapter 9, Section 1
The Role of Interest Groups
• Interest groups are private
organizations whose members share
certain views and work to shape public
policy.
• Public policy includes all of the goals
a government sets and the various
courses of action it pursues as it
attempts to realize these goals.
• Interest groups exist to shape public
policy.
Chapter 9, Section 1
Political Parties and Interest
Groups
Political parties and interest groups differ in three striking
respects: (1) in the making of nominations, (2) in their primary
focus, and (3) in the scope of their interests.
Nominations
• Political parties are responsible for the nominating process, while
interest groups hope to influence those nominations.
Primary Focus
• Political parties are interested in winning elections and controlling
government, while interest groups are interested in influencing
the policies created by government.
Scope of Interest
• Political parties concern themselves with the whole range of
public affairs, while interest groups tend to focus on issues that
their members are concerned about.
Chapter 9, Section 1
Valuable Functions of Interest
Groups
• Interest groups raise awareness of public affairs, or issues
that concern the people at large.
• Interest groups represent people who share attitudes rather
than those who share geography.
• Interest groups provide specialized information to
government agencies and legislators.
• Interest groups are vehicles for political participation.
• Interest groups keep tabs on various public agencies and
officials.
• Interest groups compete.
Chapter 9, Section 1
Criticisms
• Some groups have an influence far out
of proportion to their size or
importance.
• It can be difficult to tell who or how
many people are served by a group.
• Groups do not always represent the
views of the people they claim to speak
for.
• In rare cases, groups use tactics such as
bribery, threats, and so on.
Chapter 9, Section 1
Reasons for Interest Groups
• Most interest groups have been founded on the
basis of an economic interest, especially business,
labor, agricultural, and professional interests.
• Some are grounded in geographic area.
• Some are based on a cause or idea, such as
environmental protection.
• Some promote the welfare of certain groups of
people, such as retired citizens.
• Some are run by religious organizations.
Chapter 9, Section 2
Membership in Labor Unions
Chapter 9, Section 2
Public-Interest Groups
A public-interest group is an
interest group that seeks to institute
certain public policies that will
benefit all or most of the people in
the country, whether or not they
belong to that organization.
Influencing Public Opinion
Interest groups reach out to the public for
these reasons:
1. To supply information in support of
the group’s interests
2. To build a positive image for the
group
3. To promote a particular public policy
Chapter 9, Section 3
Propaganda
• Propaganda is a technique of persuasion
aimed at influencing individual or group
behaviors.
• Its goal is to create a particular belief which
may be true or false.
• Propaganda disregards information that
does not support its conclusion. It is not
objective. It presents only one side of an
issue.
• Propaganda often relies on name-calling
and inflammatory labels. Chapter 9, Section 3
Influencing Parties and Elections
• Political Action Committees (PACs) raise and
distribute money to candidates who will further
their goals.
Chapter 9, Section 3
Lobbying
• Lobbying is any activity by which a
group pressures legislators and
influences the legislative process.
• Lobbying carries beyond the
legislature.
It is brought into
government agencies, the executive
branch, and even the courts.
• Nearly all important organized interest
groups maintain lobbyists in
Washington, D.C.
Chapter 9, Section 3
Lobbyists at Work
Lobbyists use several techniques:
• They send articles, reports, and other
information to officeholders.
• They testify before legislative committees.
• They bring “grass-roots” pressures to bear
through email, letters, or phone calls from
constituents.
• They rate candidates and publicize the
ratings.
• They make campaign contributions.
Chapter 9, Section 3
• The Framers of the Constitution purposely left the
power to set suffrage qualifications to each State.
• Suffrage means the right to vote. Franchise is
another term with the same meaning.
• The electorate is all of the people entitled to vote
in a given election.
• Initially, the right to vote in America was limited
to white male property owners.
• Today, the size of the American electorate is
greater than 200 million people. Nearly all citizens
at least 18 years of age can qualify to vote.
1. During the early 1800s, religious, property, and tax payment
qualifications were gradually eliminated.
2. The 15th Amendment (1870) was intended to end race-based voting
requirements.
3. In 1920, the 19th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote
because of sex.
4. The 1960s:
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 guaranteed the right to vote for
minorities.
• The 23rd Amendment (1961) granted citizens of the District of
Columbia the right to vote for presidential electors.
• The 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated the poll tax.
5. The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18.
Voting Requirements
Citizenship
• Most States require United States citizenship in
order to vote.
Residence
• One must be a legal resident of a State to vote in
elections. Most States require residency for
minimum amounts of time in order to vote in the
State.
Age
• The 26th Amendment requires that no State set a
minimum voting age above 18.
Other Qualifications
• All states except North Dakota require citizens to register to vote.
Registration is a procedure of voter identification intended to
prevent fraudulent voting.
• Literacy—a person’s ability to read or write—is no longer
required in any State to vote, but had been by several States at
times in our nation’s history.
• At one time, poll taxes, or a special tax payment required to vote,
were prevalent in the South. Poll taxes are now forbidden by the
24th Amendment.
• States also have restrictions on the right to vote on certain
members of the population, such as those found to be mentally
incompetent or people convicted of serious crimes.
Chapter 6, Section 2
Voting
• 15th Amendment (1870)
– All adult males now have the right to vote
• 17th Amendment (1913)
– Direct election of Senators
• 19th Amendment (1920)
– Women’s Suffrage
Voting
• 23rd Amendment (1961)
– District of Columbia given the right to vote
• 24th Amendment (1964)
– Elimination of the Poll Tax
• 26th Amendment (1971)
– 18 year olds given the right to vote
Voter Turnout by Gender
Female
56.2
Male
53.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Percentage of Registered Voters
70
80
90
100
Urban vs Rural Voter Turnout
61
59.8
60
Percentage
59
58
Urban
Suburban
Rural
57.2
57
56.4
56
55
54
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Voting Rates and Income
80
Percentage of Registered Voters
71.5
70
65.2
57.5
60
51
50
43.4
40
30
34.7
37.7
28.2
20
10
0
Less Than
$5000
$5000 to
$9999
$10,000 to
$14,999
$15,000 to
$24, 999
$25,000 to
$34,999
Annual Family Income
$35,000 to
$49,000
$50,000 to
$74,999
Over
$75,000
Voter Rates and Education
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
8 ye a rs o r le s s
Hig h S c h o o l d ro p - o u t
Hig h S c h o o l g ra d u a te
P e rc e n ta g e o f Re g is te re d Vo te rs
Co lle g e g ra d u a te
A f ric a n- A me ric a n
N o n- V o t e rs
43%
V o t e rs
V o t e rs
57%
N o n- V o t e rs
A s i a n / P a c i f i c Is l a n d e r
Vo t e r s
43%
N o n - Vo t e r s
57%
Vo t e r s
N o n - Vo t e r s
His p a nic
V o t e rs
27%
V o t e rs
N o n- V o t e rs
N o n- V o t e rs
73%
Wh i t e
N o n - Vo t e r s
39%
Vo t e r s
N o n - Vo t e r s
Vo t e r s
61%
2000 PRESIDENTIAL POPULAR VOTE SUMMARY FOR ALL CANDIDATES LISTED O
Candidate (Party Label)
Popular Vote Total
Al Gore (Democrat)
50,992,335
George W. Bush (Republican)
50,455,156
Ralph Nader (Green)
2,882,897
Patrick J. Buchanan (Reform/Independent)
448,892
Harry Browne (Libertarian)
384,429
Howard Phillips (Constitution)
98,020
John S. Hagelin (Natural Law/Reform/Independent)
83,726
Write-In (Miscellaneous)
20,767
James E. Harris, Jr. (Socialist Workers)
7,378
L. Neil Smith (Libertarian)
5,775
David McReynolds (Socialist)
5,602
Monica Moorehead (Workers World)
4,795
None of These Candidates (Nevada)
3,315
Cathy Gordon Brown (Independent)
1,606
Denny Lane (Vermont Grassroots)
1,044
Randall Venson (Independent)
535
Earl F. Dodge (Prohibition)
208
Louie G. Youngkeit (Independent)
161
Total:
105,396,641
Percent of Popular Vote
48.38
47.87
2.74
0.42
0.36
0.09
0.08
0.02 *
0.01
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*
Voting Age Population (Census Bureau Population Survey for November 2000): 205,815,
Percentage of Voting Age Population casting a vote for President: 51.21%
Why Don’t More People Vote?
• In 2000 Presidential Election, 51% of the
voting age population voted
• Turnout is lower in off-year elections,
primaries, and special elections than in
Presidential Elections (about 33%)
Why Don’t More People Vote?
• Some people can’t vote
– 20 million don’t vote because they cannot
– Aliens, handicapped, people in prison
– Religious beliefs forbid voting
Why Don’t More People Vote?
• Political Efficacy
– Belief that one person can’t make a difference
by participating in government and politics
• Voter Registration
– Corruption historically made it necessary for
states to impose rules regarding voting
– Must be registered and must vote in specific
location
– Absentee ballot
Why Don’t More People Vote?
• Time-Zone Fallout
– Media outlets declare winners state by state
– Eastern states are declared before the western
states have finished voting
– Results discourage west coast voters from
going out to vote because they believe that their
vote doesn’t matter
Why Don’t More People Vote?
• Weekday Voting
– Most countries vote on weekends when people
are off work
• Voter Satisfaction
– Believe the outcome won’t affect them
• Bad weather
Review for Test
• Complete Study Guide for Test
• Coincides with Chapter 6-8 in your book