CHAPTER 14
Campaigns and Elections
Learning Objectives
 Describe the historical development of the
presidential selection process
 Describe the activities of presidential candidates
as they compete for the “invisible primary”
 Distinguish between primaries and caucuses,
and assess how the timing of those contests
plays a role in the outcome of the nomination
process
 Assess the role of national party conventions
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Learning Objectives
 Compare and contrast incumbent races and open
elections
 Describe the strategies that candidates use to win
elections
 Critique the electoral college system
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Learning Objectives
 Compare and contrast the factors that explain
vote choices
 Assess the impact of money on presidential
campaigns, and describe the laws governing
campaign finance
 Define the power of incumbency, turnout levels,
and presidential coattails in congressional
elections
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American Presidential Elections
in Historical Perspective
 Constitution does not include information on
selecting a president
 Founders envisioned presidential selection by
men at a lofty level above partisan politics
 Political parties supply framework for elections
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American Presidential Elections
in Historical Perspective
 The Nomination Phase
 Political parties select their “party ticket”
 Constitution did not account for process of
nomination
 Process has evolved throughout the years
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American Presidential Elections
in Historical Perspective
 Five Stages of contemporary presidential
selection
 Prenomination campaign
 Nomination campaign
 National conventions
 General election campaign
 Electoral college decision
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The Prenomination Campaign
 Potential candidates “test the waters”
 Begins the “weeding out” process
 Invisible primary
 Competition for front-runner status
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The Nomination Campaign
 Primaries and
Caucuses
 Presidential primary
 Open primary
 Closed primary
 Caucus
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The Nomination Campaign
 Importance of Iowa and New Hampshire
Contests
 Small states with few delegates
 Traditionally are the first two contests
 Winner receives greater media attention
 Loser written off as “unelectable”
 Causes frontloading
 Super Tuesday
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The Nomination Campaign
 Nominating Conventions
 Historically
 Discussed the party platform
 Selected the candidate to represent the party
 Today
 Week-long forum for parties and nominees
 Introduce nominee to voters
 Formally kick off the campaign
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The General Election Campaign
 Incumbent Race versus Open Election
 Incumbent: campaign focuses on past performance
 Open: less focused on the past
 Choice of a Vice Presidential Candidate
 Attempt to balance ideological views and
geographic coverage
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The General Election Campaign
 Gathering a Winning Coalition of States
 Strong Republican states - red
 Strong Democratic states - blue
 Battleground (“swing”) states - gold
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The General Election Campaign
 Presidential Debates
 Kennedy/Nixon first to generate interest
 Large amount of attention paid to the debates
 Impact on the outcome is unclear
 Advertising
 TV ads are important
 Heighten name recognition
 Negative ads
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The General Election Campaign
 Electoral College Vote
 Winner must receive majority of electoral
college’s 538 votes
 Number of electoral votes states receive
 Number of senators plus number of representatives
 Can change as a result of the official census
 Minimum votes is three
 Unit rule
 Winner take all system
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The Electoral College Map
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Americans’ Support Using Popular
Vote to Select the President
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Making a Vote Choice
 Candidate Familiarity
 Most basic voting cue is name recognition
 Party Identification
 Psychological attachment that affects voting
 Issue Voting
 Vote for someone who has same view on an issue
 Most sophisticated type of voting behavior
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Making a Vote Choice
 Retrospective Voting
 Evaluating an incumbent’s past performance
 Job approval rating
 Candidate Image Voting
 Perception of candidate to the voter
 Strong use of media
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Campaign Funding
 Funding is increasingly expensive
 One of the most important functions of
campaign
 Good candidates have ability to raise money
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Fundraising by Presidential
Candidates 1976-2008
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Campaign Funding
 Sources of Funding
 Individual citizens
 Interest groups
 Political action committees (PACs)
 Political parties
 House or Senate campaign war chest
 Federal and state governments
 Internet
 Personal wealth
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Campaign Funding
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Campaign Funding
 Regulating Campaign Financing
 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)
 Hard money
 Soft money
 Federal Election Commission (FEC)
 Independent campaign expenditures
 Supports the campaign but not a direct contribution
 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
 Regulates soft money
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Congressional Campaigns
and Elections
 Presidential election years
 All 435 seats in the House and one-third of the
Senate seats are contested
 Midterm congressional elections
 Midway between presidential elections
 All 435 House seats and another one-third of the
Senate seats are contested
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Congressional Campaigns
and Elections
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Congressional Campaigns
and Elections
 Midterm elections
 Voter turnout tends to be lower
 No presidential coattail effect
 Favor candidates in party opposite the president’s
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Congressional Campaigns
and Elections
 Power of incumbency
 Returned to office at high rates
 Name recognition
 Safe seats
 Marginal seats
 Franking privilege
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Safe Seats in Congress
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