Elections

Civics & Economics

Do Now

• Political Party– Brainstorm. What comes to mind when you think

of these words?– Why do political parties exist?– What are the purposes and goals of political

parties in general?

Political Party

• An organized group of people with common values and beliefs who try to get their candidates elected to political office

What do these symbols represent?

• Democrat - The Donkey

• Republican - The Elephant

Party Platform

• A list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having a party's candidate(s) voted into office.

• This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics.

• Individual topics are often called planks of the platform.

Republican Democrat

A brief history of political parties

• Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were the 1st political parties

• Democratic-Republicans would soon become the modern day Democratic party with opposition from the newly formed Whig party.

• Our current system emerged in 1854 when the Republican Party, or Grand Old Party was born.

The two party system

• A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government.

• As a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties.

Do Now

• Finish Political Conventions Questions.

Third Parties

• Third parties are most often formed in response to specific issues.

• In 2000, the Green Party was just such a group, nominating political activist and former independent candidate Ralph Nader for president. The Libertarian Party is another popular third party.

• Third parties contribute to the system by making the two major parties focus on certain issues. If the third party and their issue get enough attention, the other two parties are then forced to deal with that issue.

Third Parties

• In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader ultimately took 2.7 percent of the popular vote in a race where a gap of only 0.5 percent separated Republican candidate George W. Bush from Democratic candidate Al Gore.

• Because our system is so heavily weighted as a two-party system, opponents believe that third parties only complicate the process, stealing votes from viable candidates.

The Functions of Political Parties

• Selecting candidates - through open and closed primaries, caucuses, national conventions, or by write-in

• Set goals for government - parties have platforms made up of planks

• Play watchdog - if Republicans are in power, Democrats act as a check on that power and vice versa

The Functions of Political Parties

• Give people a voice - like-minded people band together in political parties to improve their chances of getting their problems or issues heard by government

• Jobs - It is customary for candidates to give jobs to campaign workers who helped him or her get elected. This is called patronage.

Political Conventions

• A political convention is a meeting of a political party, typically to announce party candidates.

• In the US, this refers to a presidential nominating convention, held every four years by the Democratic and Republican parties.

• The original/formal purpose of such a convention is to select each party's nominee for President, to adopt a statement of party principles and goals (the platform), and to adopt the rules for the party's activities, including the presidential nominating process for the next election cycle.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=933hKyKNPFQ

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZGtY_0ghMg

Do Now

• Using your sticky note answer the following question:– How is the President elected?

Electoral College

• Despite what most Americans might think, presidents are actually elected by a group of 538 “electors” acting on behalf of the states, not by the citizens. Electoral College.

• This is not to say that “the people” do not elect their president necessarily, but it explains how a candidate can get the most votes from the people and still lose the election.

Electoral College

• Each state has electors equal to the number of Senators (two for each state) and Representatives (based on population) it has in Congress.

• Because Representatives (and therefore some electors) are allotted by population, this is adjusted every ten years when the government takes a census.

So, how does one become an elector?

• Political parties choose electors. • The major parties usually choose them at

conventions. • Sometimes party leaders decide who will

perform this job. • Most citizens can become electors; however,

anyone who works for the Federal Government or is a member of Congress cannot be an elector.

So why does America have the Electoral College?

• This was a question the framers of the Constitution struggled with.

• There was tremendous disagreement. • In the end, the compromise was the Electoral

College.

Advantages

Congressional Committee to Study the Electoral College

• Three students in each group should assume the following rolls: – Committee Head – facilitates the discussion and

keeps the group on track; communicates with the teacher if questions arise or assistance is needed

– Secretary – takes detailed notes regarding the Committee’s conversation and final recommendation regarding the Electoral College

– Speaker – presents the Committee’s recommendation to Congress

Congressional Committee to Study the Electoral College

• Your group represents members of the House of Representatives who have been assigned to a Congressional Committee to examine the Electoral College and determine whether or not the system should remain or be replaced with alternative procedures.

• Consider the information you’ve learned about the Electoral College, including the pros and cons to the system.

• Is this the best method of electing the President of the United States?

• Together, you must discuss your opinions regarding whether this system is still the fairest method for elections.

• If you decide it is not, then you must determine a reasonable alternative.

• Be prepared to summarize your decision to the remainder of Congress (i.e., the class.) If you propose an alternative, be prepared to explain your idea in detail.

Do Now

• http://www.prwatch.org/video

Political Spectrum

Radical Liberal Moderat

eConservativ

e Reactionary

Election Process

1. Candidates for office must first go through primaries to narrow down the field to one nominee from both of the major political parties.

2. Candidates for President are whittled down to one and are announced at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

3. A general election is then held to decide the winner between the Democrat, Republican and any third party candidates.

NC Voter Qualifications

• Age: Must be at least 18 years old by the next general election

• Citizenship: Must be a US citizen• Residency: Must be a resident of North

Carolina & your county for 30 days before the election

Straight vs. Split

• Straight Ticket– A ballot cast for all the

candidates of one party.– it is convenient– it provides an easy way

to vote for a philosophy on a ballot crowded with dozens of candidates

• Split Ticket– vote for multiple parties

in different positions on your ballot.

– split their votes to create a balanced government made up of multiple parties

– see the parties as having different strengths and weaknesses

Methods of Campaigning

• Most effective– Television– Radio– Internet (Facebook,

twitter)– E-mail

• Least effective– Canvassing (door-to-

door)– Newspaper ads– Mail flyers

A candidate can get free advertising through news stories and interviews

Advantages of an incumbent

• Experience• Name recognition• Franking privilege (free mailings through

USPS)• Easier time raising money

Propaganda

• A statement or image meant to mislead people into believing an exaggerated truth

Emotional appeal (i.e. fear):

Appealing to the emotions of your audience.

Glittering generalities:

A glittering generality device seeks to make us approve and accept without examining the evidence

Testimonials: Famous people or figures who will appear trustworthy speak to the audience

Bandwagon: The basic theme of the band wagon appeal is that "everyone else is doing it, and so should you."

Plain-folks: By using the plain-folks technique, speakers attempt to convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are "of the people.”

Scientific approach:

Using scientific jargon (i.e. numbers, statistics, data, etc.) to convince your audience

Snob appeal: Giving the impression that people of wealth and prestige are on board

Card stacking: Only presenting one side of the issue/situationTransfer: Transfer is a device by which the propagandist carries

over the authority, sanction, and prestige of something we respect and revere to something he would have us accept.

Name-calling: The name-calling technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol.

Euphemisms: The propagandist attempts to pacify the audience in order to make an unpleasant reality more palatable. This is accomplished by using words that are bland and euphemistic.

• You have been assigned a particular propaganda technique.

• Create an ad to present to class using this propaganda technique.

• You may create an ad for TV, an ad for the radio, or a visual ad (i.e. poster).

• The purpose of the ad is to recruit votes for Jerimiah Jacobs, who is running for the North Carolina State Senate.

• You may be creative in the content you provide about Jerimiah, but it must be presented in a way that utilizes your propaganda technique.

Do Now

• What is the difference between Civic Duty and Civic Responsibility?

• Give an example of each.

Public opinion polling

• Lets candidates know what issues are important to voters

• Predicts who will win the election

Political Party vs. Special Interest Groups

• Political parties seek to win elections • Special Interest groups seek to influence those

who win elections

How Special Interest Groups Influence

• Lobbying• Donating campaign money• Political Action Committees (PACs)• Writing and suggesting laws

Patronage

• Elected officials appoint supporters and party members to government positions

• “To the winner go the spoils”

Actions of Citizens to promote change

• Vote• Protest• Petitions/Initiatives• Boycott• Letters to lawmakers

Volunteerism

• Americorps- promotes volunteerism in urban and poor areas in the U.S.

• Peace Corps- promotes volunteerism in poor nations around the world.