Campaigns

Goals of a Campaign

1. Convince the public to vote for a candidate

– Name,face

2. Create a campaign organization

3. Let voters know the issues

4. Raise Money

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals?

1. Canvassing: speaking to voters directly,

Local level: door-to-door

National level: taking polls

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals?

• 2. Endorsements: propaganda technique, promoting a certain person or idea

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals?

• 3. Advertising and Image Modeling: creating the right image

What do campaigns have to pay for?

• Advertising• Transportation• Salaries for campaign staff• Postage• Phone

Regulations of Financing

• Federal Election Commission (FEC)– Limits the amount

of money an individual can donate to a candidate

– Need to tell the public about spending

Presidential Election Campaign Fund

• Allows taxpayers to be able to check a box and donate $3 of their annual taxes to this fund

Presidential Campaign Fund

• Candidates need to raise $100,000 on their own and then they can qualify for money from this fund.

• Each candidate gets equal amounts only if they don’t receive direct contributions.

What about the Third Parties?

• They can get money too!• Only if they receive more than 5% of the

popular vote.

Who donates money?

1. Individual citizens

2. Party organizations

3. Corporations

4. Interest Groups

Sneaking around the Campaign Finance Law

• PACs Political Action Committees– Gives money to a

candidate only if they support their issue

• Soft-money: money given to a party but not to a particular candidate.– The party can use it how

they want!

Soft-Money

• PACs give most of their soft-money to incumbents: politicians who already hold an office.

Some facts

• Under federal law, in 2007-08, an individual may contribute no more than:

• • $2,300 to a candidate per election (primary and general)

• • $28,500 to a political party per year

• • $108,200 combined per election cycle to candidates, parties and PACs

• The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates,

• The amount spent on the presidential race alone was $2.4 billion when all candidates and related expenses are included

Voting on Issues not the Candidate

• Citizens can propose a new law or constitutional amendment through an initiative

What if you don’t like a law?

• Referendum: citizens can approve or reject a state or local law.

• More than ½ the state has to vote• Law can be sent back and voted on again