Voting Behavior

Political Parties

• A political party is a group who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office.

• There are two major political parties in the United States.–Republicans–Democrats

Political Parties

• Each political party has their own beliefs and core values.

• Also, each political party has their own symbol.

• An elephant is the Republican symbol, and the donkey is the Democrat symbol.

Political Parties

• The donkey for Democrats came from the 1828 election when critics of Andrew Jackson called him a “jackass”.

• Jackson turned the critics words into a strength and embraced the donkey as a symbol of intelligence and courage.

Political Parties

• The elephant symbol for Republicans first appeared in an editorial cartoon by Thomas Nast.

• In it he drew a picture of a donkey dressed in lion’s skin scaring other animals and an elephant labeled as the “Republican vote”.

• Republicans consider it strong and distinguished.

Political Parties

• Millions of American voters consider themselves either a Republican or a Democrat.

• However, there are still millions more who are called independent and have no connection to either.

Political Parties

• Democrats traditionally favor social welfare programs – or government helping those in need.

• Democrats usually favor government regulation on business and are focused on improving the status of minorities in the United States.

Political Parties

• Republicans traditionally are opposed to social welfare programs – they favor a free market place where success and failure is left to the individual.

• Republicans also believe that the Federal Government should limit their regulation on business – allow competition to determine success.

Political Parties

• People choose to join a political party for many different reasons.

• Usually it is for:–Having solidarity among friends and family.– Enjoy the excitement of debate and politics.– Ideologically motivated, or have strong

beliefs about public policy.

Political Parties

• What is the benefit of political parties – what do parties do?

• Most importantly, parties nominate candidates for election – they endorse them.

• Parties also play an important role in helping their nominations win elections.

Political Parties

• Political parties inform and activate supporters – they get people involved in their cause.

• Parties make people feel linked and connected to government.

• We see this through campaigns, advertisements, interviews, signs, buttons, etc.

Political Parties

• Political parties also help actually govern the country.

• Elected officials in government normally are affiliated with Democrats or Republicans.

• They act as their party wants – votes and shapes public policy

Political Parties

• Political parties also serve as a “watch dog” when they don’t hold public office.

• For example – when Republican President George Bush was in office, Democrats criticized him often.

• Now that Democrat Barrack Obama is President, Republicans criticize him often.

Political Parties

• The United States has traditionally functioned around a two-party system.

• Began when the Constitution was ratified – there were Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

• Even though the founding fathers like George Washington discouraged parties they have become an American tradition and will continue.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Why has the United States supported a two-party system?

• Why do people join political parties?

• What are the symbols of both major political parties in the U.S., and what are their origins?

Minor Parties

• There are numerous minor parties in the U.S.

• Some are limited to certain states or regions of the nation.

• Some have been successful in getting national support and have existed for decades.

Minor Parties

• Ideological Parties: are parties based on a particular set of beliefs.

• Most of these parties have been communist-natured in the past.

• Today the Libertarian Party exists as an example.

Minor Parties

• The Libertarian Party focuses on individualism.

• Calls for getting rid of most government programs and policies.

• However, they have struggled to obtain a large number of votes recently.

Minor Parties

• Single-Issue Parties: These parties focus on one public policy issue.

• Usually you can determine their platform from their name.

• Examples include the Free Soil Party which opposed the spread of slavery.

Minor Parties

• Another example is the Right to Life Party which opposes abortion.

• These parties are traditionally fickle – which means they do not last very long.

• Once the issue is resolved the party loses their platform and importance.

Minor Parties

• Economic Protest Parties: These parties have popped up when there has been bad economic times.

• These parties usually have complaints about both major parties and demand better economic times.

Minor Parties

• These parties usually call Wall Street “greedy” and “evil”.

• An example of this is the Greenback Party in the 1880s that appealed to struggling farmers.

• The Populist Party in 1890s called for public ownership of railroads and telephone Cos.

Minor Parties

• However, when the economy has climbed out of its troubles, these parties fade away.

• Splinter Parties: These parties have split away from the major parties.

• In 1912 Republican Theodore Roosevelt created the Bull Moose Party.

Minor Parties

• Other examples of splinter parties include the Dixiecrats in 1948, and the American Independent Party in 1968.

• Both of these parties emerged from the Democratic Party.

• These parties usually form around a strong leader and go away when they leader steps down.

Minor Parties

• Today, one of the more well-known minority parties is the Green Party.

• It was formed in 1996 and started as a single-issue party focused on environmental protection.

• But since then it has evolved as a more complex party.

Minor Parties

• Their greatest recognition came during the 2000 Presidential Election when Ralph Nader ran for President.

• Nader earned about 3 million national votes – accounted for 2.7% of the total votes cast.

• The winner of that election was Republican George W. Bush who beat Democrat Al Gore.

Minor Parties

• The election was extremely close and experts claim it was Nader that cost Gore the win.

• The Green Party shared some common beliefs with Democrats and without Nader – those votes would have gone to Gore.

• In 2008, there were 21 minor party candidates who ran for President.

Minor Parties

• Minor Parties play valuable roles in the U.S.

• 1. Bring important issues to the public’s attention.

• 2. Take bold stands on issues.

• 3. Give frustrated and alienated voters a place to go.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What value do minor parties hold in politics for voters?

• Develop your own minor party. Decide if it will be a Ideological, Single-Issue, Economic Protest, or Splinter Party. Describe the main beliefs of your party and why your party would be successful.

The Right to Vote

• Voting qualifications are set by the states with some restrictions set by the Constitution.

• At first in 1789, voting rights were restricted to white male property owners. (Ben Franklin quote)

• Today voting rights have expanded.

The Right to Vote

• Over 230 million Americans have the right to vote.

• Anyone citizen over the age of 18.

• However, it was not always this simple, and to get to this point was a bitter struggle.

The Right to Vote

• There has been five stages of voting expansion throughout our history.

• 1. Began in early 1800s when property ownership laws ended making every adult white male eligible to vote.

• 2. Came after the Civil War with the 15th Amendment.

The Right to Vote

• It protected every citizens right to vote no matter their race or color.

• However, African-Americans were still being barred from voting through various loopholes from different states.

• 3. The 19th Amendment passed in 1920 as a result of the Suffragist Movement.

The Right to Vote

• Gave women the right to vote when they reached 18 years of age.

• 4. In the 1960s the Civil Rights Movement began trying to eliminate the loopholes states had made to prevent African-Americans from voting.

• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplished this.

The Right to Vote

• It made it illegal to interfere with anyone’s right to vote in any federal, state, or local election.

• 5. In 1971 the 26th Amendment made it illegal for states to raise the voting age beyond 18.

• Today, every person must be able to prove age, citizenship, and residence to vote.

The Right to Vote

• Age – must be 18, although most don’t vote.

• Citizenship – to prevent aliens, or non-citizens from voting.

• Residence – must be a legal resident of the state in which you are voting.

• Today, it takes 30 days to achieve residency.

The Right to Vote

• In order to vote, people must also register.

• Registration is not the same in every state, some states allow people to register on election day.

• Throughout history, states have tried to alter the registration process to deter some voters from voting.

The Right to Vote

• For example, up until the 1960s literacy tests were common in the south.

• Method used to prevent African-Americans from voting.

• Forced to read a complex passage from the Constitution in order to vote.

The Right to Vote

• However, idea backfired, some whites were not literate so Grandfather Clause was added.

• As of today, no state has a literacy tests to register to vote.

• Tax payment was also part of the registration process – including poll tax.

The Right to Vote

• Again, mostly in the south to prevent African-Americans from voting.

• The 24th Amendment passed in 1964 eliminated poll tax.

• Restrictions on voting today include mental hospitals, major felons, and dishonorably discharged veterans.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• When did women earn the right to vote – and how did they accomplish this?

• What is the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

• If you had to change one part of the voting process, what would it be and why?

The Nominating Process

• The nominating process is the process of candidate selection.

• “Nomination” comes from a Latin word meaning “name”.

• The process is important because it prevents unqualified people from appearing on the ballot.

The Nominating Process

• It is also important because it pares down the number of candidates on the ballot to a reasonable number.

• With a two-party system in the United States it is important that voters are given high quality choices on election day.

The Nominating Process

• Nominations are made in five different ways.

• 1. Self-Announcement.• 2. Caucus.• 3. Convention.• 4. Direct primary.• 5. Petition.

The Nominating Process

• Self-Announcement: This type of nomination is the oldest form.

• It is simple – a person who is interested in running for a position makes an announcement that he or she is running.

• Sometimes occurs when a party does not nominate that person.

The Nominating Process

• The Caucus: A group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an election.

• Originally was a private meeting of the important people in a community.

• Later it grew into a party function open to all members – they debate the merits of candidates.

The Nominating Process

• The Convention: Replaced the caucus as the main nominating process in the 1830s.

• Local communities select delegates – or members of their party – to represent them at higher-level meetings to choose candidates.

• Conventions go from local to county to state to national levels.

The Nominating Process

• However, conventions lost their nominating power as corruption set in denying democracy the chance to choose candidates.

• By the 1900s direct primaries replaced conventions as the main nominating process.

• Direct Primary: An election held within a party to determine candidates.

The Nominating Process

• States usually control primary elections – setting dates, polling places, and results.

• There are two basic forms of direct primaries: 1. closed primary, and 2. open primary.

• In closed primaries only registered members of the party can vote.

The Nominating Process

• In open primaries any registered voter can vote on any candidate regardless of party.

• Debate between closed and open primaries.

• Closed supporters claim that open allows non-party members to “raid” their elections.

• Open supporters claim that closed prevents independents from voting.

The Nominating Process

• Benefits to direct primaries: Forces candidates to compete in many states across the country – candidates meet new voters in each state – recent primaries brought many new voters into the process.

• Drawbacks to direct primaries: Causes in-party fighting among candidates – still a low amount of voter turnout.

The Nominating Process

• Petition: Used mostly on the local level for city or county elections.

• A person must collect a certain number of signatures declaring support for their candidacy.

• Usually the larger the post, the more signatures are required.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What are the five processes of nomination in the United States, and explain each.

• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the direct primaries?

• Would you prefer closed or open primaries? Explain why.

Elections

• It is important to understand how elections work in order to understand how this may effect election results.

• Under the Constitution, Congress has the power to fix the time, places, and manner of holding elections in the United States.

Elections

• Elections are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November on even-numbered years.

• However, there are voting options for people other than that day.

• 32 million people used the method of “early voting” in the past 2008 election.

Elections

• Most of these early voters used the absentee ballot as the means of voting.

• Absentee voting was developed in 1864 during the Civil War for Federal troops to vote on election day.

• These ballots are usually delivered through the mail.

Elections

• Voters that choose to vote on election day do so at a precinct.

• Precincts are voting districts – usually 500 to 1,000 people.

• Every precinct has a polling place where voters go to cast their vote.

Elections

• Today all voters use secret ballots – or vote in private.

• However, it was not always this way – many voting methods earlier in history were public.

• Precincts use paper ballots, or automated voting machines today.

Elections

• Since 1900 most states have been using the Australian Ballot.

• This ballot type is popular because it is printed at the public’s expense, lists all candidates names, and is given out only at polling place.

• The ballot either groups candidates by office, or party.

Elections

• Automated voting has become more and more popular over the past century.

• First voting machine created by Thomas Edison in 1868.

• Most voting machines were lever operated – difficult to use and expensive.

Elections

• Electronic vote counting was also introduced in the 1960s.

• Voters receive voting punch cards – punch a hole next to the candidate you want to vote for.

• This caused problems – voters not punching the right way causing “hanging chads”.

Elections

• After the 2000 election punch card ballots were discarded.

• Most electronic vote counting machines now are similar to “scantron” ballots like you test on, and machines similar to ATMs.

• The fear with these machines are that hackers can get to them.

Elections

• A number of states conduct their elections by mail.

• Oregon holds of all its elections by mail – they argue that it results in more total votes.

• Critics claim it leads to fraud and secret ballots can be read.

Elections

• Many speculate that online voting will be the most widely used method in the future.

• The first vote cast online happened in 1997 when astronaut David Wolf voted from space station.

• Supporters claim it will increase voter turnout having it online.

Elections

• Critics see far too many problems for online voting to be successful.

• Viruses, blocked access, hackers, plus other problems stand in the way.

• Plus, not everyone has a computer or internet which threatens equality in voting online.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Present an argument for or against a proposal to use only hand-counted ballots in all elections.

• Who controls the following elements of elections – time, place, manner?

Campaign Financing

• Money plays a very significant role in elections and candidates campaigns to be elected.

• There is no knowledge of how much money is spent on all election campaigns in the U.S.

• In 2008, the total amount for all aspects of all presidential campaigns totaled $2.5 billion.

Campaign Financing

• Political parties get their money from two main sources:

• 1. Private contributions.• 2. Public treasury.

• There are small contributors who give $5 to $10 – only 10-percent of voters contribute.

Campaign Financing

• Wealthy individuals and families make up the other private contributors.

• Candidates contribute money to their own cause – Independent Ross Perot spent $65 million in 1992.

• Political Action Committees (PAC) raise money to give to a candidate for a certain cause.

Campaign Financing

• Temporary organizations – created just for the campaign hold dinners, run telethons, to raise money for candidates.

• The internet has become the most important campaign fund raiser recently.

• President Obama raised $230 million from the internet – most were donations less than $100.

Campaign Financing

• People give for different reasons.

• Most small contributors simply believe in the candidate or want to see them win.

• Some larger contributors are looking for something in return – a government position, or increased social status.

Campaign Financing

• Since 1907, Congress has regulated campaign finance and how candidates raise money and spend money.

• The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974:– Established the Federal Election Commission.– Provided public financing for all general elections.– Limited presidential campaign spending.

Campaign Financing

• The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is made up of six members appointed by the President.

• The FEC regulates campaign finance by requires the timely disclosure of campaign finance data.

Campaign Financing

• This means that campaigns must report accurate accounts of money.– Cash gifts of more than $100 are prohibited.– Spending over $200 must have a receipt.– Contributions over $5,000 must be reported to

FEC within 48 hours.– Contributions over $1,000 during the last 20 days

of a campaign must also be reported to FEC within 48 hours.

Campaign Financing

• The FEC also places limits on campaign contributions.– Today, no person can give more than $2,300 to a

candidate during primary campaign.– No person can give more than $2,300 to a

candidate during general election campaign.– Cannot give more than $108,200 during an

election cycle – the two years between election years.

Campaign Financing

• Running for president is especially expensive so the FEC provides public funding for general elections.

• Every tax payer has an option to donate money to the FEC public fund when they file for taxes each year.

• That money is given to serious presidential candidates.

Campaign Financing

• During their campaign, candidates can use the FEC public fund to help them pay for costs.

• However, if candidates use the FEC fund, than their campaign expenses are limited by law.

• If a candidate refuses the FEC money than there is no limit to their spending.

Campaign Financing

• Contributions to candidates can either by hard money contributions or soft money contributions.

• Hard money are contributions made directly to the candidate.

• Soft money are contributions made to the political party of the candidate.

Campaign Financing

• Over the years, both sides – Republicans and Democrats have found loopholes in all the regulations to campaign finance.

• It continues to be a hot-button issue in politics.

• Reform is needed so that public perception does not lead to the idea that the candidate with more money will win every election.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What were the three main provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974?

• When it comes to campaign finance and elections in the United States – are elections fair, or not? Explain.

Interest Groups

• An interest group is a collection of people who share certain views on public matters and work to shape public policy to their benefit.

• They meet to influence law on abortion, prayer in school, gun control, etc.

• Usually called leagues, association, union, clubs, federation, etc.

Interest Groups

• Interest groups hold an important purpose in government affairs.

• 1. They help bridge the gap between citizens and government.

• 2. They help explain their views on policies to public officials.

• 3. They help inspire public awareness and action on various issues.

Interest Groups

• Interest groups are similar to political parties in that they are made up of like minded individuals trying to affect government.

• However, political parties and interest groups are different.

• Political parties nominate candidates to win elections and control offices.

Interest Groups

• Interest groups on the other hand seek to influence public policies in areas of their common concern – they do not nominate.

• Political parties are interested in WHO wins elections.

• Interest groups are interested in WHAT public policies are made.

Interest Groups

• There has been a long debate over whether or not interest groups harm American democracy or help American democracy.

• First, they do help raise public awareness on important issues that affect the nation.

• Second, they help unite the country on issues – and people coming together is good.

Interest Groups

• Example – one mother upset about drunk driving cannot do much alone.

• However, thousands of mothers together can change drunk driving legislation – MADD.

• Third, they serve as watch dogs to the government making sure officials are doing their job.

Interest Groups

• On the other side, interest groups have many critics who believe they are harmful.

• Many interest groups have been found guilty in the past of using illegal methods to influence government policy.

• Bribery and threats have been the common illegal activity.

Interest Groups

• Interest groups also do not always represent a majority, yet get their policies passed through government which is not “majority rule”.

• The power of interest groups cannot be underestimated.

• Many critics claim that interest groups have too much control on Capitol Hill.

Interest Groups

• This has led to the belief that elected officials on Capitol Hill are virtually puppets – controlled by interest groups’ demands.

• Critics claim that it is in the best interest of these officials to side with interest groups who donate money to campaigns.

Interest Groups

• Often interest groups conflict with one another and cause multiple interest groups to compete against each other.

• For example, debate over high gas prices.

• Interest group for drill for oil in America, others claim drilling will harm ecosystem.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Create a t-chart to contrast the different roles of political parties and interest groups.

• Write a paragraph to express your opinion as to whether or not interest groups are good or bad for America.