Campaigns and Elections: The Big Picture

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Campaigns and ElectionsThe Big Picture
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The Big Picture

• Elections are supposed to
• 1. Supply legitimacy
• 2. Solve principal-agent problems
• 3. Ensure governmental responsiveness

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Do they?

• Supply legitimacy?
• Do elites accept the rules?
• Is access to voting equal?
• Are votes counted accurately?
• Are votes counted fairly?

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• Solve principle-agent problems?
• (Hold officeholders accountable?)
• Do voters have the information they need to judge
  officeholders?
• Are elections competitive?

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• Ensure governmental responsiveness to citizen
  preferences?
• Do citizens have preferences?
• What mechanisms force governmental
  responsiveness?

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What have we learned about the important actors
in campaigns?

• What do we know about candidates?
• How does their behavior affect campaigns?
• What do we know about voters?
• How does their behavior affect campaigns?
• What do we know about parties and interest groups?

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Do campaigns matter?

• Do campaigns matter?
• Under what circumstances do they matter more or
  less?
• What makes for an effective campaign?
• How does campaign effectiveness change with
  electoral context?

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What is the biggest problem with American
elections today?