The Electoral Process - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 30
About This Presentation
Title:

The Electoral Process

Description:

... and administer public funds for part of the presidential election process Regulating Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:16
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 31
Provided by: Steve576
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: The Electoral Process


1
The Electoral Process
  • Magruder Chapter Seven

2
The Nominating Process
3
The Importance of Nominations
  • The nominating process is important because the
    United States has a strong two-party system,
    which means that there are usually only two
    viable candidates for any office
  • There are five major ways in which nominations
    can be made

4
Self-Announcement
  • Self-announcement is the oldest form of the
    nominating process
  • It is often used by people running in small towns
    or rural areas
  • It is also used by people at higher levels who
    fail to get their partys nomination or are
    unhappy with its choice

5
The Caucus
  • A caucus is a group of like-minded people that
    meets to select the candidates it will support in
    an upcoming election
  • Early caucuses were private meetings made up of a
    few influential figures
  • Caucuses are still used to make local nominations
    in some areas, but they are now open to all
    members of a party

6
The Convention
  • Nominating conventions were first used in the
    1830s and quickly caught on as the only way to
    select presidential candidates
  • In each local area, party members elect delegates
    to represent them at county conventions county
    conventions elect delegates to State conventions

7
The Convention
  • State conventions elect delegates to the
    national convention who select the partys
    presidential and vice-presidential nominees
  • The process was corrupted by party bosses and
    fell out of favor in the late 1800s

8
The Direct Primary
  • The direct primary is an election held within a
    party to pick the partys candidates for the
    general election
  • The Closed Primary in a closed primary only
    declared party members can vote to decide which
    candidate the party will support

9
The Direct Primary
  • The Open Primary in an open primary any
    qualified voter may vote to decide which
    candidate a party will support
  • The Closed vs. the Open Primary Americans make
    strong arguments for and against both types of
    primary

10
The Direct Primary
  • The Runoff Primary in States that demand that
    the winning candidate of each party holds an
    absolute majority of that partys votes, runoff
    primaries are held in which voters must choose
    between the two top vote-getters

11
The Direct Primary
  • The Nonpartisan Primary most school and
    municipal officials and, often, State judges, are
    chosen from ballots that do not identify
    candidates by party affiliation
  • Evaluation of the Primary Primaries are costly
    and divisive and many voters neither recognize
    their importance nor inform themselves
    sufficiently to make wise choices

12
The Direct Primary
  • The Presidential Primary in these elections,
    voters declare their preference for a particular
    candidate and/or elect delegates to a partys
    national convention

13
Nomination by Petition
  • At the local level, this process is commonly used
    for nonpartisan posts
  • In some States, election laws require that
    minor-party or independent candidates get a
    certain number of signatures before they are put
    on the ballot

14
Elections
15
The Administration of Elections
  • The Extent of Federal Control
  • Most election law is State law
  • Congress sets the time, place, and manner of
    congressional elections
  • It has also passed laws designed to protect the
    right to vote and prevent election fraud

16
The Administration of Elections
  • When Elections are Held
  • Most States hold elections for State offices in
    November of every even-numbered year
  • Some States hold certain elections at other
    times, usually in the spring

17
The Administration of Elections
  • The Coattail Effect
  • A popular candidates at the top of the ticket
    helps other candidates form the same party
  • Some argue that State and local elections should
    be held at different times than presidential
    elections in order to lessen this coattail
    effect

18
Precincts and Polling Places
  • State law restricts the population size of voting
    districts, or precincts
  • Precinct election boards ensure that elections
    are held in an orderly manner, and each political
    party sends poll watchers to watch for election
    fraud

19
The Ballot
  • The Australian Ballot this secret ballot,
    printed at public expense and given out only at
    polling places, was a reform introduced in the
    late 1800s
  • The Office-Group Ballot this form of the
    Australian ballot groups candidates for each
    office together

20
The Ballot
  • The Party-Column Ballot this form of the
    Australian ballot lists each partys candidates
    in a column under the partys name
  • Sample Ballots clearly marked sample ballots
    are mailed to voters in many States and appear in
    newspapers to help the voters prepare for an
    election

21
The Ballot
  • The Long and Short of It traditionally,
    Americans prefer to elect, rather than appoint,
    large numbers of local officials on the theory
    that the greater the number of elected officials,
    the more democratic the government

22
Voting Machines and Innovations
  • Invented by Thomas Edison, voting machines were
    first used in 1892
  • Electronic Vote Counting Electronic data
    processing techniques are now in use in many
    States
  • Vote-by-Mail elections mail-in ballots are
    allowed in some local elections, and on at least
    one occasion, in elections for national office as
    well

23
Money and the Election Process
24
Campaign Spending Amounts
  • Observers estimate that about 750 million was
    spent on the 1996 presidential election
  • Money is used for many purposes staff and
    office costs, polling, television time, and so
    forth

25
Sources of Campaign Funding
  • Private Givers the candidates themselves,
    individual citizens, PACs, and temporary campaign
    organizations all contribute money to political
    campaigns
  • Why People Give Some give to support candidates
    and policies they believe in others want access
    to government in return for their financial
    support

26
Regulating Campaign Finance
  • The Federal Election Commission (FEC) the FEC
    is an independent agency whose members set limits
    on campaign contributions and spending, require
    prompt disclosure of campaign finance data, and
    administer public funds for part of the
    presidential election process

27
Regulating Campaign Finance
  • Disclosure Requirements Strict laws govern who
    can contribute to political campaigns, how much
    each person can give, and how campaign funds may
    be spent
  • The Role of PACs PACs, which have grown rapidly
    in recent years, may contribute up to 5,000 to
    any presidential candidate

28
Regulating Campaign Finance
  • Limits on Contributions Federal law limits
    contributions by individuals, unions, national
    banks, and corporations
  • Limits on Expenditures Federal law limits
    spending in presidential campaigns
  • Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns Monies
    for public funding of campaigns are contributed
    by individual citizens at income-tax time

29
Regulating Campaign Finance
  • Preconvention Period The FEC provides public
    funds to candidates by matching private,
    individual contributions
  • National Conventions Each party automatically
    receives a grant of public funds to pay for its
    national convention
  • Presidential Campaigns Major-Party nominees
    automatically qualify for a public subsidy to
    cover campaign costs

30
(No Transcript)
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com