VOTING AND ELECTIONS

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VOTING AND ELECTIONS
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Voting and Elections

• Campaigns and Elections
• primaries
• general elections
• Campaign financing
• public opinion polling
• Voting Turnout
• Initiatives/Referendums

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Primary Elections

• types of primaries
• closed primary
• open primary
• blanket primary
• Presidential primaries
• delegate selection
• primary schedule
• bellwether states
• e.g. New Hampshire

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General Elections

• Presidential Elections
• the electoral college
• Congressional Elections
• winner take all

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Primary and General Elections

• different electoral strategies
• primaries
• no partisan guide
• run to the party
• general elections
• run to the centre

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Campaign Financing

• basic rules
• FEC
• public funding
• spending limits
• contribution limits
• disclosure requirements
• 1 billion dollars in TV ads -- 2002
• the problem of soft money
• contributions to parties (as opposed to
  candidates)

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Campaign Financing

• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, 2002
• bans the use of soft money by federal parties
• not state and local parties
• does not alter the ability of independent groups
  to run issue campaigns
• e.g. numerous loopholes still exist

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Public Opinion Polls

• centrality of polling
• misuse of polls
• nation-wide polls (Rothenberg)
• misreading polls

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Voter Turnout

• levels of voter turnout
• explaining voter turnout
• low voter turnout
• declining voter turnout

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Explaining Voter Turnout

• registration procedures
• requires registration
• motor voter laws
• why is voter registration even an issue?
• low voter turnout
• voter fatigue
• voter satisfaction

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Voter Turnout

• high opportunities for mass participation
• range of elective offices

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Elections in Massachusetts

• President
• US House of Representatives
• US Senate
• state governor
• state representative
• state senate
• state attorney general
• state auditor

• state treasurer
• secretary of state
• county commissioner
• sheriff
• clerks of courts
• mayor
• city councillors
• school committee members

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Voter Turnout

• high opportunities for mass participation
• range of elective offices
• primary elections
• referendums and initiatives
• actual participation
• primaries (5-20)
• general election (45-55)
• Canada -- averages near 65

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Explaining Voter Turnout

• strategic voting
• vote in elections that are close races
• Florida predicted 60-2, South Dakota predicted
  75
• vote in elections with candidates that voter has
  strong feelings for/against
• vote in elections with issues of relevance to
  voter
• the Seinfeld election?
• vote in elections where multiple offices/issues
  in play

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Explaining Voter Turnout

• low voter turnout
• voter fatigue
• voter satisfaction
• voter disaffection

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Explaining Voter Turnout Voter Disaffection

• declining voter turnout
• demographics
• fewer differences between party
• electoral strategy
• less interest in who wins
• less effort at voter mobilization by parties

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Explaining Voter Turnout Voter Disaffection

• do elections matter?
• incumbency
• elections are referedums on incumbents
• incumbent has to do something to lose
• challenger finds it hard to get money, hard to
  break cycle
• primaries
• winner-take-all
• economy

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Explaining Voter Turnout Some Observations

• voter turnout and September 11th
• voter turnout and split Congress
• split Congress leads to high competition
• high competition leads to negative campaigning
• negative campaigning leads to depressed voter
  turnout

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Referendums and Initiatives What are They?

• What are They?
• initiative proposal to put some issue to a
  referendum
• requires 3-15 of voters to sign
• proposition
• referendum question put directly on the ballot

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Referendums and Initiatives How and When Are
They Used?

• allowed by 24 states
• half of all initiatives take place in five states
• Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado,
  Arizona
• success rate
• 50 once they are on the ballot
• California
• 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot
• some propositions of VERY considerable importance

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Election 2002 Some Final Observations

• White House legislative initiatives (January)
• judicial nominees
• patients bill of rights
• energy bill
• permanent tax cut
• there is no safety net no excuses
  administration
• White House bipartisanship why??
• who needs who?