Campaigns and Elections Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10 CAMPAIGNS

Campaigns and Elections Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

In this chapter you will: • What is unique (and what is not) about American elections. • To ask how democratic American elections are today. • To discuss the influence of money in elections. • To explore presidential and congressional campaigns. • To identify the keys to a successful campaign for Congress. • To consider election reforms. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

How Democratic are American Elections? • Are American elections truly democratic? Americans vote more often and for more offices than the citizens of most other democracies. • The most familiar question today focuses on the role of money in election campaigns. PACs, super PACs, and 527 s have become fixtures in national elections. Recent court decisions have significantly expanded the ability of wealthy donors and outside groups to contribute large sums. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

Presidential Campaigns and Elections • Presidential elections, despite their grueling intensity and duration, attract many aspirants every four years. • Nearly all serious candidates for the presidency are experienced politicians. No candidate without any experience in the public sector has ever won the presidency—until Donald Trump. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

Presidential Campaigns and Elections • The three phases of the campaign—the nominating process, party conventions, and the general election —require different political strategies. • Election outcomes are influenced by many factors: the economy, wars, organization, party loyalty, demographics, and the Electoral College. Add the role of accident and luck, and election outcomes are often difficult to predict. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

Congressional Elections • Every two years, all 435 House seats and a third of the Senate seats are up for election. • Very few restrictions govern who may run. • House and Senate incumbents have powerful built-in advantages when running for reelection. • The president’s party generally loses House and Senate seats during the next midterm elections. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

Congressional Elections • The president’s party generally loses House and Senate seats during the next midterm elections. • Decennial redistricting of House seats can result in some strangely shaped—and politically motivated—districts, known as gerrymanders. • Both parties gerrymander. In 2010, Republican control over state legislatures led to election districts that gave the Republicans an advantage in the House of Representatives. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

Congressional Campaigns • To run successfully for Congress, follow a few vital steps: raise sufficient funds (and then raise more), organize a talented team, develop a strategy that plays to your strengths, and hone your message. • If you win, you become a freshman. Well done! Now, start running – your reelection campaign has begun. CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS