Congressional Elections Constitution Senators Up for election every

Congressional Elections

Constitution • Senators – Up for election every 6 years – Originally selected by state legislatures – 17 th Amendment, 1913: Direct statewide election • Members of House of Representatives – Up for election every 2 years – Directly elected by people – Elected from districts

Rules governing election to Congress • The Constitution

Constitution: election to the House of Representatives • • • Election every 2 years Must be 25 years old Citizenship for 7 years Live in the state Selected same way as largest house of state legislature (popular vote) • Apportioned among states based on population

Constitution: election to the Senate • Election every 6 years – Three Classes • • • Must be at least 30 years old Citizen for 9 years Live in the state Selected by state legislatures 2 per state

Rules governing election to Congress • The Constitution • Single-member, winner-take all districts • Reapportionment and redistricting

Reapportionment • When the federal government reallocates seats among the states after the decennial census

Gains and losses due to 2010 reapportionment Losses Gains • • Arizona Florida Georgia Nevada South Carolina Texas Utah Washington +1 +2 +1 +1 +1 +4 +1 +1 • • • Illinois Iowa Louisiana Massachusetts Michigan Missouri New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania -1 -1 -2 -2 -1

Redistricting • When states redraw congressional district boundaries after decennial census • Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) – Each district must have equal population

What criteria should states use in deciding where to draw district lines?

Conflicting Values • • • Contiguity of boundaries (requirement) Equal population (requirement) Compactness Keeping together communities of interest Protecting interests of racial minorities – Meeting requirements of Voting Rights Act • Partisan gerrymandering • Incumbent protection • Maximizing competition

Rules governing election to Congress • • The Constitution Single-member, winner-take all districts Reapportionment and redistricting Primary election laws – Open vs. Closed • FECA

Federal Election Campaign Act (as amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002) • Contribution limit (from an individual to a candidate’s campaign) = $2500 • Total cycle contribution limit (from individuals to all candidate and party committees) = $117, 000 • Contribution limit (PACs to each candidate’s campaign) = $5000

How do voters decide? Heuristics: • Party ID • Name recognition • Incumbency!

Sources of incumbent advantage • • Voters recognize their name Gerrymandering Privileges of office Ease of raising money

How do voters decide? • Heuristics • Campaigns

Cost of campaigns • • 2010 Ave. House campaign cost: $1. 1 million Ave. Senate campaign cost: $8. 1 million Incumbents’ ave. expenditures: $814, 507* Challengers’ ave. expenditures: $369, 823* • *As of 2000, ratio similar but numbers higher today. • In 2010, the 78 House candidates in the closest races spent $1. 75 million each, on average. • In 2000, NY Sen. Race cost $69 million.

Total cost of campaigns

Where does money come from?

Where does money come from?

Budget of a typical House campaign

Who gets elected? • White men

Who gets elected? • White men • Lawyers • Christians • Previously elected officials

Small group discussion What constitutes good representation? What characteristics of a representative would make you feel like he or she should do a good job representing you and your interests? What behavior should a good representative engage in? When, if ever, should a representative put his constituents’ interests aside and think of the greater good? You will turn your notes in for participation credit.

Different models of representation • Looking like me, having my background – “Symbolic representation” • Rep. uses own judgment to act on my behalf – “Representative-as-delegate” • Doing exactly what I would do – “Representative as agent” • Communication with me