Elections and Campaigns Presidential Elections Exploration AnnouncementPress Conference

Elections and Campaigns

Presidential Elections Exploration Announcement/Press Conference Money, Organization, Strategy and Themes Primary Elections and caucuses: closed, open and blanket primaries • Nominating Conventions • Campaigning and the General Election • The Electoral College (270 electoral votes needed to win) • •

General Characteristics of Running for Federal Office • Congress has a 93% incumbency rate • Safe districts • House seats are less contested than Senate or Governor • The coattail effect • Technology has caused all campaigns to go up in cost • Campaigns are now concentrated on media • Negative campaigns attacking opponent work more often than not

House and Senate Elections • Incumbents rarely challenged in primaries • Open seats – must have personal money, organization, timing, consultants • Name recognition and high visibility are the keys to success • Why do incumbents win? ? ? o o Franking privilege Constituent service Free press coverage Seniority and “plums” of committee assignments • Senate elections are more visible, more expensive

Campaign Finance Reform • Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA) 1974: o o There are federal matching funds if candidate receives at least 5% of the votes cast $1, 000 limit for individuals $5, 000 limit for corporations $25, 000 limit for all campaigns for all individuals • Buckley v. Valeo 1976 o Spending limits established by FECA were unconstitutional and violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of expression • Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (BRCA) o Banned the use of “soft” money and increasing the 1974 limits A result of BCRA was the formation of “ 527” political organizations • Citizens United v. Federal Elections Committee 2010* o Political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the 1 st Amendment