Chapter 10 VOTING AND ELECTIONS Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.

Chapter 10

VOTING AND ELECTIONS

Pearson Education, Inc. © 2005


Bush Wins the 2004 Presidential Election● After a long, bitter, and closely contested campaign, Bush won both the electoral

and the popular vote

● The campaign was especially long because both candidates were known early

● Both campaigns launched full-scale attacks, using the massive amounts of money collected by official campaign organizations, state and national party organizations, and associated advocacy groups► McCain-Feingold law ► 527 advocacy organizations

► Fierce partisanship

● 60% voting turnout, the highest since 1968

● Continued importance of, and focus on, the electoral college


Elections and Democracy

Elections are essential for democratic politics.

Elections are the principal means by which popular sovereignty and majority rule are supposed to work.

Can elections ensure that governments will do what the people want?


Theories of democratic two-party control of government

Prospective (or Responsible party) voting model Theory: Voters decide what government will do in

the near future by choosing one or another responsible party (a party that takes a clear stand on the issues and enacts them as policy).

Problems: American parties may not behave as “responsible

parties.”Voters may actually be choosing the “less

unpopular” stand rather than the one that they prefer (as the public does not choose the party platforms).

As the Republican and Democratic parties become more ideologically distinct, political conflict becomes more intense.


Electoral Competition Voting Model

Theory: parties seeking votes move toward the median voter or the center of the political spectrum

Problems: voters must consider nothing but the issues and must know exactly where the parties stand

Still, electoral competition is probably one of the main reasons that government policy is significantly influenced by public opinion.


Retrospective (or Reward and Punishment) Voting Model

Theory: Voters look back at the performance of a party in power and cast ballots on the basis of how well it did in office.

Problems: often, an incumbent’s record is mixedno guarantee that future leaders will be better


Imperfect Electoral Democracy

Each of these three processes of democratic control works to some extent.

None of them works well enough to guarantee perfectly democratic outcomes.Each requires more unified political parties than

we have.Money givers, activists, and leaders of

organized groups have more influence than do ordinary citizens.

As shown in the 2000 presidential election, not all ballots cast by voters are actually counted.


American Elections in Comparative Perspective

The U.S. has more elections than any other democratic nation.

Elections in the U.S. are separate and independent from one another.

Elections fill government positions that have fixed terms of office.

National (and state-wide) elections are held on a fixed date.

Elections in the U.S. are almost always based on “first past the post.”


Political ParticipationPolitical participation refers to

political activity by individual citizens.Unconventional participation —

includes activities such as demonstrations and boycotts

Conventional participation — includes activities such as voting, writing letters, contacting officials, giving money


Expansion of the franchise The franchise was quite restricted in the early

years of the United States. Restrictions based on property, tax-paying, and

religion mostly disappeared by 1829. Restrictions based on race, gender, and age

ended only after difficult and painful struggles. However, the proportion of the voting-age

population that is eligible to vote has dropped in recent yearslarge influx of immigrants who are not citizensdenial of the right to vote for former felons


Direct Partisan ElectionsOld indirect methods of electing officials

have been replaced by more direct methods.Even with the electoral college, the election of the

president has become more directly democratic.With primary elections, voters directly choose

candidates for election.In 1913, the Senate became directly elected rather

than being chosen by state legislatures.


Low Voting TurnoutDuring the first century of American

history, suffrage expanded to more groups, and larger and larger proportions voted.

Since then, voting rates have declined dramatically.

The ideal of political equality is violated by low rates of voter turnout.


Causes of Low Voter TurnoutBarriers to voting

RegistrationNon-holiday election day

Lack of attractive choicesToo much complexityAlienationLack of general voter mobilization by

political parties


Campaigning InvolvementDespite low voter turnout levels,

Americans are more likely than people in other countries to participate actively in campaigns.

Areas of involvementContact officialsGive money Attend meetingsAttend political ralliesWork actively in a campaign organization


Who Participates?IncomeEducationRace and ethnicityAgeGender


Does It Matter Who Votes? Some argue that the rate of

participation is unimportant because the preferences of those who vote are similar to those who do not vote.

However, nonvoters are clearly different from voters.

Broader participation would increase popular sovereignty and political equality.


Campaigning for OfficeContending for a presidential

nominationCharacteristics of nominees — who has

a chance?Getting startedPrimaries and caucusesNational conventions


Nomination Politics and Democracy

Crucial role of party activists and money givers

Incumbents


The fall campaign traditionally began on Labor Day, but now tends to start right after the conventions or earlier.

Campaign organizations set up in each state Intense money raising, combined with a new round of

public financing Media blitz Focus groups Voter registration and voter turnout campaigns Informing voters

issuespast performancepersonal characteristics

The Autumn Campaign


Money and ElectionsPresidential campaigns cost enormous

amounts of money.The cost has increased rapidly over time.Campaign spending may not look so big

when compared with corporate advertising.


The source of campaign money is far more problematic for democracy than the cost of presidential elections. Where does the money come from?

Government subsidiesPACsIndividuals

Does money talk?Role in nomination processRole in policy formationSpecial interests of money givers

Result: political inequality


How Voters DecideParties, candidates, and issues all have

substantial effects on how people vote.Social characteristicsParty loyaltiesCandidatesIssues

retrospective votingthe economyforeign policynew issues


The Impact of CampaignsMany factors that determine how voters

decide are relatively fixed.But research indicates that campaigns affect,

on average, about 4% of the national vote.This is quite important, given that the average

margin of victory in presidential elections has been only about 5%


The Electoral College When voting for president, American voters are

actually voting for a slate of electors who have promised to support the candidate.

Almost all states now have winner-take-all systems. The “college” of electors from the different states

never meets; instead the winning slates are sent to D.C.

Consequences of the electoral college systemmagnifies the popular support of the winnermay let the less popular candidate win (1876,

1888, 2000)discourages third parties


Voting, Elections, and Democracy

U.S. elections help make the public’s voice heard, but political equality is damaged by providing more political influence to some types of people than to others.

Chapter 10 VOTING AND ELECTIONS Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.

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