Chapter 16, Section 3Chapter 16, Section 3Nominating CandidatesNominating Candidates

Mr. YoungMr. Young

American GovernmentAmerican Government

Republican vs. Democrats (Foundations)

Northern US Evangelical

Protestants Favored abolition of

slavery and alcohol Harsh Immigration

Laws Northern Financial

Interests

Poor farmer in South and Western frontier

State’s rights Did not want to

abolish slavery Identified with

immigrants

Republican Party

Lead charge for state’s rights, wanting states not federal government to manage issues and programs

Smaller government and get federal government off backs of states, business, and individuals (only foreign policy and defense)

Oppose gun control

Generalization of GOP

Higher-income individuals Self-employed individuals Business people College-educated Small-town more than big-city Men Whites Fundamental or evangelical Christians Protestants

Democratic Party

Believe the federal government should play major role in assisting citizens and helping with problems

Less willing to turn over federal dollars to the states

Favor gun control, affirmative action, and higher taxes

Generally pro-choice on abortion

Generalization of Democrats

Less-educated and highly-educated Working-class citizens (especially

unionized workers) Minority groups (Especially African

American and Non-Cuban Hispanics) Women (especially unmarried) Jewish and (to a lesser extent)

Catholic voters Urban rather than rural people

Make your own choice

Look at platforms of parties Choose the party that best fits your

personality, interests, and beliefs as a whole

Here are some major issues to look at:1. Tax Policy2. Role of Federal Government3. Social Issues4. The environment

Essential QuestionEssential Question

What are the five different way that a What are the five different way that a candidate can be selected or candidate can be selected or nominated?nominated?

What is the purpose of the national What is the purpose of the national convention? What happens at the convention? What happens at the national convention?national convention?

1)1) CaucusesCaucuses Is a meeting of like-Is a meeting of like-

minded people that minded people that select candidates for select candidates for upcomingupcoming elections elections

Early caucuses were Early caucuses were privateprivate meetings meetings

Used in the early days Used in the early days but not considered but not considered democraticdemocratic because because not everyone got a not everyone got a say.say.

Iowa Caucus VotersIowa Caucus Voters

2) Petitions/Self-announcements2) Petitions/Self-announcements Some states Some states requirerequire

not only third parties not only third parties candidates but candidates but allall candidates have a candidates have a petitionpetition with a certain with a certain number of signaturesnumber of signatures

Write in candidates Write in candidates will use the method of will use the method of self-announcementsself-announcements

Used most at Used most at locallocal level of governmentlevel of government

3) Nominating Conventions 3) Nominating Conventions

An official public An official public meetingmeeting of a party to choose of a party to choose candidates for candidates for officeoffice

In each local area, party In each local area, party members elect members elect delegatesdelegates to represent them at to represent them at countycounty conventions; conventions; county elect county elect StateState, State , State elect elect NationalNational, and , and National elect National elect PresPres and and ViceVice

Powerful party Powerful party bosses bosses corrupted the corrupted the nominating conventionnominating convention

4) Primary Elections4) Primary Elections Most widely used Most widely used

method is method is direct direct primary-primary- an election in an election in which party members which party members select people to run in select people to run in the general electionthe general election

Closed primary-Closed primary- in in which only members of which only members of a political party can a political party can votevote

Open primary-Open primary- all all voters may participate voters may participate even if they do not even if they do not belong to a party.belong to a party.

Primary Elections Cont.Primary Elections Cont. Washington and California Washington and California

have used a have used a blanket blanket primaryprimary- voters can - voters can nominate a Democrat or nominate a Democrat or Republican for each officeRepublican for each office

In most states a candidate In most states a candidate only needs a only needs a pluralityplurality- - more votes than the other more votes than the other person- to win.person- to win.

Runoff primaryRunoff primary- second - second primary election between primary election between two candidates who two candidates who received the most votesreceived the most votes

Primary Elections Cont.Primary Elections Cont.

Nonpartisan primary-Nonpartisan primary- candidates are candidates are not identified by not identified by partyparty labels (used a labels (used a lot in local elections such as city lot in local elections such as city officials and school offices or certain officials and school offices or certain judgeships)judgeships)

Primary vs. CaucusPrimary vs. Caucus

Primary vs. CaucusPrimary vs. Caucus

It has been said that primaries reflect broad-based voter appeal, while caucuses measure voter intensity. There may be something to that. Turnout for caucuses are usually only a fraction as large as for primaries, yet often the candidate that can generate the most passionate support can dominate the caucuses. That was the case in the high-profile Democratic presidential contest in 2008. Four states held both a primary and caucus, and in each Barack Obama ran decidedly better in the caucus.

Primary and Caucuses VideoPrimary and Caucuses Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_QeYCg4yJ8

Khan AcademyKhan Academy

Presidential NominationsPresidential Nominations

Major Major tasktask of delegates at national of delegates at national convention is to select a convention is to select a ticketticket, , candidates for president and vice candidates for president and vice presidentpresident

Varies from Varies from statestate to state and even to state and even from political from political partyparty to political party to political party

Presidential Nomination Cont.Presidential Nomination Cont. Three generalizations about presidential Three generalizations about presidential

primariesprimaries1.1. They may be a They may be a delegatedelegate selection selection

process or a process or a presidentialpresidential selection selection preference poll, or bothpreference poll, or both

2.2. Either the candidate gets all the state’s Either the candidate gets all the state’s conventionconvention votes (“winner-take-all”), or votes (“winner-take-all”), or each candidate gets each candidate gets delegatesdelegates based on based on number of number of popularpopular votes votes

3.3. Delegates selected based on the basis of Delegates selected based on the basis of popularpopular vote may have to vote may have to supportsupport candidate at convention, or may candidate at convention, or may notnot

Primary Cont.Primary Cont. Some criticisms of the Some criticisms of the

primary method areprimary method are1.1. It can It can dividedivide the the

loyaltyloyalty of the party of the party2.2. It is too It is too costlycostly, too , too

longlong, and some , and some lowerlower income people cannot income people cannot seek officeseek office

3.3. Voter Voter turnoutturnout is often is often lowlow

4.4. Candidates Candidates more more important than the important than the issuesissues

National Convention according National Convention according to Norman Mailerto Norman Mailer

"a fiesta, a carnival, a pig-rooting, "a fiesta, a carnival, a pig-rooting, horse-snorting, band-playing, voice horse-snorting, band-playing, voice screaming medieval get together screaming medieval get together of greed, practical lust, of greed, practical lust, compromised idealism, career- compromised idealism, career- advancement, meeting, feud, advancement, meeting, feud, vendetta, conciliation of rabble-vendetta, conciliation of rabble-rousers, fist fights, embraces, rousers, fist fights, embraces, drunks and collective rivers of drunks and collective rivers of animal sweat."animal sweat."

The National ConventionThe National Convention

National National Committee Committee chooses the chooses the sitesite and and datesdates for the for the conventionconvention

Also tells each Also tells each state party how state party how many many votesvotes the the state will have at state will have at the conventionthe convention

Rules CommitteeRules Committee Each party’s rules Each party’s rules

committee committee governsgoverns the the way the convention is way the convention is run; in most cases the run; in most cases the delegates delegates acceptaccept the the rules committee’s rules committee’s reports, but sometimes reports, but sometimes hard-fought battles hard-fought battles take place by take place by delegates who oppose delegates who oppose decisions made by the decisions made by the rules rules committeecommittee

Credentials Committee and Credentials Committee and Committee on Permanent Org.Committee on Permanent Org.

Must Must approveapprove the delegations from the delegations from each state, and sometimes lively each state, and sometimes lively fights have occurred between rival fights have occurred between rival delegations for a state’s seatsdelegations for a state’s seats

A committee on permanent A committee on permanent organization selects the permanent organization selects the permanent chairpersonchairperson and other permanent and other permanent officials for the officials for the conventionconvention

Platform CommitteePlatform Committee The Platform Committee The Platform Committee

is assigned the is assigned the importantimportant task of writing the party’s task of writing the party’s platformplatform—a statement of —a statement of its principles, beliefs, and its principles, beliefs, and positions on vital issuespositions on vital issues

PlanksPlanks, or individual , or individual parts of the platform, parts of the platform, may may dividedivide the delegates the delegates

If the If the platformplatform divides divides the party, the party the party, the party stands a good chance at stands a good chance at losinglosing the election the election

Vice-Presidential NominationVice-Presidential Nomination Presidential nominee Presidential nominee

selects a running mate selects a running mate that is that is automaticallyautomatically accepted by conventionaccepted by convention

Selected to Selected to balance the balance the ticketticket, meaning that , meaning that he/she has a he/she has a personalpersonal, , politicalpolitical, or , or geographicalgeographical background that is background that is differentdifferent