Transcript Objective 4.02 - civisandeconomics

Objective 4.02
The Election Process
Voting Amendments
• 15th – Cannot deny right to vote due to
race
• 19th – Cannot deny right to vote due to
sex/gender
• 24th – eliminated the poll tax
• 26th – 18-20 year olds can vote
Voter Qualifications
• Must be a citizen of the U.S.
• Must be a legal resident of state
• Must be atleast 18 years old
• Must be mentally and physically
competent
• Cannot be a felon
Political Cartoon
Questions
1. What statement is the cartoonist
trying to convey about voting?
2. Define APATHY.
3. Why do you think people in America
are so apathetic about voting?
Who is nominated?
• Well-known public records/elected
office
• Large state governors/or senators
• Protestants
• Pleasing appearance
• Appear happily married/attractive
family
• Well-developed speaking ability
• Male
Nominating Process
1. Caucus
2. Primary
• Open
• Closed
3. National Convention
4. General Election
1. Caucus
• Members of a party meet
independently to select the candidate.
• Only registered party members may
participate
2. Primary Election
• Primary Elections
•A small election to narrow down
a field of candidates.
• No candidate has decided to run against
Barak Obama, however the Republicans
have to continue primary elections until
one candidate receives 1,144 delegate
votes
Primary Elections
• Closed primaries – only party members
may vote (26 states and DC)
• Open primary – every registered voter
can vote, you choose the party ballot (24
states)
• Blanket Primary – “wide open” all
voters may vote for any candidate from
all the contenders regardless of the party
(3 states)
National Convention
• Large scale event used to announce
the party’s nomination
• Democrat National Convention will held in
Charlotte, NC this year. Barak Obama will
be announced as the Democrat Presidential
candidate
• Republican National Convention will be held
in Tampa Bay, Florida. One candidate will
be selected to go against Obama for the
general election
General Elections
• What?
• Elects candidates to office
• When?
• First Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.
Electoral College
Electoral College in the United States
• Electoral College – Formally elect
president
• 538 members
• Same number as the members of the
House (435) + Senate (100) + 3 votes
in Washington DC (Amendment 23)
• NC has 15 Electors (2 Senate + 13
House)
Electoral College in the United States
• President needs 270 votes to win
(majority = 51%)
• Vote = Monday after the 2nd
Wednesday in December
• Winner takes all system – the
candidate with the most votes in the
state take all of the Electoral votes
• If there is no majority winner, the
House of Representatives selects the
President /Senate selects the VP
Electoral College
• How many electoral votes must
someone win to become president?
• Why?
• What does it mean that the
Electoral College has a winner-takeall system?
• Why might some candidates avoid
the lower populated states?
Steps to Become President
• Step 1
• Be at least 35 years old and a citizen
born in the United States, Guam,
Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands
(or to American parents abroad). You
also need to have been a US resident
for at least 14 years.
Steps to Become President
• Step 2
• Hold a law degree. Out of 44
presidents, 26 have been lawyers. It
also helps to have government service
on your resume. 17 governors, 16
senators, and 19 members of the
House of Representatives have become
president.
Steps to Become President
• Step 3
• Start raising money—lots of it---for
your campaign. You’ve got a long way
to go. The Bush-Cheney ticket, for
example, spent $186 million
campaigning in 2000. Barack Obama's
presidential campaign raised $745
million and spent over $16 million on
online advertising alone!
Obama Fund Raising
Steps to Become President
• Step 4
• Gather a bright, devoted and tireless
campaign staff, including strategists,
spokespeople and speechwriters.
Obama Campaign Trail
Steps to Become President
• Step 5
• Campaign like crazy before and during
your party’s primaries and caucuses.
They begin in January of each election
year.
Steps to Become President
• Step 6
• Name your running mate. When you look at
potential candidates for vice president, take into
consideration the voting block he or she is
supported by and can help deliver (the South, the
labor vote, women, senior citizens, military
veterans, etc.). If your experience is weak in
certain areas, your running mate can strengthen it
with his or her own background. Bottom line: Pick
someone who would be a good president should you
die or otherwise leave office.
Steps to Become President
• Step 7
• Win the majority of delegates who
will vote at your party’s national
convention. If you don’t have more
than half in your camp going into the
convention, work on the unpledged
delegates. These include high raking
party members, governors, and
congressional representatives.
Steps to Become President
• Step 8
• Celebrate your campaign victory, and
campaign like crazy all over the
country until elections in November
Steps to Become President
• Step 9
• Win a majority of the Electoral
College, which isn’t the same thing as
the popular vote. There are 538
electoral votes, and you.
Steps to Become President
• Step 10
• Practice reciting the oath for the
inaugural ceremony on January 20: “I
do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I
will faithfully execute the office of
president of the United States, and will
to the best of my ability preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution of
the United States.”
Propaganda
•Definition:
•A way to
persuade or
influence
voters
• Endorsements
• Glittering
Generalities
• Bandwagon
• Stack Cards
• Name Calling
• “Just Plain Folks”
• Symbols
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• Endorsements – someone famous will
support a candidate.
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• Glittering Generality – a statement
that sounds good, but is essentially
meaningless.
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• Bandwagon – urges people to follow
the crowd.
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• Stacked Cards – only presenting one
side of an issue
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• Name-Calling – unpleasant statement
about your opposing candidate
Propaganda (pg. 274)
• “Just Plain Folks” – candidates will
present themselves as the everyday
American citizen.
Propaganda (pg.274)
• Symbols– using and misusing
popular symbols when appealing to
the public
Voter Registration
• To be eligible to vote, you must be
at least 18, a resident of the state
for a specified time, and a U.S.
citizen.
• In most states, like North Carolina,
you must also be registered to vote.
• Registration is a very easy process.
The easiest way to register in NC is
to go to the DMV. Motor-Voter Act.
Election Terms
•Voting Districts
•Polling place
•Precinct
•Board of Elections
•National Convention
Steps in Voting
• To vote, you go to the polling place, a
location in your precinct, or voting district.
• You fill out and sign an application form at
the clerk’s table. The clerk reads your name
aloud and passes your application to a
challenger’s table.
• The challenger looks up your registration
form and compares your signature to the
one on your application. If they do not
appear to match, the challenger may ask for
more identification.
Special Elections
• Recall Election
• Initiative
• Referendum
Initiative
• Citizens can propose new laws or
state constitutional amendments
through an initiative.
• If enough voters sign a petition,
the proposed law, or
proposition, is put on the ballot
at the next general election.
Referendum
• Citizens may petition to have a
state or local law referred, or
sent back, to the voters as a
referendum on the ballot.
• The voters can then approve or
reject the law.
Recall Election
• A recall is a special election in
which citizens can vote to
remove an official from office.
• Why might voters recall an
official?
Blooper
Campaign Funding
• A campaign for a major office takes
a lot of money.
• Parties raise money for the campaign
and help get the candidates’ views
across to the public.
• They make sure supporters are
registered to vote and actually vote.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
• Organizations established to support political candidates
by giving $
• PACs support candidates who favor their position on
issues by contributing to their parties.
Political Machine
• It is an unofficial system
of a political organization
based on patronage and
the spoils system.
• Machines often have a
boss like “Boss” Tweed in
NYC in the late 1800s.
• Often times these political
machines are corrupt, like
in Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington.