Download Electoral College

Elections
Civics & Economics
Do Now
• Political Party
– Brainstorm. What comes to mind when you think
of these words?
– Why do political parties exist?
– What are the purposes and goals of political
parties in general?
Political Party
• An organized group of people with common
values and beliefs who try to get their
candidates elected to political office
What do these symbols represent?
• Democrat - The Donkey
• Republican - The Elephant
Party Platform
• A list of the principles which a political party
supports in order to appeal to the general
public for the purpose of having a party's
candidate(s) voted into office.
• This often takes the form of a list of support
for, or opposition to, controversial topics.
• Individual topics are often called planks of the
platform.
Republican
Democrat
A brief history of political parties
• Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were
the 1st political parties
• Democratic-Republicans would soon become
the modern day Democratic party with
opposition from the newly formed Whig
party.
• Our current system emerged in 1854 when the
Republican Party, or Grand Old Party was
born.
The two party system
• A two-party system is a system where two
major political parties dominate voting in
nearly all elections at every level of
government.
• As a result, all or nearly all elected offices are
members of one of the two major parties.
Do Now
• Finish Political Conventions Questions.
Third Parties
• Third parties are most often formed in response to
specific issues.
• In 2000, the Green Party was just such a group,
nominating political activist and former independent
candidate Ralph Nader for president. The Libertarian
Party is another popular third party.
• Third parties contribute to the system by making the
two major parties focus on certain issues. If the third
party and their issue get enough attention, the other
two parties are then forced to deal with that issue.
Third Parties
• In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader
ultimately took 2.7 percent of the popular vote in
a race where a gap of only 0.5 percent separated
Republican candidate George W. Bush from
Democratic candidate Al Gore.
• Because our system is so heavily weighted as a
two-party system, opponents believe that third
parties only complicate the process, stealing
votes from viable candidates.
The Functions of Political Parties
• Selecting candidates - through open and
closed primaries, caucuses, national
conventions, or by write-in
• Set goals for government - parties have
platforms made up of planks
• Play watchdog - if Republicans are in power,
Democrats act as a check on that power and
vice versa
The Functions of Political Parties
• Give people a voice - like-minded people band
together in political parties to improve their
chances of getting their problems or issues
heard by government
• Jobs - It is customary for candidates to give
jobs to campaign workers who helped him or
her get elected. This is called patronage.
Political Conventions
• A political convention is a meeting of a political party,
typically to announce party candidates.
• In the US, this refers to a presidential nominating
convention, held every four years by the Democratic
and Republican parties.
• The original/formal purpose of such a convention is
to select each party's nominee for President, to
adopt a statement of party principles and goals (the
platform), and to adopt the rules for the party's
activities, including the presidential nominating
process for the next election cycle.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=933hKyKN
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• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZGtY_0g
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Do Now
• Using your sticky note answer the following
question:
– How is the President elected?
Electoral College
• Despite what most Americans might think,
presidents are actually elected by a group of
538 “electors” acting on behalf of the states,
not by the citizens. Electoral College.
• This is not to say that “the people” do not
elect their president necessarily, but it
explains how a candidate can get the most
votes from the people and still lose the
election.
Electoral College
• Each state has electors equal to the number of
Senators (two for each state) and
Representatives (based on population) it has
in Congress.
• Because Representatives (and therefore some
electors) are allotted by population, this is
adjusted every ten years when the
government takes a census.
So, how does one become an elector?
• Political parties choose electors.
• The major parties usually choose them at
conventions.
• Sometimes party leaders decide who will
perform this job.
• Most citizens can become electors; however,
anyone who works for the Federal
Government or is a member of Congress
cannot be an elector.
So why does America have the
Electoral College?
• This was a question the framers of the
Constitution struggled with.
• There was tremendous disagreement.
• In the end, the compromise was the Electoral
College.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Congressional Committee to Study the
Electoral College
• Three students in each group should assume
the following rolls:
– Committee Head – facilitates the discussion and
keeps the group on track; communicates with the
teacher if questions arise or assistance is needed
– Secretary – takes detailed notes regarding the
Committee’s conversation and final
recommendation regarding the Electoral College
– Speaker – presents the Committee’s
recommendation to Congress
Congressional Committee to Study the
Electoral College
• Your group represents members of the House of Representatives
who have been assigned to a Congressional Committee to examine
the Electoral College and determine whether or not the system
should remain or be replaced with alternative procedures.
• Consider the information you’ve learned about the Electoral
College, including the pros and cons to the system.
• Is this the best method of electing the President of the United
States?
• Together, you must discuss your opinions regarding whether this
system is still the fairest method for elections.
• If you decide it is not, then you must determine a reasonable
alternative.
• Be prepared to summarize your decision to the remainder of
Congress (i.e., the class.) If you propose an alternative, be prepared
to explain your idea in detail.
Do Now
• http://www.prwatch.org/video
Political Spectrum
Radical
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Reactionary
Election Process
1. Candidates for office must first go through
primaries to narrow down the field to one
nominee from both of the major political
parties.
2. Candidates for President are whittled down to
one and are announced at the Democratic and
Republican National Conventions.
3. A general election is then held to decide the
winner between the Democrat, Republican and
any third party candidates.
NC Voter Qualifications
• Age: Must be at least 18 years old by the next
general election
• Citizenship: Must be a US citizen
• Residency: Must be a resident of North
Carolina & your county for 30 days before the
election
Straight vs. Split
• Straight Ticket
– A ballot cast for all the
candidates of one party.
– it is convenient
– it provides an easy way
to vote for a philosophy
on a ballot crowded with
dozens of candidates
• Split Ticket
– vote for multiple parties
in different positions on
your ballot.
– split their votes to create
a balanced government
made up of multiple
parties
– see the parties as having
different strengths and
weaknesses
Methods of Campaigning
• Most effective
– Television
– Radio
– Internet (Facebook,
twitter)
– E-mail
• Least effective
– Canvassing (door-todoor)
– Newspaper ads
– Mail flyers
A candidate can get free advertising
through news stories and interviews
Advantages of an incumbent
• Experience
• Name recognition
• Franking privilege (free mailings through
USPS)
• Easier time raising money
Propaganda
• A statement or image meant to mislead
people into believing an exaggerated truth
Emotional
appeal (i.e.
fear):
Appealing to the emotions of your audience.
Glittering
generalities:
A glittering generality device seeks to make us approve
and accept without examining the evidence
Testimonials:
Famous people or figures who will appear trustworthy
speak to the audience
Bandwagon:
The basic theme of the band wagon appeal is that
"everyone else is doing it, and so should you."
Plain-folks:
By using the plain-folks technique, speakers attempt to
convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are
"of the people.”
Scientific
approach:
Using scientific jargon (i.e. numbers, statistics, data,
etc.) to convince your audience
Snob appeal:
Card stacking:
Transfer:
Name-calling:
Euphemisms:
Giving the impression that people of wealth and
prestige are on board
Only presenting one side of the issue/situation
Transfer is a device by which the propagandist carries
over the authority, sanction, and prestige of something
we respect and revere to something he would have us
accept.
The name-calling technique links a person, or idea, to a
negative symbol.
The propagandist attempts to pacify the audience in
order to make an unpleasant reality more palatable.
This is accomplished by using words that are bland and
euphemistic.
• You have been assigned a particular propaganda
technique.
• Create an ad to present to class using this
propaganda technique.
• You may create an ad for TV, an ad for the radio,
or a visual ad (i.e. poster).
• The purpose of the ad is to recruit votes for
Jerimiah Jacobs, who is running for the North
Carolina State Senate.
• You may be creative in the content you provide
about Jerimiah, but it must be presented in a way
that utilizes your propaganda technique.
Do Now
• What is the difference between Civic Duty and
Civic Responsibility?
• Give an example of each.
Public opinion polling
• Lets candidates know what issues are
important to voters
• Predicts who will win the election
Political Party vs. Special Interest
Groups
• Political parties seek to win elections
• Special Interest groups seek to influence those
who win elections
How Special Interest Groups Influence
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Lobbying
Donating campaign money
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Writing and suggesting laws
Patronage
• Elected officials appoint supporters and party
members to government positions
• “To the winner go the spoils”
Actions of Citizens to promote change
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Vote
Protest
Petitions/Initiatives
Boycott
Letters to lawmakers
Volunteerism
• Americorps- promotes volunteerism in urban
and poor areas in the U.S.
• Peace Corps- promotes volunteerism in poor
nations around the world.