Chapter 9

Campaigns and Elections: Democracy in Action

A basic understanding of the electoral process is absolutely necessary in order to truly understand democracy in the United States. This chapter has five central themes. First is the surprising lack of competition in congressional elections, especially those for the House. Incumbent representatives and senators have become formidable reelection machines through their constituency case work, their large staffs, their use of the frank, their ability to dominate local media coverage of elections, their near monopoly of PAC contributions, and their campaign skills.

A second theme is the rather odd process we have developed to choose presidential nominee. The incredibly complicated series of state primaries and caucuses makes the process a marathon that places a premium on campaign organization, media skills, planning, and personal stamina. As Walter Mondale said back in 1976, a serious candidate has to be willing to spend a year of his life in Holiday Inns.

The Electoral College is the third theme and how to improve elections is the fourth. Electoral College mechanics are explained, and the chapter also analyzes the numerous problems inherent in the Electoral College system. One problem was obvious in the 2000 election—Gore won the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College. We have, however, come close to a similar situation on other occasions--1976, 1968, 1960, 1948. The possibility of a House election was brought forth once again by the strength of Ross Perot in 1992. Public opinion polls in the early summer had Perot carrying several major states, which would have made it impossible, if those results had held, for any one candidate to win a majority of the Electoral College vote. The fourth theme—improving elections—was again clear from 2000. Punch card ballots and “hanging chads” will forever be part of U.S. political history.

The fifth theme is the impact of money on the electoral process. The growing importance of political action committees is a cause of concern to political scientists, journalists, and office holders. Reforms are constantly proposed. The growth of PACs is the result of the reform of 1974, but the text explains the technical, political, even constitutional problems in bringing about wholesale change.

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Assess the impact of the rules of the electoral game on electoral outcomes.

2. Examine the importance of regularly scheduled elections, fixed terms, winner take all, and the Electoral College.

3. Compare and contrast House and Senate elections.

4. Identify three stages of the formal process of running for the presidency.

5. Discuss the different procedures used to choose delegates to the national conventions.

6. Analyze how different delegate selection procedures affect candidate campaign strategies.

7. Trace the changes in the role of the national party conventions.

8. Describe the process of nomination by petition, as demonstrated by Ross Perot in 1992.

9. Outline the usual course of the presidential campaign after the close of the conventions.

10. Discuss the most important factors in shaping campaign strategies for the presidential general election.

11. Explain the role played by debates between the presidential candidates since 1960.

12. Debate the pros and cons of presidential primaries.

13. Evaluate the major proposals for reforming the presidential nomination process.

14. Analyze the major proposed reforms of the Electoral College system.

15. Explain the reasons for concerns about campaign finance.

16. Trace the major efforts proposed and taken to reform campaign finance.

17. Explain why campaign finance reform, especially of the role of PACs, has been so difficult to accomplish.

18. Discuss what factors significantly influenced the outcomes of the 1996, 1998 and 2000 elections.

19. What are the pro and con arguments concerning soft money in American politics?

20. Describe the proposed improvements in administering elections.