Starter Questions (1 paragraph response)…

1. Starter Questions (1 paragraph response)… • First, let me say that the postings for the Current Events wiki look good. I am waiting to make comments until later this weekend when you have responded to your classmates postings. • . Now for the starter... You need to write an answer to only one starter. (1) If you watched Romney's speech last night, take a copy of "Analysis: Romney Speech...". Either refute that article OR provide your own evaluation of the speech. (2) If you didn't, please take a copy of Clint Eastwood articles (1 & 2) • When celebrity endorsements are promoted, what risks do the politician and celebrity face? How is that risk different from an endorsement agreement between a celebrity and corporation?

2. Voting, Campaigns, and Elections By Mr. Miguel Academy of Our Lady of Guam

3. Overview • What the founders were thinking when they established a role for elections, and the potential roles that elections can play in a democracy • Americans’ ambivalence about the vote and the reasons that only about half of the citizenry even bother to exercise what is supposed to be a precious right • How voters go about making decisions, and how this in turn influences the character of presidential elections • The organizational and strategic aspects of running for the presidency • What election means for citizens

4. Consider this... • Was the United States in a constitutional crisis in the 2000 Florida election? • Had the will of the people been thwarted? • Could the new president – whoever it may be – govern effectively under such dim circumstances? • Are elections a state matter? Should they be turned over to the national government? • Is the electoral college merely an arcane institution that needs to be replaced?

5. The Founder’s Intentions

6. Selection of Leaders • Policy Direction • Citizen Development • Informing the Public • Containing Conflict • Legitimization and System Stability The Function of Elections

7. Selection of Leaders John Stuart Mill The Truth? Process scares off candidates Elections ONLY ensure the leader chosen = most popular on ballot • “the natural tendency of representative government…is toward collective mediocrity; and this tendency is increased by all reductions and extensions of the franchise, their effect being to place the principal power in the hands of classes more and more below the highest level of instruction in the community”

8. Policy Direction • We do note vote on policies • How responsive are they to our interests? • *elections speed up the process by which changes in public preferences are translated into policy

9. Citizen Development • Passive -> Active • Political efficacy: citizens feelings of effectiveness in political affairs

10. Informing the Public

11. Containing Conflict

12. Legitimization and System Stability

14. Age • Gender • Income • Education • Race and Ethnicity • Summary: • Wealthy, college- educated, older whites voted at a rate of 95% in 2004 • whereas poor, young, minority group members who went no further than high school estimated at 54% Exercising the Right to Vote in America Who votes and who doesn’t?

15. Legal Obstacles • Attitude Changes • Voter Mobilization • Decrease in Social Connectedness • Generational Changes • The Rational Nonvoter Why Don’t People Vote?

16. Legal Obstacles • Registration • Quantity of Elections • National Elections to be held on a Tuesday • Why no changes?

17. Legal Obstacles • Attitude Changes • Psychological orientation • Partisanship • Voter Mobilization • Ineffectiveness; negativity • Decrease in Social Connectedness • Generational Changes • The Rational Nonvoter Why Don’t People Vote?

18. Decrease in Social Connectedness

19. Generational Changes

20. The Rational Non-voter • Why does anyone vote? • Definition: the benefits of an action outweigh the costs • Is that true of voting? • What are the benefits?

21. Does Non-Voting Matter Question Consequences for… Election Outcomes More support for democrats? Democracy Non-voting can influence the stability and legitimacy of democratic government Sometimes, as little as 25% of eligible electorate may have voted for the winner • Would election outcomes would be different if nonvoters were to participate? Do higher levels of nonvoting indicate that democracy is not healthy?

22. Essential Questions • Are we being properly representative? • Why are the voting turnout rates so low? • How can we fix it? Is it necessary to fix it?

23. Partisanship and Social Group Membership • Gender, Race, and Ethnicity • Issues and Policy • The Candidates How the Voter Decides

24. Partisanship and Group Membership • Party Identification • Usually stable and long term • Carries from one election to another • Strong direct influence on voting decisions • Unusual conditions can prompt change • JFK in 1960s

25. Gender, Race, and Ethnicity • Unclear • Gender Gap • Women tend to support Dem. • Married women = more conservative than single women • African Americans • Since Civil Rights movement – 90% Democrat • Ethnicity = less predictive than race as it differs from state to stae

26. Issues and Policy • Ideal Citizen: Well informed, highly attentive, analytial, casitng votes for the candidate who BEST represents their preferred policy solutions • BUT, we know…Americans generally do not fit this model • Role of Issues • People are busy • People know where they stand on issues • Media is not as substantive as it should be

27. Issues and Policy Prospective Voting Retrospective Voting RV = casting votes as signs of approval or to signal their desire for change • PV = voters base their decisions on what will happen in the future if they vote for a candidate • Voters decide partly on what candidates promise to do and partly on what incumbents have done

28. Candidates • Public Image • Stance on issues • Other qualities • Obama • Experience – 54% McCain • Theme – 54% Obama • Temperament - 55% Obama • Optimism – 62% Obama

29. Summary: voters come to a conclusion through a mix of partisan considerations, membership in social groups, policy information, and candidate image