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The Political Processes

The Political Processes. Created by Sarah Duncan Portsmouth Public Schools. Functions of Political Parties. Recruiting and Nominating candidates Educating the electorate/public about campaign issues Helping candidates win elections Monitoring action of candidates and members of their party.

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The Political Processes

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  1. The Political Processes Created by Sarah Duncan Portsmouth Public Schools

  2. Functions of Political Parties • Recruiting and Nominating candidates • Educating the electorate/public about campaign issues • Helping candidates win elections • Monitoring action of candidates and members of their party

  3. Similarities between parties • Organized to win elections • Influence public policies • Reflect both liberal and conservative views • Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center

  4. Differences between the Parties • States in a party’s platform and reflected in campaigning • GOP Party Information • Democratic Party Information

  5. What’s the Difference??? Democratic Party Republican Party • Organize • Influence • Appeal to the Center • Both Liberal and Conservative Views

  6. Democratic Party • What is the Platform? The National Platform is an official statement of the Party's position on a wide variety of issues. Each issue category included in the Platform is a "plank." A new Platform is adopted every four years by the Democratic National Convention. • In 1840, the Democratic Party adopted the first-ever platform by a political party. That document was less than 1,000 words. Our 2000 Platform is about 25,000 words, but some Platforms have been as large as 40,000 words. http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/the_2004_democr.php

  7. Democratic Party • The Democratic Party has a long and proud history of representing and protecting the interests of working Americans and guaranteeing personal liberties for all. The 2000 National Platform emphasized three key Democratic Party ideals: • (1) Prosperity - sustaining and strengthening the economic growth that brought opportunities to so many Americans in the 1990s; • (2) Progress - paying attention to the aspects of our lives that cannot be measured in economic terms but which have a deep impact on our everyday existence; and • (3) Peace - more than just the absence of war it means protecting America's security wherever it is endangered and promoting democratic values around the world. http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/the_2004_democr.php

  8. The Republican Party One hundred and fifty years ago, Americans who had gathered to protest the expansion of slavery gave birth to a political Party that would save the Union – the Republican Party. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois carried the Republican banner in the Presidential election and was elected the Party’s first President. He became our nation’s greatest leader … and one of our Party’s greatest heroes. Every day, we strive to fulfill Lincoln’s vision: a country united and free, in which all people are guaranteed equal rights and the opportunity to pursue their dreams. His legacy goes beyond the borders of America. It can be seen in free governments all over the world. http://www.gop.com/media/2004platform.pdf

  9. Third Parties • Introduce new ideas or press for a particular issue • Often revolve around a political personality (Theodore Roosevelt)

  10. Bull Moose Party • In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was the candidate of the third party called the Progressive Bull Moose Party. • They called for a more active national government for making reforms • Woodrow Wilson, Democrat, won the election http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/bullmoose.htm

  11. Green PartyReform PartyLibertarian Party • All parties want reforms for the nation that address environmental, governmental, and economic issues • Green Party • Reform Party • Libertarian Party

  12. How do I know what each party is saying? What helps me decide who or how to vote?

  13. Strategies for evaluating campaign speeches, literature, and advertisements • Separate fact from opinion • Detect Bias/Slants/one view point • Evaluate your sources (news, print, internet) • Identify propaganda/half truths or misinformation

  14. Mass Media roles in Elections • Identify candidates • People are most familiar with those they have seen on TV, in the paper, or on the internet Presidential Candidates 2008

  15. Mass Media roles in Elections • Emphasize selected issues • Not each news channel or newspaper publishes or reports on all the same issues What is the same? What is different? Why? Where are they from?

  16. Mass Media roles in Elections • Writing Editorials • Virginian-Pilot Editorials Tuesday Sept 25th • Tuesday, September 25, 2007• Editorial: Turnaround tenure for David Stuckwisch• Editorial: Put games aside on children's health• Jacey Eckhart: So, how many of us really are 'normal' anyway?• Kerry Dougherty: Secrecy shows Norfolk council fails to grasp democracy 101Monday, September 24, 2007• Mike Gruss: Marketing blitz surrounds Tuesday release of 'Halo 3' game• Editorial: Jumping the gun on budget remedies• Editorial: Open the books on online donorsSunday, September 23, 2007• Marvin Lake: The Pilot was slow to pick up on 'Jena 6'• Margaret Edds: Kaine's high-stakes partisan gamble• Editorial: Incentive pay must pay results• Editorial: O.J. did it again• Editorial: Draw hard line on ethanol plant• Kerry Dougherty: Oh, thank heaven for this lesson learned at 7-Eleven

  17. Mass Media roles in Elections • Creating Political Cartoons

  18. Mass Media roles in Elections • Broadcasting different points of view • CNN.com • MSN.com • FOXNEWS.com

  19. Rising Campaign Costs • Require candidates to conduct extensive fund-raising activities October 1, 2007 Obama reports raising $19 million more for primary races Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised more than $19 million during the past three months for the presidential primaries, demonstrating strong continued donor support even as he trails rival Hillary Clinton in national opinion polls.Like Democratic candidates John Edwards and Bill Richardson, who respectively reported raising at least $7 million and about $5.2 million during the period, the pace of Obama's fundraising slowed slightly over the summer, when many donors and volunteer fundraisers took vacations.But the fundraising performance keeps Obama on track to raise a staggering $100 million this year for the primary campaign, a funding level that Clinton also could well reach. Her aides last week telegraphed a likely quarterly total of about $20 million. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-moneyweboct02,1,3155290.story

  20. Rising Campaign Costs Limit opportunities to run for public office Give an advantage to the wealthy when running for office • PORTSMOUTH • Six years ago, the City Council candidate who raised the most money for his election campaign gathered slightly more than $16,000. Campaigns in Portsmouth have changed. • This year, Doug Smith has collected $77,704.11 – the most ever for a Portsmouth council election. Two of the three other at-large candidates raised about $30,000 each in his wake. • Smith, an economic development consultant for a law firm, Kaufman & Canoles , has drawn on more than 100 donors. Much of his funding comes from his legal and development contacts and his Olde Towne neighbors. • With the money, Smith has hired a Missouri consultant to guide him through his first campaign. He’s also done four mass mailings to city voters. • Smith’s fellow challenger, Ed Forlines, an Olde Towne business owner, financed about half his campaign himself, lending his effort $15,000. With less than a week before the election, Forlines has spent nearly all of the $29,026.75 he has raised. http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=103594&ran=167765

  21. Rising Campaign Costs • Encourage the development of political action committees (PAC’s) • Give issue-oriented special interest groups increased influence • Federal Political Action Committees raised $629.3 million, spent $514.9 million, and contributed $205.1 million to federal candidates from January 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 according to a Federal Election Commission. http://www.fec.gov/press/press2004/20040830pacstat/20040831pacstat.html

  22. Campaign Finance Reform Petition Letter to your Congressman: I am proud to sign on a citizen co-sponsor of the Fair Elections Now Act introduced in the U.S. Senate on March 20, 2007.Fair Elections are about voters -- not big campaign donors. Modeled after successful "clean elections" laws in seven states and two cities, this legislation would make it possible for candidates to seek public office without having to court big money special interests for campaign contributions. Once elected, these candidates are accountable only to voters, not big campaign donors.At a time when money in politics scandals have infiltrated all levels of government, I am encouraged by Members of Congress that are willing to take up the important work of fixing the problems in our campaign finance system. Now is the time for the Fair Elections Now Act and the Clean Money Clean Elections Act! Signed by:

  23. Campaign Finance Reform • Rising campaign costs have led to efforts to reform campaign finance laws. • Limits exist on the amount individuals may contribute to political candidates and campaigns • Limits on permitted contributions are intended to reduce the possibilities for the exercise of undue influence on a candidate or party by a contributor. http://www.campaignfinancesite.org/proposals/contribution1.html

  24. Registration is closed 29 days before an election Virginia State Board Of Elections How can Virginian’s register to vote? In person at the registrar’s office At the DMV Other designated sites By Mail

  25. Must be a citizen of The United States Must be a resident Of Virginia and precinct Qualifications to register to vote in Virginia Must be 18 by the day Of the General Election Only citizens who register Can participate in Primary and General Elections

  26. Who WILL vote?? Education Age Income Research shows that "citizens of higher social and economic status participate more in politics. This generalization...holds true whether one uses level of education, income, or occupation as the measure of social status" (Verba and Nie 1972:125; see also Casper and Bass 1998; Leighley and Nagler 1992). Lewis, McCracken, and Hunt (1994) hold that those with higher stakes in society are the most likely to go to the polls -- older individuals, homeowners, and married couples…. education is a much stronger predictor of voter turnout. http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0028/twps0028.html#body

  27. Why people do NOT vote Lack of interest Failure to register

  28. The Electoral College • The slate of electors for each state is chosen by popular vote • When you “vote for a president” you are voting for an Elector, not the president • The electors meet to vote for President and vice President • On the Monday following the second Wednesday of December (as established in federal law) each State's Electors meet in their respective State capitals and cast their electoral votes-one for president and one for vice president.

  29. The Electoral College • The number of electors of each state is based on the state’s Congressional representation. • In VA, we have Senate (2) + Congress (11) = 13 electoral votes • In CA, there are Senate (2) + Congress (52) = 54 electoral votes • The winner take all strategy leads to the targeting of large states, while the smaller states make the difference in tight elections.

  30. The Electoral College • The requirements for a majority vote to win the electoral college favors a two party system. • A majority vote is when one candidate has to have 51% or better to be considered a winner. Has anyone won without gaining the 51% vote?

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