Unit 4 Flashcards
(23 cards)
Define political party
a group of people with broad common interests who organize to win elections, control the government, and make policies
What are things that all political parties do? List them out:
- Electing Candidates: somebody who is electable
- Educating the Public: Pamphlets, press conferences, speeches, social media
- Involving People in the Political Process: helping with registration, donating money, posting signs
- Operating the Government: Staffing and running the legislative and executive branch (sometimes we see a divided government )
- Dispensing Patronage: favors given for support
- Developing and Implementing Policy: after winning an election
- Government Watchdog: party not in power
What are the characteristics of third parties?
- Any political party other than one of the two major parties
- Single Issue
- Ideological
- Splinter – Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party
What are the factors that influence voter turnout?
- Campaign issues
- Candidates
- Political efficacy
- Voter attitudes toward government
- Voter loyalty to political parties
- Competitive and noncompetitive races
Four requirements to vote in Virginia:
- U.S. Citizen
- At least 18 years old
- A resident of the state
- A legally registered voter
What are the three biggest predictors of voter turnout?
- Age
- Education
- Income
Typical Democratic Platforms:
- Government should take a bigger role in providing social services and security to Americans
- Democrats would prefer to increase taxes on the wealthy and reduce taxes on the poorer Americans
Typical Republican Platforms:
- Supports individual rights in opposition to a large, intrusive government
- The party opposes too much government intervention in the economy
- It does not believe the government should burden business with excessive regulation.
Major Third Parties and their Platforms:
- Green: more liberal than Democrats; founded to focus on the environment
- Libertarian: personal responsibility and minimal government intrusion into American lives.
- The Gov should not interfere at all with the free market.
- They oppose regulations on guns, abortion, and the media. - Constitution Party: More Conservative than Republicans; they advocate abolishing most federal taxes. They normally oppose abortion and same-sex marriage.
15th Amendment
ensures the right to vote regardless of race
19th Amendment
grants women the right to vote
23rd Amendment
allows voters in Washington, D.C., to vote for the United States president and vice president
26th Amendment
gives the right to vote to citizens 18 years old and older
Black Suffrage:
- In 1789 = African Americans (freed and enslaved) made up 20% of the US population
- Only some free African Americans could vote in a few states.
- 15th Amendment (1870) = no state can deprive any citizen of the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
- Grandfather Clause = political leaders in Southern states set up a number of roadblocks to disenfranchise and discourage Black voters.
- Only voters whose grandfather had voted before 1867 were eligible to vote without paying a certain tax or passing a test.
- Guinn vs. US (1915) made this unconstitutional
Women’s Suffrage:
- Beginning in the mid 1800’s, women organized to fight for their right to vote
- Suffragists held meetings, gave lectures, wrote articles and pamphlets, marched, and lobbied
- Women held vigils and hunger strikes and practiced civil disobedience by unlawfully registering to vote
- It was not until after WWI that Woodrow Wilson reversed his position in support of the 19th Amendment.
Youth Suffrage:
- The minimum voting age in most states was 21
- In the 1960’s many young people were fighting in Vietnam, and many others became involved in protests and politics.
- Argument = old enough to be drafted then you should be old enough to vote.
- 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age nationwide to 18
Sources of Campaign Funding:
Small Contributors
* Those who give $5-$100 in cash
* 10% people actually do this
Candidates
* Individual candidates use their own money
* Ross Perot (1992) holds all time record, used $65 million of his own money
Temporary Organizations
* Groups formed for the immediate purpose of getting the candidate elected
* Fundraising
* Dinners, door to door, receptions, phone
Federal Funding
* Public Funds
* Government gives money to each candidate whose party has received at least 5% of the popular vote in a previous election
Wealthy Individuals of Families
* “Fat Cats”
* Can give up to $2,500 per candidate per election
* Can give up to $5,000 per year to any PAC or interest group
* Can give up to $10,000 per calendar year to state of local party committee
* Can give up to $30,800 to a National Political Party
* Can give up to $117,000 total over 2 years
Political Action Committees (PACs and Super PACs)
* Funding vehicles through large corporations
* Channel money to candidates
* Individuals can give no greater than $5,000 to PACs
* No regulations on PACs, or how many a corporations can have
Party Donations
* Democrat and Republican parties can give to their candidate
* Soft Money = money given to the political party, indirectly give money to the candidate
* Hard Money = money given directly to candidate
PACs
- Political Action Committees
- Organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates
- Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests
- Must register with the FEC
Super PACs
- Make no contributions to candidates or parties
- Make independent expenditures in federal races (running ads or communications that specifically advocate the election or defeat of a specific candidate)
- There are no limits or restrictions on the sources of funds
- File regular financial reports with the FEC, which include their donors & their expenditures
Who oversees campaign financing? What do they do?
- Federal Election Commission (FEC) – 1974
- Composed of six members: 3 Democrats and 3 Republicans
- Appointed by President and approved by Senate
- Enforce limits on individual and organization contributions
- Administers federal funding for candidates
- -5% rule
- Places limits on campaign expenditures
- Records contributions and money spent by each candidate
Buckley v. Valeo:
- Question?
- Should the Federal government limit the amount of your own money you can spend on your campaign?
- Answer
- No, this is violation of the 1st Amendment, freedom of expression
Watergate Scandal:
Brought campaign finance under investigation
Reason for stricter laws and regulations
Poll tax
Money had to be paid way before Election Day before voting; voters who did not have their receipts were barred from voting
