The document discusses the nomination and campaign processes in the United States. It explains that political parties officially endorse candidates through nominations. It also outlines the primary and caucus systems used to select delegates to the national conventions. Additionally, it describes how campaigns are organized and funded, noting the role of money, political action committees, and the influence of ongoing campaign finance reforms and related Supreme Court cases.

1. Nominations and
Campaigns
Chapter 9

2. The Nomination Game
 Nomination: the official endorsement
of a candidate for office by a political
party
 Generally, success requires
momentum, money, and media
attention.
 Campaign Strategy: the master game
plan candidates lay out to guide their
electoral campaign

3. The Nomination Game
 Deciding to Run
Campaigns are more physically and
emotionally taxing than ever.
Other countries have short
campaigns, generally less than 2
months.
American campaigns are much
longer.
• Whoever is elected president in
November 2016 will have declared their
intention to run in early 2015.

4. The Nomination Game
 Competing for Delegates
Nomination game is an elimination
contest
Goal is to win a majority of delegates’
support at the national party
convention, or the supreme power
within each of the parties
• The convention meets every four years to
nominate the party’s presidential and
vice-presidential candidates.
• Conventions are but a formality today.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_95I_1rZiIs

5. The Nomination Game
 Competing for Delegates
The Caucus Road
• Caucus: meetings of state party leaders
for selecting delegates to the national
convention
• Organized like a pyramid from local
precincts to the state’s convention
• A handful of states use a caucus—open
to all voters who are registered with a
party
• The Iowa caucus is first and most
important.
• caucuses
1. Local Delegates from
precinct voting
2. County Convention
selects delegates
3. State Convention
select delegates
4. Delegates from state
attend National
Convention

6. The Nomination Game
 Competing for Delegates
 The Primary Road
• Primary: elections in which voters in a state vote for a
nominee (or delegates pledged to the nominee)
• Began at turn of 20th
century by progressive
reformers
• McGovern-Fraser Commission led to selection of
delegates through primary elections
• Most delegates are chosen through primaries.
• Superdelegates: democratic leaders who
automatically get a delegate slot
• Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold primaries
early to capitalize on media attention. New Hampshire
is first.
• Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.
• http://www.cnn.com/election/

7. Discussion
 What are the advantages and
disadvantages to a long campaign
process?
 Do you think it is a good thing or a
bad thing? Why?

8. The Nomination Game
 Competing for Delegates
 Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System
 Which of the following criticisms is the worst thing
about our primary/caucus system:
• Disproportionate attention to early ones
• Prominent politicians do not run.
• Money plays too big a role.
• Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and
unrepresentative; 20 percent vote in primaries
• The system gives too much power to the media.

9. The Nomination Game
 The Convention Send-off
 National conventions once provided great
drama, but now are a formality, which means
less TV time.
 Significant rallying point for parties
 Key note speaker on first day of Convention
 Party platform: statement of a party’s goals
and policies for next four years
• Debated on the second day of the Convention
 Formal nomination of president and vice-
president candidates on third and fourth
days

10. Party Platforms
 Party platforms

11. Keynote speakers
 2004 Keynote Address
 2012 Keynote Address

12. The Nomination Game

13. The Campaign Game
 The High-Tech Media Campaign
Direct mail used to generate support
and money for the candidate
Get media attention through ad
budget and “free” coverage
Emphasis on “marketing” a candidate
News stories focus more on the
“horse race” than substantive policy
issues

14. The Campaign Game
 Organizing the Campaign
Get a campaign manager
Get a fund-raiser and campaign
counsel
Hire media and campaign consultants
Assemble staff and plan logistics
Get research staff, policy advisors,
and pollsters
Get a good press secretary
Establish a website

16. Money and Campaigning
 Campaigns are expensive
 Campaigns need money to get their
message out
 Many people and groups who want
things from government are willing to
give $
How much influence
does money buy?...

17.  How campaign finance works -
YouTube

18. Money and Campaigning
 The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms
 Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)
• Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
to administer campaign finance laws for federal
elections
• Required disclosure of donor information
• Placed limits on donations
• Contribution Chart
• Placed limits on the amount that individuals could
spend on their own campaign

19. Money and Campaigning
• Created a system of Public Financing for Presidential
Elections
• Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund
• Provided partial public financing for presidential primaries
• Matching funds: Contributions of up to $250 are matched
for candidates who meet conditions, such as limiting
spending.
• Barack Obama rejected matching funds (McCain accepted)
• Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the
general election – Barack Obama was the first major party
candidate to turn down government funds ever (McCain
accepted the $84 million dollar grant)

20. Money and Campaigning
 The Proliferation of PACs
 Political Action Committees (PACs): created
by law in 1974 to allow corporations, labor
unions and other interest groups to donate
money to campaigns; PACs are registered
with and monitored by the FEC.
 $5000 per candidate in both primary/general
 As of 2006 there were 4,217 PACs.
 PACs contributed over $288.6 million to
congressional candidates in 2004.
 PACs donate to candidates who support
their issue.
 PACs do not “buy” candidates, but give to
candidates who support them in the first
place.

21. Money and Campaigning
www.opensecrets.org

22. Buckley v. Valeo, 1976
 Challenged the constitutionality of the
1974 campaign reforms
 The SC struck down the portion that
limited how much and individual could
contribute to their own campaigns.
Ross Perot – $60 million – 1992
Mitt Romney - $44 million – 2008
primary
Another loophole in 1979…

23. Money and Campaigning
 The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms
 Soft Money: political contributions (not
subject to contribution limits) earmarked for
party-building expenses or generic party
advertising
 The McCain-Feingold Act (2002) banned soft
money, increased amount of individual
contributions, and limited “issue ads.”
 A new loophole…
 527s: independent groups that seek to
influence political process but are not subject
to contribution restricts because they do not
directly seek election of particular candidates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7y1HMZNJy0

24. Debate
Side One: There is too much money in
politics and it needs to be regulated
and restricted, or removed
Side Two: Limiting money in politics is a
violation of freedom of speech and
goes against the capitalistic nature of
our society

25. Citizens United v. FEC, 2008
 Citizens United sought and injunction
against the FEC to prevent the
application of the BCRA to its film –
Hillary:The Movie

26.  Citizens United

27. Money and Campaigning
 Are Campaigns Too Expensive?
 “Money is the mothers milk of politics”
Fundraising takes a lot of time.
Candidates spend more time raising
money than governing!

28. Understanding Nominations
and Campaigns
 Are Nominations and Campaigns Too
Democratic?
 Campaigns are open to almost everyone.
 Campaigns consume much time and money.
 Campaigns promote individualism in American
politics.
 Do Big Campaigns Lead to an Increased Scope
of Government?
 Candidates make numerous promises, especially
to state and local interests.
 Hard for politicians to promise to cut size of
government

29. Summary
 Campaigns are media-oriented and
expensive.
 Delegates are selected through caucuses
and primaries.
 Money and contributions from PACs
regulated by the FEC are essential to
campaigns.
 Campaigns reinforce perceptions but do not
change minds.

30. Campaign Finance Debate
 Assignment:
 Read pages 284-289
 Read McConnell v. FEC
 Research the McCain-Feingold Law
(BCRA)
 Visit www.opensecrets.org
 Prepare arguments both for and against
campaign finance