Gov Notes (1) PDF

# 4 Stages for running for president ## Invisible Primary (Nov. 2020 - Summer 2023) - Form a PAC (Political Action Committee) - Raise money to pay for staff. - Travel the country to increase name recognition. ## Presidential Primaries and Caucuses - Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevad...

# 4 Stages for running for president ## Invisible Primary (Nov. 2020 - Summer 2023) - Form a PAC (Political Action Committee) - Raise money to pay for staff. - Travel the country to increase name recognition. ## Presidential Primaries and Caucuses - Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada have primary votes first. ## National Political Party Conventions - DNC - August - RNC - July - Delegates vote on their POTUS and VP nominee, and party platform ## General Election - The candidate of the party that earns the majority vote (>50%) represents the party. - Nominees of the official parties face off. - Win the electoral college. ### Terms: - **Primary Election** : Election within the political party to represent the party. A primary election in each state. - **Closed Primary:** Only members of the political party vote for a nominee to represent that party. - **Open Primary:** Voters pick a party to vote for a nominee. (In South Carolina, you don't register under a party). - **General Election:** Between political parties. - **Presidential Election (2020, 2024, 2028):** - Presidential coat-tails: pulls other nominees in their party (Senate) - **Mid-Term Election (2022, 2026):** In the middle of the president's term. - **Incumbent:** A nominee who already holds the office they're running for. - **Challenger:** The nominee running who doesn't actively hold office. - **Open Seat:** When the incumbent decides not to run anymore. - **Testing the water (I):** Seeing if you can get bites - **Winnowing Process (I):** People stop giving you money because you keep losing, so you drop out. - **Unified gov.:** Same political party controls (has majority) of POTUS, House of Representatives, Senate. - **Divided gov.:** Different political parties control POTUS, House of Reps, and Senate. - **Delegate** - **Super-delegate:** Only Democrats. - **Party platform:** Ideas and values of a party, each one is called a plank (planks make a platform). - **"Kiss & Make-up":** Candidates from primary election support their party in the general election - **Electoral Vote:** # of electoral votes is equal to the # of US Senators (100) and the # of Representatives in the House (435). WDC has 3 electoral votes. - SC: 2 + 7; WY: 2 + 1; CA: 2 + 52 - Total Electoral Votes: 638 (Half: 269) - 270 Electoral Votes wins President. - **Popular Vote:** In a state, if a candidate wins a plurality of the popular vote (by citizens), then they win all electoral votes for the state; winner take all, votes cannot be split. ### How to become president: - Win the electoral college: - **Majority:** Over 50% - **Plurality:** The most - **Electoral Vote** - **Popular Vote** - To become POTUS, you need a majority of the electoral vote. - **Maine and Nebraska count electoral votes differently:** - **Maine:** 2 districts/representatives. The winner of each district gets 1 electoral vote per district. Whoever gets more votes gets 2 electoral votes added (Senators). - **Nebraska:** 3 districts/representatives, same concept as Maine ### Terms Continued: - **Swing State:** Purple state, battleground, a state that the popular vote could go to either party: Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona - **Faithless Elector:** Someone pledged to vote for a candidate, who then either votes for someone else, or no one. - **Census:** Every 10 years. - **Horse Race Coverage** - **Statistical Dead Heat:** - **Straight Party Ticket:** - **Presidential Coat-tail:** ### Advantages of incumbency: - **Franking Privilege:** Sending mail for free. - **Increased Name Recognition:** News media. - **Larger Campaign Funds:** Campaign warchest: raise money, spend on campaign, leftover money goes into warchest. - **Party Establishment Support:** - **Political Action Committees (PACs):** favor incumbents. - **Government Resources Available to them:** Staff, office, website - **Challenger runs against incumbent:** - **What makes a high-quality challenger?** - Lots of money and willing to spend it. - High name recognition. - Previously held office. ### Voting polls: - **Random selection of citizens creates marginal error.** - **The national poll doesn't mean much.** - **Specific state polls of swing states matter.** - **Horse Race Coverage:** The media keeping up with who's ahead and who's behind. - **Statistical Dead Heat:** Within the margin of error, leading percent small. - **Straight Party Ticket:** All positions of office are voted for the same party by one voter. - **Presidential Coat Tails:** The president can pull other positions of office with them by being the same party. ### 2024 Election: - **Presidency:** Dem - **Senate:** 51 Dem, 49 Rep - **House:** 220 Rep, 212 Dem, 3 Vacancies - Not all the same party: Divided Government - Senate Term is 6 years, every 2 years there's a re-election - How long is a House of Reps term? ### What should you do to be president? - **Communication:** Typically paid media, earned/free media: - **Speeches**: Earned/free (ex) - **Ads** - **Billboards**: Paid (ex) - **Social Media** - **Red Hats** - **Bumper Stickers:** Merch - **Fund Raising:** - **Political:** - **GOTV (Get Out the Vote)** - **Research:** - **Issue** - **Opposition:** What do the people think/believe. ### The debate: - **Democrat (progressive):** Elephant - **Gun Control** - **Pro Choice** - **"Open Borders"** - **Republican (Conservative):** Donkey - **Right** - **Pro Gun/2nd Amendment** - **Pro-Life** - **Border Control/The Wall** ### Bipartisan: - When members of 2 parties work together. ### Partisan: - Separate - **GOP (Republican):** Grand Old Party (GOP) - **DNC:** Democratic National Committee - **RNC:** Republican National Committee. - **DSCC:** Democratic Senatorial Committee - **NRSC:** National Republican Senator Committee. - **DCCC:** Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (House) - **NRCC:** National Republican Congressional Committee (House) ### Party Organizations Elect People to the Government: 1. Party in the electorate. 2. Party in government. ### What do political parties do? - Recruit/nominate candidates. - Raise money. - Offer alternative government programs. - Help coordinate actions of government officials. - Help structure voter choice. ### US Political Parties: - **Highly Decentralized:** There isn't one specific organization that tells you what to do. ### Why a 2 Party System? - **Single Member Districts:** One legislature elected to each district, multiple districts in each state. - **Plurality Winners:** ### Barriers to 3rd party electoral success: - **Constitutional:** Single member districts, plurality ballots. - **Weaker Candidates:** - **Less Media Coverage:** - **Less Funds/Resources:** - **Left out of Debates:** - **People still vote because...** - **Attractive** - **Acquired allegiance to 3rd party.** ### How can you support candidates: - **Vote:** - **Donate Money:** - To a candidate - To a political party. - **Donate Time (Volunteer):** - Door-to-door - Phone Bank - **Attend a government meeting:** - **Attend a political rally/march** - **Wear merch/political clothing** - **Social Media:** - **Conventional:** The typical and socially accepted way. - **Unconventional:** Out of the norm, sometimes illegal: - Throwing soup/food on art. - Dumping pink powder on the Constitution at the national archives. ### Terms: - **Political Efficacy:** The feeling that you can make a political impact. - **Political Alienation:** The feeling that you cannot make a political impact. - Increase unconventional support to candidates. - **Hunger Strike:** Not eating to gain attention to prove a point. - **Self-Immolation:** Setting yourself on fire. ### Voting: - **Franchise:** - **Suffrage:** - **Dis-enfranchise:** Keep people from voting. - **Voter eligibility:** Meet the standard (Citizen, 18) to vote. - **Vote registration:** Signed to vote. ### Original Voters: - White male landowners. - **~1850:** White males. - **1870:** 15th Amendment to the Constitution: Cannot discriminate based on race, color, previous condition of servitude - **1920:** 19th Amendment: Women can vote. - **1964:** Civil Rights Act - **1965:** Voting Rights Act - **1971:** 26th Amendment: 18 y/o can vote. ### Obstacles to Black Voting: - Literacy test - Poll tax - Long residency requirement - White demo. primary. - Violence + threats. - Felons - Multiple Ballot Boxes - Grandfather clause. - Private organizations. - Photo I.D. in some states.