Name:______Date:______
Mrs. BelesisGovernment
Review Sheet- Elections and Media
- How has the media change elections?
- Focus on the candidate image
- Allow the campaign to be trail across the country
- Place less focus on the issues
- How much is spent on Television?
- 55%
- Describe the effect media has on campaigning and on public agenda.
- The media tells people what issues to focus on—Media guides public agenda
- How much can an individual contribute to a campaign?
- 2,000 to a candidate,-- 5,000 to a PAC and 25,000 to a national party
- How do politicians raise money for campaigns?
- The system relies on private funding of election campaigns
- Candidates must disclose contributions and their spending
- There are some restrictions placed on the size of contributions to candidates by both individuals and political actions committee.
- List the ways you can be nominated for presidents.
- Self announcement – the person who wants to run for office announces the fact
- Caucus – group of like-minded people who meet to select candidates
- Convention – held by the political party to select candidates
- What is the purpose of conventions?
- To nominate a candidate, to create a party platform and to raise money
- Be familiar with the different types of ballots.
- The Australian Ballot – lists names of all candidates and is voted in secret.
- The Office-Group Ballot- candidates for each office are grouped together.
- Party Column Ballot – lists each party’s candidates in a column under the party’s name; mark with an “X”, and vote for all the party’s candidates.
- Voting Machines – ballot appears on a machine, voters pull down levers as their choices.
- How old do you have to be to vote?
- 18 yrs old
- Define:
- Polling Place:the place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote. It is located in or near each precinct.
- Precinct:a voting district. The smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections. Usually the area is no more than 500 to 1,000 qualified voters.
- Public opinion:people working together to promote a certain goal or view
- Gallop Poll:the most common type of opinion poll
- Glittering Generalities- When candidates use broad and positive statements that can be interpreted in different ways, they are utilizing this propaganda technique
- Transfer- Using symbols to connect the candidate.
- Plain Folks- When politicians attempt to act like the people. (waiting online for burgers, jogging etc.)
- Testimonial – Being endorsed by a celebrity.
- Bandwagon- This technique appeals to peoples’ desire to follow the crowd.
- Card Stacking- An apparently logical argument that usually entices fear.
- Open Primary: Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, can vote.
- Closed Primary: A type of primary where only declared party members can vote
- Hard Money: Money regulated by the federal government
- Soft money: These funds are raised and spent by the political parties for political party building purposes. – Unregulated
Open primaries:
Pros:
Voters do not have to make party preferences known in public
Includes independent voters
Cons:
Permits “raiding”
Undercuts party loyalty and responsibility
Closed Primaries:
Pros:
Prevents other party from “raiding” the other’s primary in hope of nominating weaker candidates
Helps make candidates more responsive to their party
Cons:
Excludes independent voters from nomination process
Forces you to make your political party known in public