NOTES: Elections and Campaigning

Major Concepts/DefinitionsDetails

Political Parties:
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office.
INCUMBENT PARTY OR CANDIDATE MEANS….THE GUY OR PARTY ALREADY IN OFFICE / One party system:
laws or practices prevent the opposition from legally getting power.
Two party system:
A two–party system is a system where two majorpolitical parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government (pros and cons?)
Multi-party system:
More than one…never very likely due to parties not getting majority votes
Party Platforms:
a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidatesvoted into political office or the professed opinion(s) proposed as part of law(s) or otherwise made into social policies. This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, socially relevant, urgent, controversial, or complicated topics or issues. / Where can you find information on party platform?
Website or at National Conventions
Elections:
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office.[1] Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century / Primary Election:
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election.
General Election:
a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen (In US, this is the presidential year)
Recall:
a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote (plebiscite), before his or her term has ended. Recalls, which are initiated when sufficient voters sign a petition, have a history dating back to the ancient Athenian democracy[1] and is a feature of several contemporary constitutions.
Runoff:
If no candiadate gets a majority of votes in an election, there may be a runoff of the “tied” candidates. Usually happens when 3rd parties enter the race and mess up a likely majority OR if the results are so close, a re-vote is needed.
Election Process
Election Process (continued) / Voter Registration:
Must be registered to vote. Do not need id at polling place
Polling Place:
Location you are supposed to vote at (early voting usually allows you to vote at any polling place)
Precinct:
For purposes of conducting elections, an entity such as a county or township is typically subdivided into precincts and each address is assigned to a specific precinct. Each precinct has a specific location where its residents go to vote.
Types of Ballots:
Butterfly, electronic, punch cards, etc. Problems? Discuss.
Exit Polling:
Used to see what candidate is ahead, who voted for a particular candidate, and why? Criticisms?....they can influence voters who haven’t yet gone to the polls. Ie. Bush v. Gore.
Campaigning: / Canvassing:
A campaign team (and during elections a candidate) will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters. Canvassing may also be performed by telephone, where it is referred to as telephone canvassing. The main purpose of canvassing is to perform voter identification – to poll how individuals are planning to vote – rather than to argue with or persuade voters.[1]
Grassroots:
The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures. Grassroots movements are often at the local level, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party. For instance, a grassroots movement can lead to significant voter registration for a political party, which in turn helps the state and national parties.
PACs (Political Action Committees):
is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.
When an interest group, union, or corporation wants to contribute to federal candidates or parties, it must do so through a PAC
Most you need to know. Money can’t be spend on candidates directly, it’s limited to $5000 for federal candidates. Usually it’s crazy corrupt and politicians find loop holes to this.
Private vs. Public Funding:
Money can be raised for candidate privately (fundraising, donations, etc..usually limited to $1000 or less). Public funding can be given to all candidates (check $3 on your tax return)
National Convention:
Every 4 years each political party holds a giant ass party and nominates their candidate for pres AND rewrites and restates their platform to the public. This used to be a surprise, but now we usually know who delegates are voting for ahead of time. This year, Repubs is still a mystery. Democratic Convention this year in Charlotte.

Essential Question: What are some reasons people choose to avoid/ignore the political process for their community and country?

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