DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

AND

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

POSC 105

THE AMERICAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM

(Continued)



  1. THIS MORNING:
    1. Characteristics of campaigns and elections that affect accountability (and hence democracy) and political capacity.


  2. REGISTRATION AND TURNOUT:
    1. Notes from last Monday.
      1. Also, see Squire and others, Dynamics of Democracy, pages 206 to 208.
      2. Look at Figure 7.1. What generalization does it support?
    2. In order to vote citizens in most states must register. But specific registration requirements vary from state to state. Some make it easier to register than others.
    3. Proposition: turnout is related to registration requirements: the "easier," the higher the turnout; the harder, the lower, other things being equal.
    4. The politics of motor voter legislation.

  3. MORE TERMS:
    1. Single-member, winner-take-all districts.
      1. Generally no "proportional representation."

  1. MODERN CAMPAIGN TACTICS AND STRATEGIES:
    1. Self-selected candidates:
      1. Decline of party influence in candidate selection
      2. Examples: Steve Forbes, Patrick Kennedy, S. B. Woo, Joe Biden, Pat Buchanan, Jimmy Carter...
    2. Candidate centered campaigns
    3. Adopt policy positions in order to get elected; not run for office in order to get elected, not to advance public policies.
    4. The impact of advanced technology
      1. Television, polling, computers, direct mail
      2. Example: Focus groups
        1. "Boston Harbor" and "Pledge of Allegiance" and Reagan Democrats
        2. The uses of technology
    5. The new breed of political consultants
      1. James Carville, Lee Atwater, Dick Morris
    6. The strategy of ambiguity
    7. The consequences:
      1. Soaring costs of running for office
      2. Trivialization of issues
      3. Personal agendas
      4. Personality over substance
      5. Generalization over specifics
      6. Negative advertisements
      7. The debasing of political discourse.

  2. THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM:
    1. Read and think about on your own.
    2. The bottom line: one can argue that all of these factors has a profound and adverse affect on political participation, accountability, democracy, and governmental capacity:
      1. Plethora of public offices filled by elections.
      2. Registration requirements
      3. Primary versus general elections.
      4. Single-member plurality, winner-take all districts.
      5. Independent constituencies
      6. Campaign tactics


  1. NEXT TIME:
    1. Film: "Taking on the Kennedy's"
      1. The film illustrates numerous points about campaigning and the quality of American democracy.
        1. There will no doubt be a quiz.
    2. Reading:
      1. Finish Squire and others, Dynamics of Democracy, Chapter 7.
        1. Pages 216 to 224 present a typical "Hamilton-type" explanation of voting. Notice that the explanatory factors mostly pertain to individual characteristics. The "qualities" of the electoral system are hardly mentioned.
      2. Essays under "Elections and Voting" on the web site.
      3. The book How to Watch TV News (Postman and Powers) is highly recommended but not required.
      4. So, you should start reading There Are No Children Here.
      5. Some internet sites relevant to campaigns and elections

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