DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

AND

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

POSC 105

ELECTIONS AMERICAN STYLE:

"Taking on the Kennedy's"



  1. THIS MORNING:
    1. "Taking on the Kennedy's": illustration and support for generalizations about the state of elections, campaigning and democracy in America


  2. MODERN CAMPAIGN PRACTICES AND TURNOUT:
    1. Major proposition restated: despite their growing technical sophistication, modern campaign techniques actually discourage interest and participation in electoral politics.
    2. The film, "Taking on the Kennedy's," illustrates this and many, many other points about American electoral politics..
      1. The setting: 1994 election for Congress in the first district of Rhode Island
      2. Protagonists (candidates):
        1. Dr Kevin Vigilante, Republican
        2. Patrick Kennedy, Democrat
          1. Son of Edward Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts and brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.
          2. Supporters, among others, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John Kennedy
      3. The primary election:
        1. In order to run a person must have a party's "nomination." Without this label it is difficult to get on the ballot.
        2. Recall that many candidates secure the nomination by running in primary elections.
        3. Kennedy, 26 years old, pushes aside a five-term incumbent to win his party's nomination.
        4. He is the perfect example of a self-selected candidate and political entrepreneur.
          1. If elected, to whom will he owe "allegiance?"
        5. Vigilante too must run in a primary.
      4. My interpretation: we will see next week that primaries hurt political parties and political parties are essential parts of democracies. So primary elections weaken democracy.
      5. A campaign's blood supply: money
      6. Its voice: the mass media, especially television
      7. Its content: judge for yourself.
        1. Note, however, character of "attack" advertisements.
        2. Note also what campaigns does to politicians better senses and instincts
        3. Note also that Dr Vigilante's response shows the tragedy of the commons problem that I have discussed before. Why? Because Vigilante cannot afford to play by one set of rules while his opponent follows another. So both sides degenerate into name calling.
      8. What role do the media play? Consider the kinds of questions the press puts to the candidates.
      9. The bottom line: after viewing this race, which I argue represents a typical campaign, can you understand why politics might not be interesting to lots of Americans?


  3. NEXT TIME:
    1. Wrap up discussion of elections and consider political parties.

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