US

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US VA Govt

• Unit 4 Political Ideology, Parties, and the
  Media

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What is Ideology?

• Set of basic beliefs on culture, life, government
  and society.
• Life
• Right to die
• Culture
• Super Bowl
• Government
• Monarchy
• Society
• Free Health care

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What do you think?

• In your notes, write how you feel about
• Death penalty
• Abortion
• Welfare
• Pollution
• Religion
• Are you liberal or conservative?

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The Political Spectrum
Liberal Economics
Conservative
Economic conservatives favor limited government
involvement in economic policymaking
and regulation of business.
Economic liberals favor broad government
involvement in economic policymaking
and regulation of business.
Liberal Political/Social
Conservative
Social and political liberals favor limited
government regulation of individual behavior.
Social and political conservatives favor broad
government regulation of individual behavior.
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Liberal or Conservative?

• Our national government should tax less and
  therefore allow its citizens to decide how best
  to spend their own money.
• When companies are given more economic freedoms
  they create more jobs and opportunities for
  citizens to become prosperous.
• Freedom of speech should be protected even if we
  find that speech offensive.
• Parents and students should be given the choice
  as to what type of schooling is best for their
  children, even if that choice is a religious
  school.
• Our government has an obligation to provide for
  all of its citizens basic necessities like food
  and healthcare.

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Where do they fall?
Govt. control
Conservative
Totalitarian
Social/Political
Libertarian
Liberal
Economic
Freedom
Govt. control
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What do they think?

• Death penalty
• The governments role in combating homelessness
• Gun control
• Should certain drugs be legalized?
• Should three-time offenders receive parole?
• The governments role in fighting pollution
• What does freedom of religion mean?

• Should the government drill in a portion of the
  wildlife preserves in Alaska?
• How involved should the United States be in
  foreign countries?
• Should the government raise income taxes to
  provide more services, and if so, what services
  should be provided?
• Should the federal government regulate education?
  If so, how?

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Political Parties and Elections

• Seeking the Majority w/ your Core Values
• Coalitions that conducts campaigns from the
  political center
• Roles of Parties
• Select Candidates
• Raise Funds
• Conduct Campaigns
• ID Key Issues
• Loyal Opposition
• 3rd Parties Single Issues

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The Nominating Process

• Self Nomination
• No Other Options
• Caucus
• Small Group
• Convention
• Presidential Elections
• Direct Primary
• Closed
• Open
• Petition

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• The two major political parties use the national
  nominating convention to select presidential and
  vice-presidential candidates.
• In Virginia, state and local party organizations
  determine which method of nomination will be used
  to select candidates. Once nominated, candidates
  campaign and go before the voters for election to
  office.
• Democracy requires that elections be free,
  honest, and accurate.

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Sample Election Ballots
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The Cost of the Campaign

• Running is Expensive
• Limits on spending
• Federal Election Campaign Act (71 74)
• Public funding for Presidential Elections
• Limits on contributions
• Disclose the Amount they spend
• State/Local Donations are Unlimited, but must be
  reported
• Candidates must fundraise

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Political Action Committees

• Political Arm of Interest Groups
• Labor Unions
• Oil Industry
• Interest groups cant give, PACs can
• 4000 PACs
• BIPAC
• COPE
• AMPAC
• NRA
• Bi Partisan Campaign Reform Act

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Mass Media and Politics

• Media coverage, campaign advertising, and opinion
  polls influence public opinions during a
  political campaign
• Mass media (including Internet) influence public
  opinion.
• Campaign advertisements are used to persuade
  and/or mobilize the electorate.
• Scientific polling is used to measure public
  attitudes, target ads, and refine campaign
  strategies

Campaign Essentials Politics and the Media.
Discovery Times Channel(2004). Retrieved October
10, 2006, fromunitedstreaming
http//www.unitedstreaming.com/
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Campaign Ads

• Campaign advertisements are used to persuade
  and/or mobilize the electorate
• Glittering Generalities
• Introduce the candidate
• Positive 1st Impression
• Slogans
• Bush Stronger, Safer
• Testimonials
• Famous or reliable
• People
• Kerry Michael J Fox
• Plain Folks
• Hes one of
• us

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Bush Stronger, Safer
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Kerry Michael J Fox
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More ad types

• Cardstacking/Bandwagon
• Using statistics in their favor
• The majority is voting for so should you.
• Kerry
• Transfer
• Positive or negative images/phrases to connect to
  candidate
• Kerry
• Bush
• Contrast
• Positive images of one candidate against negative
  ones of the other candidate in the same ad
• Bush Common Sense
• Attack
• Attack the candidate and makes them look bad in
  some way.
• Very negative
• Bush Unprincipled
• Kerry Bushs Mess

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Kerry Endorsements
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Kerry
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Bush Whatever it Takes
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Bush Common Sense
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Bush Unprincipled
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Kerry Bushs Mess
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Reapportionment and Elections

• The 435 Seats in Congress are apportioned to the
  states.
• The Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution
  of the United States of America require
  reapportionment of national, state, and local
  legislative bodies following each census.
• Changes in population and resulting
  reapportionment have a political effect on
  legislative membership at the national, state,
  and local levels.

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• Redistricting is a legislative function.
• Redistribution of legislative seats can
  significantly change the outcome of elections
• Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing
  district boundaries to benefit one political
  party or group of citizens.

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Wesberry v. Sanders 1964

• Rural areas were over represented. (Too many reps
  per person as compared to urban areas.)
• The United States Supreme Court cases in the
  early 1960s established the "one man, one vote"
  principleWesberry v. Sanders (1964).
• Urban and suburban areas now have more impact.

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How are House Seats Distributed

• Size of House is 435
• States w/ more people have more reps. How many
  does VA have?
• Number of Americans is Recounted Every 10 years
• After each Census, seats are reapportioned
• Each seat represents about 650,000 people

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The Constitution and Suffrage

• Suffrage The Right to Vote
• 5 Amendments extended the right to vote and
  increased the number of people who could vote.
• 15th Amendment (1870) Ensures right to vote
  regardless of race
• 17th Amendment (1913) Calls for direct election
  of United States Senators
• 19th Amendment (1820) Grants women the right to
  vote
• 23rd Amendment (1961) Allows voters in
  Washington, D.C., to vote for President and Vice
  President
• 26th Amendment (1971) Gives the right to vote to
  citizens 18 years and older

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Voter Participation

• The extent of engagement in a political campaign
  can be measured by voter turnout.
• Influences on voter turnout
• Campaign issues
• Candidates
• Voter attitudes toward government
• Voter loyalty to political parties
• Predicting Turnout
• Education
• Age
• Income

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Declining Turnout

• More citizens vote in presidential elections than
  in other national, state, and local contests, but
  the percentage of Americans voting in
  presidential elections is on the decline.
• Factors in Declining turnout
• Apathy
• Dissatisfaction
• Failure to meet requirements

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How to register

• Who can Vote
• VA Resident
• 18 (by the General Election)
• Not registered in another State
• Not declared Incompetent
• Restored if a felon
• Where can I get the form
• DMV
• Library
• Recruitment office
• http//www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/
• Forms_Publications/Index.html
• Where to send the Form
• Susan C Miller
• PO Box 590Verona, VA 24482-0590