Unit 4- Lesson 4: Elections

​Elections:

• Caucuses & Primaries

• National Conventions

• Campaigns

• General Elections

Steps to Get Elected

Caucuses & Primaries

National Convention

General Election

Campaigning

Campaigning

Caucuses & Primaries

What is a caucus?

●

Held by the party

●

A meeting at which members
of a political party register
their preference among
candidates running for office
or select delegates to attend a
convention.

What is a primary?

●

Held by the government

●

A preliminary election to
appoint delegates to a party
conference or to select the
candidates for a principal,
especially presidential,
election.

Why do we have them?
To choose delegates to attend the party National Convention. The National
Convention will endorse and formally nominate the candidate from the party

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of having primaries and caucuses?

• to elect the new President

• to chose delegates for the National Convention

• to officially nominate a candidate

• to plan the events that will happen at the National Convention

Multiple Choice

Who holds primaries and caucuses?

• The government holds primaries. The political party holds caucuses.

• The political parties are responsible for both primaries and caucuses.

• The political party holds primaries. The government holds caucuses.

• The government is responsible for both primaries and caucuses.

Caucuses

Iowa is traditionally the

first state to caucus.*

*There has been some changing of this as of
late 2022/early 2023 and things are still TBD.

​Video in Canvas slides for additional information if needed.

Primaries

New Hampshire is

traditionally the first state

to primary.*

*There has been some changing of this as of late 2022/early

2023 and things are still TBD.

Types of primaries

Open Primary

Any registered voter can vote.

Closed Primary

Only registered members of the

party can vote

TWO MAIN TYPES

Multiple Choice

In an open primary

• any person can vote

• any registered voter can vote

• only members registered to that party can vote

• party members can vote as many times as they would like to vote for a specific candidate

Multiple Choice

In an closed primary

• any person can vote

• any registered voter can vote

• only members registered to that party can vote

• party members can vote as many times as they would like to vote for a specific candidate

An incumbent is the current office holder that is running for office.

What is an incumbent and why does it matter?

Incumbent advantage:

❖

They are familiar with
the office (and can raise
money)

❖

They are familiar with
what’s going on

❖

Voters know their name

Multiple Choice

What is an incumbent?

• A current office holder running for re-election

• a new candidate for an officer

• the manager for the re-election campaign

• a voter in the caucus

Multiple Select

The incumbent advantage includes

• familiarity with the office

• familiarity with what is going on

• voter's are familiar with their name and platform

• a fresh start in the office, which is what is very much needed in politics

National

Conventions

❖

Held in July and August.

❖

Purpose is to unify the party behind
a single Presidential candidate. (It’s
really just a big party and usually
lacks much drama.)

​​Video in Canvas slides for additional information if needed.

Multiple Choice

National Conventions for political parties are drama-filled events supporting multiple candidates fighting for the same nomination from that party.

• True

• False

Campaigning

●Traditionally between the conventions and general election.

●Modern campaigning begins over a year before the presidential election.

●Goal is to convince the public to vote for your candidate.

●Creation of a positive image for a candidate

●Television is the most common means of campaigning

●2 types

○Mass Campaigning – TV, Rally & Mail – less time consuming but more expensive

○Grass Roots – small level – Canvassing or making phone calls – cheap but time
consuming – the voters get to personally know the candidate and the candidate gets
to know the voters

●Incumbents – win 80% of the time

■Name recognition

■Franking privilege

●Endorsements – a famous or popular person supports a candidate

Multiple Choice

The most common method of campaigning is...

• internet ads

• billboards

• TV

• mail

Multiple Select

Two major categories of campaigning are...

• propaganda

• mass campaigns

• general elections

• grass roots

Multiple Choice

Mass campaigning and grass roots campaigning both have pros and cons, for example.

• Mass campaigning is expensive, but is not time consuming. Grass roots campaigning is inexpensive, but very time consuming.

• Grass roots campaigning is expensive, but is not time consuming. Mass campaigning is inexpensive, but very time consuming.

• Mass campaigning is expensive, and very time consuming. Grass roots campaigning is inexpensive, and not very time consuming.

• Grass roots campaigning is expensive, and very time consuming. Mass campaigning is inexpensive, and not very time consuming.

Campaigning: The Art of the Sell

❖

Rallies - large gatherings of
constituents designed to promote
the candidate. Often loud and
exciting.

❖

Debates - when the candidates
argue over key issues. Designed
to sway undecided voters.

❖

Appearances - candidates meet
the general public to increase
support.

❖

Propaganda - information,
especially of a biased or
misleading nature, used to
promote or publicize a particular
political cause or point of view.

Campaigning: The Art of the Sell

Multiple Choice

The purpose of debates is to inform voters on the candidates platform and

• to gather large crowds of people in support of a candidate.

• to allow candidates to meet the general public

• to give biased and misleading information

• sway undecided voters

Multiple Choice

The purpose of rallies is

• to gather large crowds of people in support of a candidate.

• to allow candidates to meet the general public

• to give biased and misleading information

• to sway undecided voters

Multiple Choice

The purpose of candidate appearances is

• to gather large crowds of people in support of a candidate.

• to allow candidates to meet the general public

• to give biased and misleading information

• to sway undecided voters

Multiple Choice

The result of propaganda is usually

• to gather large crowds of people in support of a candidate.

• to allow candidates to meet the general public

• to give biased and misleading information

• to sway undecided voters

Polling

❖

Polls are taken daily to inform
politicians and people.

❖

Gallup is a famous polling company.

❖

Politicians monitor electoral college
polls to determine where they need
to campaign?

➢

*Why? States with the most population=
the most electoral votes

❖

Polling also helps politicians
determine which issues to focus on
and where.

Multiple Select

Polling has multiple purposes and outcomes including

• collecting peoples' opinions to help inform citizens

• helping politicians determine where to campaign

• helping politicians determine which issues to focus on

• giving citizens information on a specific candidates platform

Canvassing

❖Walking door to door to promote
your candidate/political party.

❖Constituent - the people who vote
for candidates (you and me!)

❖Electorate- the population of
people who are eligible to vote

Multiple Choice

Canvassing is part of the campaigning process that involves

• walking door to door

• learning at school on a computer

• mailing flyers

• having candidate rallies

General Election

First Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Actually voting someone into an office. (unlike primaries)

❖

Presidential

❖

Midterm

❖

Off-year

Federal

●President

●US
Representatives

●US Senators

State

●Governor

●NC
Representatives

●NC Senators

Local

●Mayor

●City Council

●School board

In a general election, citizens vote for candidates that align with their own personal ideals and beliefs

Multiple Select

The general election

• happens the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

• only happens every 4 years

• nominates a candidate to run in the primary elections

• could happen any year, depending on the office

Other things that might get voted on in an election...

❖

Recall - removing an
elected official from office.

➢ NOT AN IMPEACHMENT!

❖

Referendum - a suggestion
for a new law by the
legislature.

❖

Initiative - voting on a
citizen proposed law

➢ not possible in NC

➢ On the ballot, an

initiative will be called a
proposition.

Multiple Select

These things might be voted on in an election.

• recall

• referendum

• initiative

• impeachment

Multiple Choice

One of the biggest differences between referendum and initiative is

• referendum is from the legislature, initiative is from the citizens

• referendum is from the citizens, initiative is from the legislature

• referendum removes an elected official from office, initiative allows citizens to replace that official

• there is very little difference between them. They are interchangeable terms.

Multiple Choice

In NC, initiatives are typically on every ballot.

• True

• False