Yo, what it is! You know what it is, it’s your man Kingmusa— and welcome to The Study Guide! I'm here to break down today's class notes and help us learn together. Today we are going over Texas Gov’t and we will be focusing on Week 10: Campaigns, Elections and Voting." Let's dive into this week's module on Campaigns, Elections, and Voting in Texas. We're going to break down how candidates run, the different elections we have, and why not everyone shows up to vote.
Key Concept of the Day:
In this session, we will explore the multifaceted world of Texas elections, examining candidate campaign strategies, the various types of elections conducted, the factors influencing voter turnout (notably low in Texas), and the implications of current turnout trends. We will also briefly touch upon the complexities of campaign finance, including funding sources and expenditures. This week’s module explores the landscape of campaigns, elections, and voting in Texas. We'll delve into the strategies candidates employ during campaigns, differentiate between the various types of elections held in the state, and analyze the factors that significantly influence voter turnout, which is notably low in Texas. Finally, we will discuss the implications of these voter turnout trends and examine the sources and uses of campaign funding.
Let’s explore Texas campaigns, elections, and voting. We’ll examine participation rates, election types, and campaign strategies. Our goal is to understand Texas campaign strategies, evaluate election types, explain factors influencing voter turnout, and analyze trends. Detailed notes, content files (lectures, videos, activities, readings), and handouts are provided for reference. Frequent elections in the US ensure voter participation annually due to numerous elective offices. Elections are crucial for democracies, allowing citizens to exercise their voting rights and shape the political landscape. However, voter turnout remains a challenge. Campaigns are expensive and rely on funding sources like hard money, soft money, and dark money. Individuals can donate directly to candidates or parties, or through fundraising organizations like PACs, Super PACs, and 527 groups.
Understanding how campaigns are run, the different election types, why Texas has low voter turnout, and where campaign money comes from is crucial to grasping the dynamics of our state government and the ways citizens participate (or don't) in it.
Here are the main points:
- Texas holds frequent and fixed elections, with over 520,000 elective offices across the US. Voter participation in Texas is notably low.
- Campaigns are funded through hard money (regulated donations), soft money (less regulated), and dark money (undisclosed). Court cases like Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC altered finance rules, leading to Super PACs. Campaigns spend on staff, media, and research, with financial reporting overseen by the FEC (federal) and the Texas Secretary of State/Ethics Commission (state/local).
- Campaign strategies differ between primary elections (intra-party, focusing on differentiation) and general elections (inter-party, focusing on policy). Key strategies include name recognition, organization, media, and voter mobilization (micro-targeting).
- Texas has primary elections (nominees), general elections (inter-party), midterm elections (lower turnout), presidential elections (higher turnout), and special elections (lowest turnout). Party conventions (precinct, county, state) finalize nominees and platforms. The Electoral College determines the US president. Texas uses the office-block ballot, requires voter ID, and offers early voting (17 days before). Recounts are possible but costly.
- Voter turnout in Texas is low due to factors explained by Rational Actor Theory (costs outweighing benefits) and demographics. Higher education and income correlate with higher turnout. Older individuals vote more. Race influences voting patterns. Low turnout can lead to less representative government.
Alright, so this week we're looking at how folks run for office in Texas, the different kinds of elections we have, and why it seems like fewer people vote here compared to other places. We'll also touch on where all that campaign money comes from and where it goes. Think about it: we have elections for everything from the President down to local city council members – way more than a lot of other democracies. And each state, including Texas, gets to decide how their elections for Congress work, which makes things even more interesting. Elections are super important because it's how we, the people, get to have a say. But the thing is, not everyone participates, and in Texas, that number is historically pretty low. Then there's campaign finance – running for office costs a LOT of money, and it's only getting more expensive. There's 'hard money,' which goes straight to the candidates and has rules attached, and then there's 'soft money' and even 'dark money,' which are less regulated and sometimes the donors stay hidden. Finally, we'll look at how candidates actually try to win us over – the strategies they use in primary elections against their own party members versus the general election against the other party. Things like getting their name out there, building a strong campaign team, getting good media coverage, and making sure their supporters actually go out and vote.
Fundraising Methods: Bundling involves people donating together as a single contribution. Campaign Finance Regulation: Campaigns must disclose their financial information, and important court cases like Citizens United v. FEC (corporations can spend unlimited money on independent political broadcasts) and McCutcheon v. FEC (no aggregate limits on individual donations) have altered campaign finance rules. Campaign Finance Reporting: Federal candidates follow the Federal Election Commission’s rules, state candidates file with the Secretary of State and the Texas Ethics Commission, and local candidates file with the Local Filing Authority. Public Access to Campaign Finance Reports: These documents are public records, with local governments required to display reports online for at least five years. Campaign Strategies: Strategies vary by government level.
Primary and general elections are crucial in Texas, with primary elections being especially important due to the state’s historical one-party dominance. Candidates emphasize unique qualities, political positions, track records, and potential weaknesses. Name recognition, organization, media, and turnout are key. Elections in Texas are at least biennially, with general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years, often coinciding with Presidential elections (leading to higher turnout). Special elections are for emergencies, vacancies, or constitutional amendments (lowest turnout). State conventions are in early summer of gubernatorial election years, national conventions in late summer of presidential election years. Precinct conventions elect delegates to county conventions, which then elect delegates to state conventions.
Conventions are large meetings where parties choose candidates, write platforms, and select national convention representatives. The Electoral College elects the president, with Congress certifying the winner. The Secretary of State oversees fair elections in Texas, using the Australian ballot (office-block format since 2017) in English and sometimes other languages. Early voting starts 17 days before elections at various county locations. Close elections may require recounts. Voting eligibility in Texas requires being 18+, a US citizen, a Texas resident, and not a felon or legally incompetent. Voter turnout is influenced by Rational Choice Theory (cost vs. benefit). Costs include research, travel, time, and waiting. Benefits include policy outcomes, civic duty, voice, and tangible rewards.
Basically, understanding campaigns, elections, and why some folks vote and others don't in Texas is key to being an informed citizen. It’s a complex system with a lot of moving parts, from how candidates try to win us over to the different kinds of elections we have and why Texas often sees lower voter participation. So, to wrap it up, understanding campaigns, the different types of elections in Texas, the reasons behind our low voter turnout, and the world of campaign finance are all key to understanding how our government works and how we can be a part of it. We'll also see how campaign strategies change depending on the type of election and who the candidates are running against.
Let’s examine how demographics vote. African Americans tend to vote for the Democratic Party. Mexican Americans' voting patterns are influenced by immigration and social issues, with varied levels of support for both parties. Puerto Ricans often focus on economic conditions and tend to lean towards the Democratic Party. Cuban Americans lean conservative, influenced by historical experiences with a communist regime. El Salvadoran Americans tend to lean towards the Democratic Party, often influenced by immigrant experiences. Higher education and income levels are correlated with higher voter turnout. Older individuals have higher turnout rates, while younger demographics, especially those aged 18-24, have lower turnout. Low voter turnout can lead to a government that doesn't fully represent the population and can reduce the involvement of certain groups, potentially raising questions about the legitimacy of the democratic process. The learning objectives for this course are to describe Texas campaign strategies, evaluate election types, explain factors affecting voter turnout, and analyze current turnout trends.
That wraps up today’s episode of The Study Guide. Remember, we teach to learn, and I hope this has helped you understand Week 10: Campaigns, Elections and Voting better. Keep studying, keep learning, and keep pushing toward your academic goals. Don’t forget to follow me on all platforms @Kingmusa428 and check out more episodes at kingmusa428.com. See y’all next time!
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