- Elections, especially in democracy, control political
  behavior/decisions
    - The system can be manipulated
    - The gov't doesn't represent everybody; it represents voters
        - Young people don't vote, so they aren't pandered to
            - Belief that the issues being discussed are distant
        - So you need to participate
            - Because your future is being decided now

How Dr. Rich socializes his kids to their civic duty
- Mocked up ballot box, voter ID, "I voted" stickers
- Brings his kids to the polls, or involves them with mail-in ballots
- Election participation is a civic duty
    - Has a profound impact
    - Ex: suffrage rights

"All men are created equal" was in no way correct. Liberalist idealism
- In some states, only 10% voted.
- Property qualifications, "economic stake=political stake"

Suffrage is now, in the letter of the law, for every adult citizen who
hasn't "violated their civic responsibility" (like prisoners).
How did it develop over time?
- African Americans
    - 1865-70 "Civil War Amendments"
    - (Only) during Reconstruction--2 black people elected to Senate and
      14 to House
        - After Reconstruction ends with Union soldiers leaving, they
          get redisenfranchised.
        - After 1901, next to serve was 1972
            - Southerners did much of the active prohibition of voting
            - But federal gov't and many Northerners stood by
        - Literacy tests and "Character tests" (very low pass rate)
        - Employer permission to vote
        - Restrictions on voter registration
    - 1965 Voting Rights Act
        - An active law; funding withheld from states
        - Turnout was low in first few years, but they eventually
          returned.
- Women
    - Could, sometimes, inherit property from husbands or male
      relatives.
    - When only property determined voting rights, women could vote.
    - But by 1910, only 4 states had given women the right to vote.
    - Powerful interests opposed suffrage
        - Southern whites didn't
        - Manufacturers didn't
            - because women would vote against child labor (very cheap)
        - Catholic Church
            - "Vote is contrary to the proper role of women"
    - British women's suffrage movement
        - Gave a playbook/methods for influencing change
        - Cannot be a private act; must be public like marches,
          protests
        - Also have to make those in power (men) care about the issue
            - Women boycott domestic work
        - Well-timed, uses WWI. 19th Amendment 1920
- The black vote is very important for Democrats.
- Women are a really big "swing" constituency, but is less monolithic
  and more regional.

Who runs for office?
- Two types
1) Self-starters = independent | not supported by party est.
    - to gain publicity (for a non-political career)
    - ex: possibly Trump, Mary Kerry for gov of CA
    - specific policy issues
    - political cause (not single-issue but a focus like Green Party)
    - usually not a national election; state or regional
2) Recruited (by the party) Candidates
    - chosen based on "particular qualities" (electability)
        - ex: funding
            - either from the people---small-dollar donations for a
              compelling story
            - large-dollar donations for policy quality (often from
              corporate/wealthy interests)
        - past success like Trump being a great shuckster (built brand)

What is the modern campaign like?
- Used to be super personal, even 40--50 years ago.
    - Candidates would go around, shake hands, etc
- "Cyclical dependence on contributions"
    - Campaign costs have increased severely
        - Every dollar counts because high cost of failure
        - Tens of millions for House races, billions for pres.
- The Rise of "Political Consultants"
    - Devise a campaign image OR a strategy
        - Image = what the voter sees, messaging
            - Also check viability for a candidate
            - Polling based on "how does this sound"
            - Case studies of "can this candidate win the election"
        - Strategy
            - How to win
    - "Your role is to get fired"
    - Often expensive: $300--700/hr

Running for President
Stage 1 - Primaries
    - Closed primary = only members registered to the political party
      can participate in the vote
    - Open primary = voters can choose party primary to vote in but can
      only choose one
        - Vast majority of primaries are this kind
        - Georgia's primary
            - Has runoff for non-majority primary, requiring you to have
              originally voted in that primary
    - Blanket primary
        - Can vote in either or BOTH primaries
        - No state uses a pure form of blanket primary
        - Ruled unconstitutional in 2000 for California
            - Parties were forced to put candidates on ballot that they
              didn't endorse
- Alternative: Caucus method
    - Completely different from a primary
    - Iowa caucus
    - Iowans care more about their vote
    - Candidates are very personal, and since Iowa's pretty small;
      candidates will actually visit every county
    - Each town organizes a group of people together in one physical
      location, like a high school gym.
        - Grouped by which candidate you will vote for.
        - Then people campaign to each other to move people around until
          candidates pass a certain threshold number of suporters.
        - A proportional representation is sent to the state caucus
        - Long, drawn-out, time-consuming discussions
- Conventions: after either system, this is like a "coronation party"
  for the nominee.

The Electoral College
Stage 2
Article II, Sec 1; Amendments 12 and 23
- Four noble and not-so-noble reasons
    - So that we know who actually wins, like pluralities can't be
      disputed
    - Ensure that everyone is actually represented
    - Avoid "tyranny of the majority"
        - States and federalism is important to the US
        - Against "one person, one vote"
    - Popular vote may have prevented the South from actually joining
      the nation
        - North had a greater population, and slaves didn't vote, but
          South wanted sufficient power to join
        - For first 36yrs, pres. was from Virginia
- Makes turnout really important

Technicalities
- Ballots are an important consideration for electoral outcomes (like
  modern argument over absentee ballots)
    - All ballots are "Australian [secret] ballot"
    - Office-block ballot: grouped by electoral office
        - Multiple parties could claim a candidate for a party
        - Can be a bit trickier, more complicated
        - Greater emphasis on candidates than people (party affiliation
          still there)
        - WAY more common
    - Party column ballot: grouped by party
- Voting by mail
    - Increases participation
    - Changes the real end date of the election
    - In case you can't get home or are out-of-district on voting day(s)
    - Not built to handle pandemics