Lesson 3.8 - Voting & the Impact of Elections

Standard:                9. Free and fair elections are key elements of the United States political system.

Benchmark:         9.1.4.9.1 I can analyze how the United States political system is shaped by elections and the election process, including the caucus system and procedures involved in voting.

Essential Question(s):         How do elections shape the political system of the United States? How are candidates chosen and how do candidates ultimately end up on a ballot?

Caucuses & Primaries

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November is election day in even numbered years in the United States. Americans that do vote show up in millions to cast ballots for names that are on a sheet of paper, or on a digital screen. How did the names get there? During the primary & caucus process, political party faithful show up and voice their opinions over whom to support with their efforts and votes. Caucuses typically involve a political meeting, lasting up to an hour or so on caucus night, in which party members show up and discuss political issues as well as which candidate to support with the parties endorsement. During a primary, citizens simply show up at the party location they are identifying with and cast a ballot in favor of the candidate they wish their party to support in the upcoming election.

Minnesota utilizes a caucus during the presidential candidate selection process. Minnesota has recently moved the date of the caucus into early February so as to have more of an early voice in the selection process. Citizens wishing to vote in a primary, or a caucus, can do so for either party in Minnesota, regardless of past identification. However, a person can only participate in one caucus or primary or the other, you cannot caucus for democrats and republicans. The candidate from the party that receives the most votes during the primary or caucus process gains the delegates from the state and this delegate total is added to delegates already won. Once a candidate secures a majority of delegates, they become the endorsed candidate, although this doesn’t formally happen until the party convention. This candidate is then able to formally have their name placed on the ballot in a state as the officially endorsed candidate of their political party.

When selecting candidates for Senator, House, or Governor, Minnesota utilizes something of a hybrid. Minnesotans caucus in the early spring and the state convention formally endorses a candidate in early summer. However, Minnesota does have a primary election in August and all candidates who wish to run as Republicans, Democrats, etc. can take the appropriate steps and have their names on the ballot. The candidate that receives the most primary votes becomes the only candidate that can officially run with the party name on the ballot, despite potentially not securing the parties endorsement. For example, in 2010 Governor Mark Dayton did not seek the DFL endorsement for Governor. Instead, he chose to wage a primary campaign and he appeared along with the endorsed DFLer Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and a third candidate Matt Entenza. Dayton won the primary and ultimately the Governor’s race.

 The video you watched at the beginning of this lesson gives light to how the two main parties of our nation select candidates for the presidential race.

Voting Methods

        Standard voting in the United States is a winner-take-all system, with the winner simply being the person with the most votes, amounting to a plurality of the vote. In Minnesota, some localities are experimenting with a system called Instant Runoff, or Ranked Choice Voting. In a runoff system, voters mark bubbles for their first, second, and third most preferred candidates. Proponents of the runoff system argue the system encourages participation and democracy, as well as ensures the winner has a majority of the vote. Opponents argue the system is confusing, time-saking, and gives more than one vote to some people, eliminating the “one person, one vote” principle. In federal races, winners are the candidate that receives the plurality, or most votes, regardless of majority status.

To show an example of this, let’s look at the 2008 Senate race between Independent Dean Barkley, Republican Norm Coleman, and Democrat Al Franken. The race was tight throughout, as frontrunners Al Franken and Incumbent Norm Coleman had trouble distancing themselves. Add to the equation an Independent candidate with experience (Dean Barkley served the remainder of late-Senator Paul Wellstone’s term in 2002). No clear winner was announced on election day and an 8-month long recount ensued. In the end, Al Franken was announced the winner by just over 300 votes. Think about that, just over 300 votes after 2.7 million votes had been cast. Al Franken was declared the winner with 41.99% of the vote. To put this into perspective, about 58% of Minnesota voters voted for a candidate other than Al Franken, yet Franken won, as he was the candidate with the most votes. We talked earlier about factions, some proponents of Ranked Choice Voting argue that the plurality system gives us winners whom the majority did not unite behind. The 2008 race is one example where it appears the Ranked Choice fans are correct.

How do Elections Shape the Political System? 

        Elections produce results. The process of elections in and of itself is a great exercise in Republican Democracy as the public is never as in tune to issues as it is during an election. The stakes seem higher during an election. Elections are the most fundamental way voters can express their views on their localities, states, and ultimately the nation. Politicians are forced to listen as being elected is the only way for them to continue to do the work they feel passionate about. Winning candidates and parties find it easier to raise money to help spread their messages. Losing candidates and parties typically have a hard time finding support. Take a look at the annotated timeline below to help gain an appreciation for the impact elections have on the greater political system. The focus will be on the previous three presidents and the impact some elections had on their presidencies.

1994 - 1st Term Midterm Election, Bill Clinton President

During presidential mid-term elections, presidents typically lose seats from their party in Congress. In 1994, Republicans took control of House & Senate for first time in decades on promises to reign in Washington spending with a more conservative approach. Bill Clinton, a Democrat, is forced to work with Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, in the name of government reform. President Clinton is forced to reign in spending and usher in an era of smaller government as a result of the message voters sent.

2002 - 1st Term Midterm Election, George W. Bush President

This was not a typical mid-term election as the memories of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 were still very fresh on the minds of voters. Result? Huge gains in the House & Senate for the Republican party. The administration views the election as support for their policies and pursues a pre-emptive war with Iraq. Policy was driven by the administration's view that the public supported them, as well as the Republican party overall.

2006 - 2nd Term Midterm Election, George W. Bush President

After 5 years of war in Afghanistan, and three in Iraq, public opinion was turning away from the Republican party and the American public showed this by ushering in a Democratically-controlled Congress for the first time since 1994. President Bush viewed the election as a condemnation of his administration's policies and swift changes came in the form of resignations and dismissals within his cabinet.

2010 - 1st Term Midterm Election, Barack Obama President

After two years of the Obama Administration and four years of Democrats in control of Congress, the American public sent a message to Washington that they did not approve of the job they were doing. President Obama called the losses in Congress as a “shellacking” and promised to reign in his administration and work with the new Republican-controlled Congress.

Elections change power in state capitols, but also in Washington D.C. The American public sends a message through the power of the vote and the next election cycle is largely driven by the message sent by the previous vote. As soon as the dust settles on an election it seems the next election cycle begins as politicians try to navigate the data and pursue the issues their constituents care most about. What impact do elections have on the political system? In short, they drive the agenda of politicians while governing, but also during the next election cycle.