AP US Government AMSCO Guided Notes
5.19: Campaigns
AP US Government Guided Notes
AMSCO 5.19 - Campaigns
Essential Questions
- How do campaign organizations and strategies affect the election process?
- How does the organization, finance, and strategies of national political campaigns affect the election process?
I. Modern Campaigns
1. What factors must candidates consider when deciding to run for political office, and what challenges do they face?
2. Why do candidates need to assemble a campaign organization, and what is the typical cost of running for office?
A. Campaign Organization
1. What role do party organizations play in supporting or opposing candidates during campaigns?
2. How do outside groups and PACs influence the campaign process?
1. Candidate's Committee
1. What is the purpose of a candidate's committee, and what are the legal responsibilities of a campaign treasurer?
2. Party Organizations
1. How do national, state, and local party organizations support candidates, and why do they typically focus resources on incumbents?
2. What is the role of Congressional Campaign Committees like the DCCC, and how do they allocate resources to House races?
3. Outside Groups
1. What are 527 organizations, and how do they differ from traditional PACs in their ability to raise and spend money?
B. Fundraising
1. How does a candidate's war chest affect their viability and chances of winning an election?
2. What are the typical spending patterns for House, Senate, and presidential campaigns, and how do competitive districts affect spending levels?
3. How has the internet changed campaign fundraising, and what advantages does it offer compared to traditional methods?
C. Campaign Strategies
1. What factors influence how candidates develop their campaign strategies?
1. Professional Consultants
1. What types of professional consultants do campaigns employ, and what expertise does each bring to a campaign?
2. Showcasing the Candidate
1. How do campaigns use polling and focus groups to shape their message and strategy?
2. What are the three main segments of a typical campaign, and what is the purpose of each?
3. How do campaigns conduct opposition research, and what information do they seek about opponents?
3. Debates
1. Why do incumbents and front-runners typically avoid debates, and what advantage do debates provide to underdogs?
4. Television Appearances
1. What are the two forms of television placement that campaigns use, and how do they differ in cost and effectiveness?
2. What elements do modern campaign commercials typically emphasize, and why is television advertising the most expensive part of campaigns?
5. Social Media
1. How did Barack Obama's 2012 campaign use social media and data analytics to target voters more efficiently than traditional methods?
2. What are dark ads, and how do they manipulate voters' emotions to influence their voting behavior?
3. How do campaigns use psychographics and micro-targeting to identify and persuade independent voters?
D. The 2024 Presidential Campaign
1. Why did Dean Phillips challenge President Biden for the Democratic nomination, and what was the outcome?
2. What factors motivated Republican challengers to run against Trump, and how did Trump respond to these challengers?
3. How did Biden's debate performance affect the 2024 race, and what was the outcome?
4. What role did battleground states play in the 2024 campaign, and how did candidates allocate their advertising resources?
5. How did social media influencers and podcasters differ in their coverage of Trump versus Harris in 2024?
II. Campaign Finance
1. Why is money considered essential to winning political campaigns, and what types of campaign expenses require significant funding?
A. Campaign Finance
1. What historical factors led to the development of campaign finance regulations in the early 1970s?
B. Federal Legislation on Campaign Finance
1. What did the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 attempt to do, and why was the 1974 amendment necessary?
2. What were the key provisions of the 1974 FECA amendment regarding donation limits and campaign spending?
3. How did the Supreme Court's ruling in Buckley v. Valeo both uphold and limit campaign finance regulations?
1. The Federal Election Commission
1. What is the structure and purpose of the Federal Election Commission, and what responsibilities does it have?
2. What information must candidates report to the FEC, and how is this information made available to the public?
C. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
1. What problem did the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 address, and what were its main provisions?
2. How did the BCRA distinguish between hard money and soft money, and what restrictions did it place on each?
D. MUST-KNOW SUPREME COURT CASES: CITIZENS UNITED V. FEC (2010)
1. What was the central constitutional question in Citizens United v. FEC, and how did the Court rule?
2. How did Citizens United overturn key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?
3. What was the Court's reasoning for allowing unlimited corporate and organizational spending in political campaigns?
E. Impact of Citizens United
1. How did Citizens United change the role of money in political campaigns, and what is dark money?
2. What does the concentration of donations among wealthy individuals and organizations reveal about campaign finance after Citizens United?
3. How have both Democrats and Republicans benefited from the Citizens United ruling despite their different public positions on it?
F. Types of PACs
1. What are connected PACs, and what restrictions apply to how they can raise and spend money?
2. How do nonconnected PACs differ from connected PACs in terms of formation, funding, and solicitation?
3. What are Super PACs, and how did the Citizens United and Speechnow rulings enable their creation?
4. How did the McCutcheon v. FEC ruling change campaign finance by removing aggregate donation limits?
G. Joint Fundraising Committees and Party Structure
1. What are joint fundraising committees, and how do they allow wealthy donors to contribute to multiple candidates and committees?
2. How have Super PACs and joint fundraising committees changed the structure and influence of political parties?
Key Terms
dark ads
war chest
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
connected PACs
dark money
Federal Election Act (1971)
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
hard money
soft money
Super PACs