• Organizations created by individuals and groups to influence the outcomes of elections by raising and spending money that candidates and political parties cannot legally raise
• They must act independently of political campaigns and stop short of explicitly calling for a candidates' election or defeat.
• They can raise and spend unlimited amounts of unregulated soft money.

Campaigns that try to create an unfavorable impression of the opponent. In general, negative campaigning is a more effective strategy for challengers than it is for incumbents who are more successful with a positive campaign. Political scientists, however, do not find that personal attacks are effective

a procedure for choosing national party convention delegates that involve party voters participation in a series of precinct and district or county political meetings.

Super Tuesday elections often settles the nomination contest, at least for the Republicans because of the party’s winner-take-all delegate rule (which ever candidate has the most votes gets all the delegates)

• Income: Republican candidates have typically done better among upper-income voters, wheras Democrats have done better among lower-income groups
• Race/Ethnicity: White voters lean Republican while most minority voters support Democrats
• Education: The Democractic party is strongest with voters at either end of the education ladder
• Gender: More women identify with the Democratic Party than men
• Age: Younger voters have been moving toward the Democratic Party
• Family & Lifestyle Status: People who are members of traditional families tend to vote Republican while single people tend to vote Democrats
• Region: Today Democrats have the most support in the Northeast and the West Coast. Republicans are strongest in the South, the Great Plains, and the Rocky Mmountain West.
• Political Ideology: Conservatives are aligned with the  GOP and liberals vote Democratic. Both parties are becoming increasingly polarized.
• Religion: Protestants generally support the Republican Party while Jews vote for Democrats. Catholics can be swing voeters.
• Place of Residence: Democratcs win urban areas while Republicans carry rural areas.
• Issue of Orientation: The parties have grown further apart philosophically with the Democrats takign liberal positions and the Republicans expressing conservative views.

• Legislations take longer & are harder to pass
• Compromise is necessary

• Campaign costs increase with the office type.
• The candidate with the most money usually wins.
• The largest item in most campaign budgets is advertising (particularly on television)
• Wealthy individuals sometimes finance their own campaign. It is usually a sign of weakness b/c candidates with enough support can raise enough money for their campaigns.
• Individual campaign contributors are the most important overall source of campaign cash. There are limits on individual contributions.
• Interest groups give money directly to candidates through PAC's.
  • PAC's give relatively little money directly to the Senate or presidential candidates.
  • Federal law limits  the amount of money a PAC can give a candidate for federal office to $5,000.
• The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) prohibits political parties from raising soft money (funds that are not subject to federal campaign finance regulations). They must rely on hard money (funds that are subject to federal campaign finance regulations).
• 572 committees 

• House Elections
  • Most incumbents are reelected
  • Historically, the political party holding the White House loses seats in the House in midterm elections.
  • House constituencies are more homogenous.
• Senate
  • Races are more competitive than House elections.
  • Incumbency is a factor but it is  not the overwhelming advantage.
  • The races are usually closer than House election, decided by a small percentage difference.
  • Senate constituencies are more diverse.

• They are where the presidential nominee for each party is officially selected, ratifying the choice made during the primary season.
• A majority of the delegates must agree on a nominee.
•  A vice-presidential candidate is also selected. The presidential candidate usually makes the choice weeks before the convention meets and the delegates ratify it.

• Over time the Democratic party has been associated with feminine qualities and Republicans associated with manly qualities.
• The traits are associated with politics are usually manly.
• The Democrats became associated with feminine qualities in the 70's when politicians fought over gender rights, Equal Rights Amendments and abortion.
• Democrats issues such as poverty, healthy, education, align with feminine ideals.
• Republicans: defense
• Democrats have elected more women.
• Republicans benefit from this phenomenon because the political system promotes masculine qualities
• Proof
  • Secondary Surveying (analyzed what answers people identify with)
  • Cognitive Experiment (testing the subconscious)