Congress

Congress

Elections Test

It takes a lot to be elected. You do not have to be the smartest person, you just have to look and sound smart. People today elect people who give them or at least tell them what they want to hear. For example, in our rough economic times people want to hear that the person they are electing is going to do something to fix the situation. If the person who is running to be elected tells people he or she will make change quickly people will essentially vote for them. You do need to have a higher degree of education and of course the most important connections. President Bush’s presidential time in office was highly influenced by his father being president before. Without connections through family or friends, it is pretty much hard to stay in the elections and even more with winning. I do not think that this is truly democratic. The person best suited for the position should be running the country, it is not a popularity contest. Hard money is the funding by a government or organization that is repetitive, rather than a one-time grant. Soft money is the campaign funding that politicians get during election years. The money received is not recurring and it is to be used explicitly for election related expenses. Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, of which events and stories are reported and how they are covered. Political Action Committees (PACs) receive and raise money from a "restricted class," generally consisting of managers and shareholders in the case of a corporation, and members in the case of a union or other interest group. The PAC may then make donations to political campaigns. PACs and individuals are the only entities allowed to contribute funds to candidates for federal office. Contributions from corporate or labor union treasuries are illegal, even though they may sponsor a PAC and provide financial support for its administration and fundraising. Overall, PACs account for less than thirty percent of total contributions in U.S. Congressional races, and considerably less in presidential races. Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to attain and maintain political power within government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions. Parties often support an expressed ideology or vision bolstered by a written platform with specific goals, forming a coalition among disparate interests. After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s. In general, low turnout may be due to disenchantment, indifference, or contentment. Low turnout is often considered to be undesirable, and there is much debate over the factors that affect turnout and how to increase it. Its cause has been attributed to a wide array of economic, demographic, cultural, technological, and institutional factors. There have been many efforts to increase turnout and encourage voting.