The American Political Campaigns: Major Historical Eras

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The Progressive Era: 1896–1932

Beginning in 1896, the Progressive Era’s main internal concerns shifted to include government regulation of large enterprises and the demand for new banking systems. The Republican Party continued to garner plurality as the interest groups and voting blocs remained unaffected (Cohen et al., 2009). Since candidates were not allowed to interact directly with the general public at that time, they mobilized local supporters to organize rallies as part of the candidates’ campaign style. The rallies were conducted in taverns and other public places to reach a wider audience.

Most candidates used partisan tabloids (print media) to push their notions. Therefore, the latter had to openly skew news coverage to promote allies and castigate adversaries. The number of citizens who were eligible to vote increased by 38.3 million from 1920 to 1932, rising from 18.4 million to 56.7 million (Cohen et al., 2009). More than 67% of this increase stemmed from voters of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and other minority racial or ethnic backgrounds. A breakdown of the remaining three eras, how congressional candidates can capitalize on campaign laws, the primary factors in a congressional campaign, and the role of media in driving the public’s understanding of candidates for office form the basis of this paper.

Fifth Party System: 1932–1976

The Great Depression (1929–1939), which triggered unprecedented business cycles and the New Deal initiatives (1933–1939)-which were the Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s response to it marked the turning point in American politics (Cohen et al., 2009). With the Democrats in charge of both congressional houses from the 1930s and holding the presidency until 1952, liberalism ideology prevailed. During this time, the candidates used the Husting method as a style of campaign whereby they would address their electorates and politically engage in debates to defend their manifestos. It is the era when the elephant as a symbol of the Republicans and the donkey for the Democrats were made famous by cartoonist Thomas Nast.

His cartoons, along with those of his forebears and contemporaries, were printed as single-sheet prints and in newspapers (print media). They are credited with having a significant impact on many voters at that time. On the other hand, only an average of 34% of registered voters (about two-thirds) held a college degree (Cohen et al., 2009). However, since 1950, when only 20% of voters had this degree, the proportion rose significantly throughout the era.

Era of Divided Government: 1968-2008

The regime was typified by an alternation between the Democrats and the Republicans in the Presidential elections while the opposition party frequently maintained control of Congress. The Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal serve as examples of how the existence of a divided government challenged the decision-making process. In the early 1960s, there was a significant cultural shift that led to a realignment of political parties (Cohen et al., 2009).

The common style of campaign and use of musical media was evidenced by campaign songs which were written about candidates and could fit right into a culture where singing was popular. For instance, the song ‘Do Not Stop’ was sung to popularize Bill Clinton in 1992 (Sides & Haselswerdt, 2019). This epoch was further characterized by an ageing electorate whereby 58% of registered voters were ages 49 and older, up from 46% in 1996. As of 1990, ages 49 and older constituted 56% of Republican and GOP-leaning voters, an increase approximated at 37% (Sides & Haselswerdt, 2019).

The Future (2008 to Present)

With President Obama taking office as the 44th president of the United States in 2009-2017, the 2008 elections signified the beginning of a new era (Sides & Haselswerdt, 2019). There was one government, and the Democratic Party controlled both the Congress and the presidency. Trump assumed office in 2017 and was ousted by Joe Biden in 2021. In this period, the use of the Internet and media platforms has become a preferred style of conducting campaigns.

Communication media avenues like websites and podcasts are used by candidates to facilitate the faster transmission of messages to sizable voters. Similarly, the era rekindled interest in how demographic changes have altered the composition of the electorate. For instance, between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of non-Hispanic White eligible voters plummeted in 50 states, with double-digit declines occurring in 10 of those states (Sides et al., 2022)

Congressional Candidates and Campaign Finance Laws

Campaign finance laws define limitations on donations and expenditures for candidates running for different offices. Therefore, as a consultant to a candidate running for Congress, I would advise them to ensure that campaign finance laws such as BCRA and the Federal Campaign Act of 1971 are completely observed by their contestants. The FCA forbids businesses and trade unions from donating funds directly to federal politicians (such as my client) but instead permits corporations to administer and collect voluntary contributions for the organization’s political action committee, an opportunity which I can advise my client to explore to succeed.

Through the restrictions on contributions from national political parties and groups of interest, the 2002 BCRA law reduced the influence of corporate donations (soft money) in political elections (Sides et al., 2022). It mandated that candidates who are vying for federal political offices in the United States and interest groups supporting or opposing them include an identification of the candidate and a statement that indicates his approval of the communication in political advertisements on news media.

BCRA law played a significant role in the rise of independent expenditure committees by eliminating all soft money donations to the national party committees. Additionally, it increased the hard money share contribution cap from $1,500 to $3,000 per election cycle (Sides et al., 2022). On the other hand, the Citizens United decision brought a sharp surge in political expenditure from external entities, further enhancing the already disproportionate political influence of wealthy financiers.

Primary Factors to Consider in Congressional Campaigns

Whereas all congressional aspirants conduct campaigns, only one emerges as the winner after considering several primary factors such as the nature of the campaign message, methods of outsourcing campaign finance, and their relationship with local communities. Firstly, the nature of the campaign message is a key priority. The message should always be geared toward persuading those who share the candidate’s viewpoints to support them in their quest for a particular office. To leave a lasting impression on the voters, the message, which consists of a cluster of talking points about policy issues, should summarize the key elements of the candidate’s manifesto.

Campaign finance is another key factor in congressional campaigns. Sending direct mail pitches to small donors, calling or meeting with large financiers, and wooing the interests of organizations are all appropriate fundraising strategies. In a congressional campaign, strategies like door-to-door canvassing, running digital ads, and volunteer recruitment are used by candidates to achieve political success. For instance, the use of volunteers increases the candidate’s campaign’s visibility and enables him to have personnel on the ground to handle social media posting. In the 2020 Texas congressional elections, Dan Crenshaw amassed an army of 70,000 volunteers (Sides et al., 2022). While his opponents employed professional staff and political advisors, it was the unpaid locals who strengthened Crenshaw’s campaign and propelled him to victory by mobilizing their communities to elect him.

Role of the Media in Driving the Public’s Understanding of Candidates for Office and Their Campaigns

Both the news and social media have indeed had a significant impact on driving the public’s understanding of candidates for office and their campaigns. Firstly, journalists greatly influence elections by deciding which candidates to cover and to what extent. Such decisions may have a significant impact on voters’ perceptions. According to research, some candidates may appear to be almost invisible if they are unable to garner sufficient media attention. This disproportionate level of publicity was highlighted by former president Donald Trump in 2016 (Sides & Haselswerdt, 2019). He accused media houses of contributing to a “rigged” election by predominantly covering Hillary Clinton while the Republicans went unreported.

Secondly, users currently have more direct access to candidates than ever before thanks to social media. Voters may be influenced by platforms such as Facebook to develop a virtual close connection with a candidate they will probably never see in person. Social media give candidates a direct line of communication with voters, thus eliminating the mainstream media as a gatekeeper. Trump’s 2016 campaign made extensive use of social media platforms, especially Twitter, to mobilize voters.

As part of his plan to prioritize media presence over supporters and funds, Trump, unlike other candidates, linked to news outlets rather than his campaign website in his tweets and Facebook posts. The Pew Research Center’s study indicates that 78% of his re-tweets were from the ordinary populace as opposed to journalistic organizations and elected leaders (Sides & Haselswerdt, 2019). Trump’s distinctive usage of social media enabled him to engage with his detractors and tweet about his stances on different political topics.

References

Cohen, M., Karol, D., Noel, H., & Zaller, J. (2009). The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform. University of Chicago Press. Web.

Sides, J., & Haselswerdt, J. (2019). Campaigns and Elections. C.J. Nelson & A.J. Thurber (Eds,), (5^th ed, pp. 297-314). Routledge.

Sides, J., Tausanovitch, C., & Vavreck, L. (2022). The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy. Princeton University Press. Web.

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