LO2 I can explain the pros and cons

LO#2: I can explain the pros and cons of the electoral college

The Constitution’s Role • The framers of the Constitution debated how the President should be elected • Options included: • Congressional selection – but then the people would have no say in the country’s leader • Direct popular election – but the framers feared who the people might select • The electoral college was a compromise combining features of both • It also reflects federalism by ensuring states have a role in selecting the president.

How the Electoral College Works • Each state is worth “points” based on their representation in Congress • Every 10 years the US Census is taken to determine how many representatives each state will have in the House of Representatives • This number helps determine the number of electors for each state • House of Reps + Senate = number of Electoral Votes

Who are the Electors? • Appointed by each state legislature • Electors must be loyal political party members • Any eligible voter can be an elector – including you! • Electors may not hold any other office, do not get paid & have other jobs • Electors names appear on the ballot under the candidate they will vote for

Electoral Votes for Each State

How does the election work? • There are 538 total electors • Whoever wins the popular vote in each state gets ALL of that state’s electoral votes • To win the presidency, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes • If no candidate reaches 270 then the House of Representatives votes to decide the President

Issues With the Electoral College 1. Possible to win the popular vote but lose the electoral college vote 2. Neither Constitution nor federal law requires electors to vote according to state popular vote 3. Several “swing states” get almost all the attention in an election year

These maps show the amount of attention given to each state by the Bush & Kerry campaigns during the final five weeks of the 2004 election. At the top, each waving hand represents a visit from a presidential or vice presidential candidate during the final five weeks. At the bottom, each dollar sign represents $1 million spent on TV advertising by the campaigns during the same time period.

Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained Benefits of the Electoral College Drawbacks to the Electoral College Watch the video here then take notes on the benefits & drawbacks on the electoral college: https: //youtu. be/W 9 H 3 gvn. N 468

Presidents who didn’t win the Popular Vote • 1824: John Quincy Adams • 1876: Rutherford B. Hayes • 1888: Benjamin Harrison • 2000: George W. Bush • 2016: Donald Trump