Electing the President

Electing the President

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCjWPo70XZY Electoral College

1-Why was the original idea of having Congress select the president rejected? • It violated the principle of separation of powers: • if Congress chose the president, it could control the executive branch.

2-Why was the idea of having the people voting directly for the president rejected? • The Founders feared the citizens might make poor choices: • Most citizens did not know anything about the candidates [no national media]. • Some of the Founders believed that candidates who were popular with average voters might not be the best presidents.

3-What determines how many electoral votes each state has? A state’s total number of senators and members in the House of Representatives PA: 18 House members + 2 senators 20 electoral votes

4-In the original system for electing a president, how was it determined who would be president and who would be vice president? President= majority of electoral votes. VP= second most electoral votes [also a majority] No majority or tie=House of Reps 1 vote per state.

5-What happened in the election of 1800? Jefferson and Burr tied with 73 votes 36 ballots before Jefferson was elected President and Burr V.P.

6-What did the Twelfth Amendment state? Electors cast separate ballots for president and vice president No majority: House selects President Senate selects VP [prior, it wasn’t specified which office each candidate was running for].

8-When voters go to vote for president every four years, they are not actually voting for the candidate on the ballot. For whom are they actually voting? They are voting for their party’s slate of electors

9-How many total electoral votes are there? How many are needed to become president? 538 total electoral votes 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency

How to Win the Presidency The Winner is….. THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST ELECTORAL VOTES IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY TOTAL POSSIBLE ELECTORAL VOTES = 538 100 members of US Senate 435 members of US House of Representatives 3 for the District of Columbia (Wash D.C.)

10-Are electors required to vote for the candidate who wins a state’s popular vote? No, but most do.

11-How is it possible for a candidate to win the popular vote and not become president? EXPLAIN. The candidate did not receive the requisite 270 electoral votes needed to be elected president

11-How is it possible for a candidate to win the popular vote and not become president? EXPLAIN. http://www.270towin.com/#

13-What is the “winner-take-all system” The winner of the popular vote of the state wins all of that state’s electoral votes. What are the only two states that do not have this system? Maine and Nebraska

The Process of the Electoral College Pennsylvania Jane 6,317,640 Bob 5,751,398 Lucy 388,350  All of Pennsylvania’s 20 Electoral Votes are awarded to Candidate Jane... EACH STATE’S # OF ELECTORAL VOTES IS DIFFERENT BASED ON ITS POPULATION COMPARED TO ALL OTHER STATES 18 House members + 2 Senators = 20

14-Describe the effect a third-party-candidate can have on a presidential election. Could win enough electoral votes to prevent either major party from receiving enough electoral votes.

The Electoral College: Pros/Cons/Alternatives

Directions:Answer 1-4 using your “Electing the President” packet 1. How many Electoral College votes are there total? 2. When voters go to vote for president every four years, they are not actually voting for the candidate on the ballot. For whom are they actually voting? 3. How many electoral votes does it take to win the Presidency? 4. How are the number of electoral votes in each state determined? 5. How many electoral votes does the state of Pennsylvania have? 6. What is the main difference between most elections and presidential elections?

Directions: Answer 1-5 using your “Electing the President” packet 1. How many Electoral College votes are there total? 538 2. When voters go to vote for president every four years, they are not actually voting for the candidate on the ballot. For whom are they actually voting? They are voting for their party’s slate of electors 3. How many electoral votes does it take to win the Presidency? 270/538 a simple majority 4. How are the number of electoral votes in each state determined? Combined number of a state’s 2 senators and members in the House of Representatives

5. How many electoral votes does the state of Pennsylvania have? 20

6. What is the main difference between most elections and presidential elections? • In most elections, the people vote directly for the candidate. • In presidential elections, people vote for electors who cast their votes for the candidate.

ASSIGNMENT A-You and your group will carefully read each of six articles: 1-Arguments for the Electoral College 2-Arguments against the Electoral College The following articles can be found in the “Elimination of the Electoral College”packet 3-The Direct Plan [pros and cons] 4-The District Plan [pros and cons] 5-The Proportional Plan [pros and cons] 6-The National Popular Vote effort, explained pros and cons B-Write down the pros and cons for each of the six articles

Electoral College Each state awards all of its electoral votes [except Nebraska and Maine] to the winner of that state’s popular vote [winner-take-all] The candidate with 270 electoral votes wins.

Direct Election The candidate who wins a simple majority of the nation’s popular vote wins.

Proportional Plan Retains the Electoral College, but awards the votes in each state based on the percentage of votes received in each state. Each candidate would receive portion of each state’s electoral vote equal to his share of the state’s popular vote. So a candidate who won 60% of the state’s popular vote in a state with 10 electors would get 6 electoral votes

District Plan Each state would choose its electors like it chooses its members of congress: 2 electors from each state at large: they would be required to cast their electoral vote in line with the popular vote in their state. The state’s other electors would be chosen separately, in each of the state’s congressional districts. The votes of these electors would be cast in accord with the popular votes in their districts [Maine and Nebraska have this] The plan preserves the Electoral College, but would eliminate the winner-take-all aspect. Winner of a simple majority of the popular vote would be elected.

National Popular Vote States will give all of their electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote. Seeks to get states that comprise a majority of the electoral votes: 270, to agree to award their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. These states are not required to give their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner until the effort has garnered the number of states it needs to get the 270 electoral votes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6ZOiiMjIxE National Popular Vote

16-Of these alternatives, which one do you support? Why?

Electing the President