The U'S' Electoral College

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The U.S. Electoral College

• By Tim Coudret
• ED 639

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Unit The U.S. Constitution11th grade
GovernmentLesson The Electoral College
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Rationale

• It is important for students to be aware of the
  importance of the Electoral College and its
  function. They must also understand why it was
  created and how the Electoral College affects
  Presidential Campaigns.

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Objectives

• The 11th grade Government class will
• 1) list the primary reasons that the Electoral
  College was created
• 2) list the drawbacks of the Electoral College
• 3) Discuss, in a knowledgeable manner, whether
  the Electoral College is still needed to elect
  the President

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Materials

• A transparency with an Electoral map
• A calculator
• Dry erase markers
• An overhead projector
• Power point presentation
• Activity worksheets

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What do the following four men all have in common?

• A. Andrew Jackson
• B. Samuel Tilden
• C. Grover Cleveland
• D. Al Gore

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The Answer

• They all won the popular vote in a Presidential
  election but did not become President.

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1824

• Popular Vote
• Andrew Jackson 43
• John Q. Adams 30.5
• Electoral Vote
• Jackson 99 votes
• Adams 84
• Adams elected by House of Representatives when
  Jackson did not receive a majority of the
  Electoral votes

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1876

• Popular Vote
• Samuel Tilden 51
• R. B. Hayes 48
• Electoral College
• Tilden 184
• Hayes 185
• Winner Hayes

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1888

• Popular Vote
• Grover Cleveland 48.5
• Benjamin Harrison 47.8
• Electoral College
• Cleveland 168
• Harrison 233
• Winner Harrison

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2000

• Popular Vote
• Albert Gore 48.7
• George W. Bush 48.5
• Electoral College
• Gore 266
• Bush 271
• Winner Bush

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Why?

• Because we do not pick our President by direct
  ballot. Technically, we only select electors.
  These electors form what is called the Electoral
  College and are the people who officially elect
  the President.

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Why was it Created?

• People (then) were not knowledgeable enough to
  select a President.(poor communications)
• This was a check that gave the states a voice in
  choosing the President
• To maintain regional balance

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What are the drawbacks to the Electoral College?

• Encourages low voter turnout
• Diminishes third party influence
• Person with most popular votes may not win
• Leads to tactical, insincere voting
• If there is no majority winner in the Electoral
  College, the election goes to the H.o. R and
  there is a loss of separation of powers

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Why low voter turnout?

• The Electoral College is a winner take all system
  of deciding who receives a states electoral
  votes. Consequently, if a person gets 50.1 of
  the popular vote (in a two man race), he get 100
  of the electoral votes. Therefore, many people
  feel that their vote does not matter and choose
  to not vote.

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Third Parties

• The Electoral College discourages 3rd parties
  because a candidate must have a broad based,
  national platform to have a chance to gain the
  highest office. Rarely are 3rd parties
  financially and politically able to do this.

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Tactical Voting

• Voters often resort to tactical voting in
  Presidential elections because the person they
  truly support cannot win the all of the electoral
  votes. For instance, many people would have
  preferred Ralph Nader in the 2000 Presidential
  election but knew that he was not going to win.
  Instead, they often voted for Al Gore because he
  was the major candidate with the platform closest
  to Nader.

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Activities
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In-Class Activity

• Given the electoral map on the previous slide,
  students will be asked the following hypothetical
  question If you were running for President with
  limited money and could only focus on a few
  states, where would you focus your campaign?
• (I would then have students list the states, in
  order, that they would need to win the necessary
  270 E.C. votes. They would find that only 11
  states are needed to become President.)

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Other Activities

• Electoral College Quiz
• Electoral College Crossword Puzzle

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Unit Evaluation

• Students will be asked to write a two page paper
  on the following topic Is the Electoral College
  a fair and democratic method of choosing the
  President? Or is it fair but not democratic? Or
  vice versa?
• This paper will be due one week from the end of
  the Unit and will be graded by the instructor.

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Websites

• What is Your Electoral College I.Q.?
• http//www.RichardWarrenField.com/elct-tst.html
  
• In Defense of the Electoral College
• http//www.cato.org/dailys/11-10-00html
• Electoral College Reform Options
• http//gning.net/electoral.html
• The Electoral College Inhibits Democracy
• http//www.electionreform.org/ERMain/editorials/ec
  .html
• How the Electoral College Works and Why it Works
  Well
• http//www.cato.org/dailys/11-13-00.html
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