When citizens cast their ballots for president in the popular vote, they elect a slate of electors. Electors then cast the votes that decide who becomes president of the United States. Usually, electoral votes align with the popular vote in an election.
What does the electoral college do?
The Electoral College is how we refer to the process by which the United States elects the President, even though that term does not appear in the U.S. Constitution. In this process, the States (which includes the District of Columbia just for this process) elect the President and Vice President.
What are the 3 major flaws of the Electoral College?
Three criticisms of the College are made: It is “undemocratic;” It permits the election of a candidate who does not win the most votes; and. Its winner-takes-all approach cancels the votes of the losing candidates in each state.
What was the original purpose of using the electoral college to elect presidents?
The Electoral College
As prescribed in the U.S. Constitution, American presidents are elected not directly by the people, but by the people’s electors. The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress.
What is the Electoral College in simple terms?
The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538 Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States. ... No state can have fewer than three electors.
What is the job of the Electoral College quizlet?
The Electoral college is the group of people (electors) chosen from each state and the district of Columbia to formally select the President and Vice President . A person elected by the voters to represent them in making a formal selection of the Vice President and President.
What are the powers of the presidency?
- make treaties with the approval of the Senate.
- veto bills and sign bills.
- represent our nation in talks with foreign countries.
- enforce the laws that Congress passes.
- act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.
- call out troops to protect our nation against an attack.
What is a major flaw in the electoral college system quizlet?
Only $35.99/year. The electoral college system. is plagued by three major defects: (1) the winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency; (2) electors are not required to vote in accord with the popular vote; and (3) any election might have to be decided in the House of Representatives.
What are potential arguments against the electoral college quizlet?
arguments against the electoral college. the possibility of electing a minority president (meaning one without the absolute majority of popular votes) a third party candidate draws enough votes that no one candidate receives the 270 votes necessary to win the election. the rise of so-called “faithless” electors.
What are some reforms of the electoral college system?
The three most popular reform proposals include (1) the automatic plan, which would award electoral votes automatically and on the current winner-take-all basis in each state; (2) the district plan, as currently adopted in Maine and Nebraska, which would award one electoral vote to the winning ticket in each ...
What was the compromise of the Electoral College?
Originally, the Electoral College provided the Constitutional Convention with a compromise between two main proposals: the popular election of the President and the election of the President by Congress. About this object The 1953 electoral vote count declared Dwight D. Eisenhower the winner.
Why was the Electoral College created quizlet?
Why was the electoral college created? Concerned with giving too much power to the lower class . Small states worried that larger states would have more power in determining the presidency. ... Each state selects electors equal to the number of reps in the congress.
Why is the Electoral College unfair quizlet?
The Electoral College is unfair in several ways. First, it gives more weight to votes cast in small states . (Each state’s electoral votes are equal to the number of members it has in the House and Senate combined.) ... With a system of direct election, all votes would be equally important and equally sought after.
What are the pros of the Electoral College system quizlet?
1) The Electoral College gives states power in our federal system . 2) The Electoral College encourages more person-to-person campaigning by candidates, as they spend time in both the big cities and smaller cities in battleground states.
What was the purpose of the Electoral College and having senators be leading citizens?
What was the purpose of the Electoral College and having US senators be leading citizens? Orginally the Electoral College was to be made up of leading citizens who could be trusted to exercise good judgment .
What is the most important power of the president?
Presidential Powers. Perhaps the most important of all presidential powers is commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces . While the power to declare war is constitutionally vested in Congress, the president commands and directs the military and is responsible for planning military strategy.
What role is the president fulfilling when he suggests laws in the State of the Union address?
The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution: The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Article II, Section 3, Clause 1.
When did flaws in the electoral system first begin to appear?
Initially, electors cast votes for candidates without designating whether they were voting for president or vice president. The flaws in this system became evident in 1800 when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr each received 73 electoral votes.
Does the president elect have power?
To that end, provisions such as office space, telecommunication services, transition staff members are allotted, upon request, to the president-elect, though the Act grants the president-elect no official powers and makes no mention of an “Office of the President-Elect.”
What are some criticisms of the electoral college quizlet?
- Each vote is not counted equally. -Smaller states get a disproportionate amount of votes. ...
- Distorts presidential campaign towards smaller states. ...
- Winner of popular vote doesn’t always win. ...
- Third party candidates can have a disproportionate effect. ...
- Does not guarantee small states’ influence.
What are 3 reasons for the growth of presidential power?
The reasons for growth include the overall unity of the presidency, authority delegated by congress , a demand for leadership by citizens, ability by the president to act quickly in crisis, the president’s delegated choices for fulfilling roles, and the president’s ability to use media.
How does the Electoral College affect presidential elections quizlet?
Electoral College – Representatives chosen in each state use the popular vote to determine who will receive the electoral votes (the winner in each state receives all of its electoral votes). This determines who becomes President-elect.
Does the Electoral College discourage third party candidates and what is the impact on American presidential politics quizlet?
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 .
What effect does the electoral college seem to have on the chances of a third party quizlet?
What effect does the Electoral college seem to have on the chances of a third-party or independent candidate? The electoral college could possibly get them elected. This is because they aren’t going to get any popular votes so they are soley relying on the electoral college.
How many times has the Electoral College tried to be changed?
This has already happened in three elections, 1824, 1876, and 1888. In the last election, the result could have been changed by a small shift of votes in Ohio and Hawaii, despite a popular vote difference of 1.7 million. I do not recommend a Constitutional amendment lightly.
What is the meaning of electoral reform?
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of: ... Rules about political parties, typically changes to election laws. Eligibility to vote.
Who decides the presidential election if no one wins the electoral college?
If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the Presidential election leaves the Electoral College process and moves to Congress. The House of Representatives elects the President from the 3 Presidential candidates who received the most electoral votes.
Why does the electoral college give smaller states an advantage quizlet?
By giving small states a guaranteed minimum of at least 3 ECVs some of the smaller states are therefore over-represented which gives them more power when electing the president. e.g. California has 76 times the population of Wyoming but only 18 times the ECVs.
What were the lasting outcomes of the Compromise of 1877?
Compromise of 1877: The End of Reconstruction
The Compromise of 1876 effectively ended the Reconstruction era. Southern Democrats’ promises to protect civil and political rights of blacks were not kept, and the end of federal interference in southern affairs led to widespread disenfranchisement of blacks voters .
Is the Electoral College an amendment to the Constitution?
The Twelfth Amendment (Amendment XII) to the United States Constitution provides the procedure for electing the president and vice president. It replaced the procedure provided in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3, by which the Electoral College originally functioned.
Is the electoral college a fair method of electing the president quizlet?
Is the electoral college fair? Yes because it gives the smaller states more say in the election . Also the president has to go to every state. And the winner of the popular vote might not win the election.
What happened in the election of 1877?
The Compromise of 1877 was an unwritten deal, informally arranged among United States Congressmen, that settled the intensely disputed 1876 presidential election. It resulted in the United States federal government pulling the last troops out of the South, and ending the Reconstruction Era .
What is the Electoral College compromise quizlet?
The compromise was to set up an electoral college system that allowed voters to vote for electors,who would then cast their votes for candidates . It’s U.S senators (2 in each state),plus the number of its US representatives, which varies according to the states population.
How does Electoral College work?
The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The candidate who gets 270 votes or more wins.
Why did the framers decide to use the Electoral College to elect the president quizlet?
The framers created the Electoral College, because they didn’t trust the people to make electoral decisions on their own. They wanted the president chosen by what they thought of as “enlightened statesmen” . ... A person elected by the voters in to represent them in making the decision of VP and President.
Why is the electoral college important quizlet?
The Electoral College was created for two reasons. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President . The second as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states.
In what ways have presidents past and present been similar?
In what ways have presidents past and present been similar? They have been elected, white men (except Obama) , from a middle to upper class family, and well educated.
What are some informal job requirements for the presidency?
- Experience in government or high military rank. Government experienced.
- Ability to raise large amounts of money. raise lots of money.
- Political beliefs- be a fit for a major party. beliefs.
- Personal characteristics- mental stability. ...
- Skill in debating and in fielding leading questions from reporters.
