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Should the Electoral College Count?

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Should the Electoral College Count? [ABCDE] VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 Should the Electoral College Count? GRAPHIC BY FARHANA HOSSAIN—THE WASHINGTON POST INSIDE Article II Distribution Improve on Red The Debate of Electoral vs. Blue 4 6 College Votes 9 12 November 23, 2004 © 2004 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Should the Electoral College Count? What’s It About? Lesson: Six weeks after voters On the first Monday after the http://www.archives.gov/federal_ have indicated their choice for pres- second Wednesday in December, register/electoral_college/ ident and vice president, electors electors meet together in their U.S. Electoral College meet to cast their ballots. Why did states and D.C. to vote by ballot The U.S. National Archives and the writers of the U.S. Constitution for president and vice president. Records Administration provides a devise the Electoral College and Six original Certificates of Vote, thorough background on the Electoral are electors still necessary? listing all persons receiving votes College. In addition to the FAQs, Level: Middle to high for president and for vice president, Subjects: Government, must be prepared by the electors. sections include “How Electors civics, history If a candidate for either office Vote,” “Electoral College Calculator” Related Activity: Language does not receive a vote, his or her and “Historical Election Results.” arts, mathematics name is not listed. More infor- Teaching resources include NARA mation about the requirements lesson plans and links to other sites. National, state and local elections can be found at www.nara.gov. lend themselves to a look at the Not until passage of the Twenty- http://www.pbs.org/elections/kids/ requirements, process and impact third Amendment in 1961 did D.C. By the People: Election 2004 of elections. This is the third of residents have the right to vote in PBS created activities to involve young five online guides that focus on presidential elections. Regardless people in the voting process. From the the broad question: Whose vote of its population, D.C. receives “Teachers” section select the lesson plan really counts? In this guide, we three electoral votes, the same examine the Electoral College. as the least populated states. for “Is the Electoral College Out of Date?” Established by the Founding Academic standards of Maryland, Fathers as a compromise between Virginia and D.C. that apply to the http://jceb.co.jackson.mo.us/ election of the president by activities in this guide are provided. fun_stuff/electoral_college.htm Congress and election by popular The following national standard The Electoral College vote, the Electoral College today for history is also applicable. Jackson County, Missouri, provides is composed of 538 electors. The Standard 5: The student engages an easy-to-understand history and procedure by which the electors in historical issues-analysis and changing designs of the Electoral vote was changed with the Twelfth decision-making. The student is College, the process of selecting Amendment in 1804—no longer able to propose alternative ways of electors, and a fascinating collec- would a vice president be of a resolving the problem or dilemma tion of “historical curiosities.” rival party or two members of the and evaluate each in terms of same party not know who was ethical consideration, the interest of president and who vice president. the people involved, and the likely http://www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/ The process for selecting elec- consequences of each proposal. treasures_of_congress/page_7.html tors varies throughout the United This guide suggests some ways The House Selects a President States. Generally, the political to use the materials included. National Archives page includes the parties nominate electors at Your students may be encour- tally sheet of electoral votes cast at the their state party conventions or aged to read The Post for more 1801 meeting of the Electoral College. by a vote of the party’s central coverage of the Electoral College. committee in each state. In Maine http://www.socialstudies- and Nebraska, two electors are Capitalize It or Not? forkids.com/articles/govern- chosen by state-wide popular vote The Associated Press Stylebook ment/theelectoralcollege.htm and the rest by popular vote in and dictionaries agree that congressional districts. You might Electoral College should be capital- The Electoral College ask your students if they know ized, and words and phrases such as Social Studies for Kids provides how their electors are selected elector and electoral votes should basic information on the process and who these individuals are. and a look at the elections of CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 1800, 1824, 1876 and 2000. 2 November 23, 2004 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 is still applicable today? How In the Know might they change the process? not be capitalized. Although The Three opinion pieces are included Amendment: A formal revision of, addi- Washington Post does not capitalize in this guide: “The Non-College tion to, or change to the Constitution Electoral College in most sections Try,” a Washington Post edito- of the newspaper, we will follow rial; “Improve on Red vs. Blue,” Direct Popular Vote: A majority of the conventional use in this guide. a commentary by Post columnist William Raspberry; and “Repair the the votes cast by U.S. citizens Discover How It Works Electoral College,” by guest colum- Give students “How the Electoral nist Peter Shane. Each presents a Electors: A body of people selected by College Works.” This graphic different perspective. These may each party within a state that is numerically appeared in the Nov. 2, 2004, Post. be read as homework, summarized Note the example of how a “tie” for plan presented, evaluated and equal to the state’s congressional delega- vote might occur and the consti- discussed in class. Or the class tion, representatives plus senators. tutional answer to that situation. may be divided into three groups You may also wish to use “Electoral with each group receiving one Electoral College: The system for the elec- Votes in Proportion.” Each square of the opinion pieces. Their task tion of the president and vice president of represents one elector. How does is to determine the perspective this map change students’ perspec- given, list the pro-con sides and the United States. It is the collective name tive? Does every vote count? then argue for it in a class discus- for a group of electors nominated by political “There is no constitutional sion. Use “The Debate About parties within the states and popularly elected right for individual citizens to vote the Electoral College System.” for president. The framers of the who meet to vote for those two offices. Constitution chose not to estab- Study Rights lish a national standard for voter In this activity, students will Framers: The group of people who eligibility or participation in presi- learn why the Electoral College drafted the Constitution in 1787 dential elections. Individual states was created, how the Electoral can choose their electors through College functions today, and Proportionality: A method of counting votes a popular election—or not,” prospects for the future of the states Linda Monk in The Words Electoral College by debating where the Electoral College votes are allocated We Live By. “Beginning with and voting on the issues. according to the percentage of the popular Pennsylvania in 1788, an increasing Distribute “The Electoral vote each candidate wins. (For example, if number of states gradually allowed College: History, Present and citizens to vote for presidential Future.” Ask students to read it there are three candidates running in a state electors. Now all states do.” as homework or in class. Engage with 10 Electoral College votes, the winner Apply mathematics skills to students in a brief discussion to could take 6 votes, the second-place candi- explain the rationale for the ensure understanding of the issues. date could take 3 votes and the third-place Electoral College. Use the chart They may be given “Debate Over on page 14 or the map on page the Electoral College System” at candidate could win the remaining vote.) 15 in the October guide to record this time or when in groups. the 2004 election results. You Divide students into the Representative Democracy: The idea can use the numbers to deter- following groups of 2-4 students: that government is run by the people mine the result of the electors’ • Representatives from voting in December and to play a small state who favor the and the people elect representatives to some “what if” scenarios. current Electoral College; run the government on their behalf • Representatives from a large Get an Outlook state who would like to change Winner-Take-All: A method of counting Find out what students think the method of counting votes votes where the candidate who wins the about the Electoral College. Do they within the Electoral College; understand why it was created? most votes wins the entire allotment of Do they think that reasoning CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Electoral College votes for that state 3 November 23, 2004 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 If time permits, a representative a “lame duck”? If the result of the of the voters can explain to the class 2000 election had not been deter- Representatives who would like to how they reached their decision. mined by noon of January 20, 2001, eliminate the Electoral College entirely. who would have been president? • The remaining students in the Argue the Fate of the Electoral College class should consider and discuss the Ask students to write a persuasive 3.
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