Electoral college dbq history documentbased questions. In a life spanning from 1706 to 1790, franklin explored nearly every aspect of his world, and he. Jan 17, 2020 critics of the electoral college system point out that the system allows the possibility of a candidate actually losing the nationwide popular vote but being elected president by the electoral vote. The papers of benjamin franklin is a collaborative undertaking by a team of scholars at yale university to collect, edit, and publish a comprehensive, annotated edition of franklins writings and papers. The founding fathers established the electoral college in the constitution as a compromise between election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The bulk of the new nations citizenry resided in cities like. House of representatives, as the chamber closest to the people, would choose the president from among the top five contenders. The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral system since the ratification of the constitution. Critics of the electoral college system point out that the system allows the possibility of a candidate actually losing the nationwide popular vote but being elected president by the electoral vote. This essay documents many of the ways in which this assertion is true. In this process, the states which includes the district of columbia just for this process elect the president and vice president.
Why should one or two densely populated areas speak for the whole of the nation. Instead, voters vote for their preferred president and vice president pair. After looking at the documents, students should craft a thesis statement. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. Serving as both a federal and a state depository library, the unt libraries government documents department maintains millions of items in a variety of formats. It is these electors, chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive. Electoral college calculator in addition to an explanation of what the electoral college is, this site allows user to project election outcomes.
An interactive version of each map is also available, letting you change history. While constitutional amendments are rare, they do happen. An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. The electoral college in american history and the direct vote alternative. Debate on the current election code adopted in 1887 8. Many of the founding fathers were well schooled in ancient history and its lessons. Through 2016, there have been 58 presidential elections. The portion of article 2, section 1, describing the electoral college is longer and descends to more detail. Last updated december 1, 2016 what is the electoral college.
The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral. The function of the college of electors in choosing the president can. Voters do not directly elect the president or vice president. Similarly, further details on the history and current functioning of. To view maps and results from all prior presidential elections on a single page, see. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the.
The constitution assigns each state a number of electors equal to. But there are also staunch defenders of the electoral college who, though perhaps less vocal than its critics, offer very powerful arguments in its favor. The united states is virtually alone in entrusting the election of its president to a small, largely anonymous group of individuals, rather than to its citizen. Virginia civics electoral college policy brief to the governor. 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. It granted equal protection under the law for all citizens. In this dynamic lesson plan, students will gain a deeper understanding of the electoral college and how it works.
The documents below were preserved by supervisor of elections wilma anderson from the past election officials of citrus county, florida. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution. In order to appreciate the reasons for the electoral college, it is essential to understand its historical context and the problem that the. Constitution, the electoral college is the formal body which elects the president and vice president of the united states. How the electoral college works election assistance commission. The documents were passed on to supervisor of elections susan gill when she took office in january 1997. How it works in contemporary presidential elections showing 14 of 18 pages in this report. The founders also designed the operation of the electoral college with unusual care.
In simpler terms, the electoral college requires a presidential. History a brief history of the electoral college from the federal election commission, source includes pros and cons of the electoral college process 20 page document in pdf format. The history of the electoral college my election helper. The first test of the electoral college system was the election of 1800 when both thomas jefferson and his r unning mate, aaron burr. A brief introduction to the electoral college outset. There have, in its 200 year history, been a number of critics and proposed reforms to the electoral college system most of them trying to eliminate it. It was devised by the framers of the united states constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government. The electoral college the electoral college system columbian southern university 08.
In the event that no one obtained an absolute majority in the electoral college or in the event of a tie vote, the u. The similarities between the electoral college and classical institutions are not accidental. The electoral college guarantees that candidates who seek the only nationally elected office in america must attempt to appeal to as broad a geographic constituency as possible. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in. The 14th amendment was ratified and had a big impact on the electoral college. The electoral college plays a major role in the election of the president. The electoral college has been divisive since day one. The historian uses primary source documents from as early as 1801 and as recent as 2000. Socratic seminar university of wisconsinwhitewater. The electoral vote results are counted and certified by a joint session of congress, held on january 6 of the year succeeding the election. Notwithstanding the founders efforts, the electoral college system almost never functioned as they intended, but, as with so many constitutional provisions, the document prescribed only the. The next change affecting the electoral college came a decade after the meeting of the electoral commission. The rules of the electoral college are not set in stone. Each state has as many electors in the electoral college as it has representatives and senators in the united states congress, and the district of columbia has three electors.
Nov 21, 2016 the story of the electoral college is also one of slaveryan institution central to the founding of american democracy. According to article ii, section 1, clause 2 of the constitution, each state legislature determines the manner by which its states electors are chosen. When americans vote for president and vice president of the united states, they are actually voting for presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. The national archives web site presents teaching activities related to the 1824 electoral college vote that are correlated to the national history standards and national standards for civics and government. This page links to the results of those historical elections, including a larger map, results and synopsis of the race. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii, section 1 of the constitution. More information on adobe acrobat pdf files is available on our accessibility page. Controversy surrounds the electoral college and how it functions. In defense of the electoral college the washington post. However, the term electoral college does not appear in the constitution. The electoral college is how the united states selects the next president and vice president. The electoral college was created by the framers of the u. Electoral college simple english wikipedia, the free.
It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. Electoral college to ensure the states were fairly represented. The electoral college is composed of 538 electors who meet the december after a presidential election. Bushs 5 electoral vote victory was the third smallest in history, id, and. This guide compiles links to digital materials related to the presidential election of 1800 that are available throughout the library of congress web. Nov 14, 2016 but just what exactly is the electoral college, what is its history, and is it effective. Virginia civics electoral college policy brief to the.
The closest congress has come to amending the electoral college since 1804 was during the 91st congress 19691971. I would like the students to better understand how the electoral college works and also understand the reform proposals that have been made. It should finally put an end to the argument as to why the electoral college makes sense. The national popular vote legislation the electoral college is an anomaly of the american democracy. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning.
However, the term electoral college does not appear. However, the term electoral college does not appear continue reading the electoral college. The national archives and records administration nara is the federal agency responsible for coordinating activities of states and congress regarding the electoral college vote for president. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states.
At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless and would give too much voting power to highly populated areas in which people were familiar with a presidential candidate. The bipartisan commission, which included representatives, senators, and supreme court justices, voted along party lines to award all the contested ballots to hayessecuring the presidency for him by a single electoral. The electoral college shouldshould not be abolished. Nov 15, 2016 the founders also designed the operation of the electoral college with unusual care. Social studies history, elections voting, critical thinking. Americas historical documents selected online documents from the. Electoral college system this is not alw ays the case. This jackdaw portfolio will help students learn what the electoral college is and how it works, the origin and history of the electoral college, and the pros and cons of the electoral college system. The founding fathers established the electoral college in the constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The fec has no jurisdiction over the electoral college. The digital collections of the library of congress contain a wide variety of material associated with the presidential election of 1800, including manuscripts, broadsides and government documents. But just what exactly is the electoral college, what is its history, and is it effective. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. The current workings of the electoral college are the result of both design and experience.
These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the president in the house of representatives, which is. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. The following list of statistics has been making the rounds on the internet. In january 1877, congress established the federal electoral commission to investigate the disputed electoral college ballots. People have come up with various reasons as to why the electoral college should be replaced and overlook the reasons that it hasnt been abolished.
History of the electoral college how the electoral college. According to article ii, section 1, clause 2 of the. Pdf why the electoral college is good for political. While the electoral college may not be good for the political system, it is very good for political science and public choice. Taming the electoral college explores poorly understood aspects of the electoral college, including two possibilities in particular that could pose the most serious danger for american democracy. Twentyseven proposals have survived the difficult amendment process, and with much less popular approval than the movement for direct. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in an electoral college simulation. The story of the electoral college is also one of slaveryan institution central to the founding of american democracy. Students will then prepare for an essay, a debate, or a presentation in which they will present evidence from the documents to back up their arguments.
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