Resources

Current Events: The Electoral College – Current Trends

Originally outlined in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, and later updated by the Twelfth Amendment, the United States uses an indirect method for electing presidents of the nation. This system is referred to as the Electoral College. It’s not a school of any form, but a designated group of people from each state who are chosen to pick a president on behalf of their state. The electoral votes are apportioned amongst the states to reflect the population of the country. For example, the results of the 2020 Census determined that Texas would gain two more votes in the Electoral College for the next 10 years. One additional vote was gained by Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon. Conversely, California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia lost a vote due to changing populations captured in the census data.

Under the Electoral College system, in order to win the presidential race, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes. There are a total of 538 electors. In most cases, electors cast their votes for the candidate who has the most votes from the popular vote in their state elections in a winner-take-all fashion. Maine and Nebraska allow electoral votes to be split if a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in one of the respective states’ congressional districts.

The following videos, articles, and podcasts, are being shared to foster understanding around the historical origins of this unique system, reform proposals (old and new), and how the Electoral College turns particular states into battlegrounds during U.S. presidential elections. Also included is an inquiry strategy teachers can use to identify what students know, what they are confused by, and what they are curious about regarding this American process of choosing a leader.

 

Essential Questions:

  • What are the historical reasons for the indirect method of electing a U.S. president?
  • How do popular sovereignty and federalism conflict on the issue of electing presidents?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Electoral College system?
  • How does the Electoral College focus attention on particular states?
  • In your opinion, which reform proposals to the Electoral College system are the best? Explain.
  • In your opinion, should the U.S. reconsider the Electoral College system and move towards a popular vote model? Explain.

 

Vocabulary:

Electors: a group of people whose job is to choose a political leader

Swing state (aka, Battleground state): the states in the U.S. presidential elections that could potentially be won by either candidate and are, typically, the focus of presidential campaigns

Safe state: a state that has a highly likelihood to be won by a particular political party’s candidate and therefore, typically, not prioritized in terms of allocating time and resources during the election campaign

Proportional: two quantities having the same or a constant ratio or relation

Majoritarian: the idea that the numerical majority of a population should have the final say in determining the outcome of a decision

 

Videos:

 

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Background Resources:

 

Recent Articles:

 

Recent Editorials:

 

Lesson Plans:

 

Resources for Younger Students: