The Electoral College Liberal / Conservative Continued Urban / Rural Introduced On the Next Slide 1) Label the MAJOR (large population) cities in America 2) Think REALLY BIG cities. Electoral College NOT a popular vote / direct vote One person making one vote directly for president If one candidate gets 51% of the popular vote from a state, he or she wins ALL the electoral votes from that state. The system is winner-take-all Number of Electors per State 2 (number of senators) PLUS. Number of representatives (based on population) SO..CA, TX, NY, IL have MANY electors and electoral votes! Total Number of Electors 435 for House of Representatives 100 for Senate 3 for District of Columbia Total = 538 Needed to Win Presidency = 270 What if No One Gets 270? House of Representatives will decide President Each state gets ONE vote. Happened twice Jefferson def. J. Adams J.Q. Adams def. Jackson Election of 1800 Election of 1824 SIDEBAR: Think and Predict. What happens to the NUMBER of electoral votes in states between 1800 1880? Think about West vs. East of the US Which states NOW have the most electoral power? Lets Look at Some Elections in Specific!! Pendulum Shifting Elections Terms to Know Incumbent = a candidate who already holds the office Challenger = the candidate who is running against the incumbent Third parties Occasionally, a third party will challenge the two-party system They usually dont last very long, but The Democrats and Republicans often incorporate their ideas Examples: The Whigs, the Know-Nothings, etc. Landslides Both Ways on Spectrum Terminology Rural Of or relating to the country / farm land Urban Of or relating to the city Therefore. What conclusions can you draw about the following. The general beliefs of rural areas? The general beliefs of urban areas? Why do you think those general statements are why they are?