Warm-up: How do we elect the president?

Electoral CollegeA body of electors chosen by the people in each state to elect the U.S. president.

**We do not pick our President by direct ballot. Technically, we only select electors.**

Why was it Created?

People (then) were not knowledgeable enough to select a President.(poor communications)This was a check that gave the states a voice in choosing the PresidentTo maintain regional balance

Electoral Votes per state:

What do the following four men all have in common?

A. Andrew Jackson

B. Samuel Tilden

C. Grover Cleveland

D. Al Gore

The Answer

They all won the popular vote in a Presidential election but did not become President.

1824Popular Vote

Andrew Jackson 43%John Q. Adams 30.5%

Electoral VoteJackson 99 votes

Adams 84* Adams elected by House of

Representatives when Jackson did not receive a majority of the Electoral votes

1876

Popular Vote

Samuel Tilden 51%

R. B. Hayes 48%

Electoral College

Tilden 184

Hayes 185

Winner: Hayes

2000

Popular Vote

Albert Gore 48.7%

George W. Bush 48.5%

Electoral College

Gore 266

Bush 271

Winner: Bush

What are the drawbacks to the Electoral College?

Encourages low voter turnout

Diminishes third party influence

Person with most popular votes may not win

If there is no majority winner in the Electoral College, the election goes to the H.o. R and there is a loss of separation of powers

Why low voter turnout?

The Electoral College is a winner take all system of deciding who receives a states electoral votes. Consequently, if a person gets 50.1% of the popular vote (in a two man race), he get 100% of the electoral votes. Therefore, many people feel that their vote does not matter and choose to not vote.

Who would I vote for?

Number 1-10 in your notebook and get out your Presidential Election Issues Graphic Organizer from last week.

Purpose of ActivityThink about how you feel on the issues.

The point of this is to see who you side with—Obama or Romney.

You won’t see their names—just think about how you feel about a certain issue. You will have a choice.

1. Education: How do we get students to succeed in

school?Candidate A believes that students and parents should be able to choose where they want to go to school and those who cannot afford too would be given vouchers (money) so that they can send their children to the school of their choice.Candidate B believes that the previous policies in education should be removed and that the states should begin a reform program and reward effective schools and successful schools.

2. Immigration: How do we solve the issue of illegal

immigration?Candidate C believes that we need to secure the border and decrease illegal immigration. He believes that we should focus on those illegal immigrants who endanger the community and wants young people brought here at a young age to earn citizenship through the military or higher education.Candidate D believes that we need stronger border enforcement including a high tech fence and more border patrol in border states. He also believes that giving illegal immigrants the incentive of citizenship through military or higher education will only make the issue of illegal immigration worsen. For legal citizens he wants them to be able to bring their families over during the citizenship process.

3. Foreign Policy: How do we interact with countries we

have conflict with?Candidate E believes that in an effort to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons the U.S. should take greater military action within the region and more trade embargoes.Candidate F believes that in an effort to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons, that the U.S. should continue negotiating peace and also use trade embargoes. He does not believe we should continue with troops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

4. Defense: How should we move forward in regards to

the military?Candidate G believes that we should reduce our nuclear stockpile and that we should not invest in making anymore nuclear weapons. He also wants to cut military spending after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are over. He believes we should recognize Palestine as a true nation only after they have become peaceful with Israel.

Candidate H believes that we should modernize our nuclear stockpile. He also believes that we should not cut military spending. He does not want to recognize Palestine as a true nation because of the U.S. friendship to Israel.

5. Abortion?

Candidate J: Prolife: Pregnancies should not be aborted in any case.

Candidate K: Prochoice: Pregnancies should be aborted if the women choose too.

6. Death Penalty

Candidate L: Death Penalty should be removed from every state.

Candidate M: It is the right of each state to determine if the death penalty is used.

7. Gun Control: Should there be more restrictions on gun

control?

Candidate N: No, but there should be stricter regulations for assault weapons and gun storeowners should do background checks.

Candidate O: No, but gun storeowners should do background checks.

8. Patriot Act: Should the government be able to wire

tap phones?Candidate P: Yes, for the security and safety of citizens and to prevent future terrorist attacks, the government should be able to monitor these activities.

Candidate Q: Yes, but the government should limit the scope of their involvement in these activities.

9. Minimum Wage: Should we raise it?

Candidate R: No, there are other effective ways of decreasing poverty.

Candidate S: Let the states come up with their own ideas about minimum wage.

10. Healthcare Plan: What should we do about Obama’s

Healthcare Plan?Candidate T: He believes that there are good parts of it to keep and parts of it not to keep.

Candidate U: He believes that all of it should remain.

Create a T-ChartLeft- Liberal Right-Conservative

BCFGKLNQRU ADEHJMOPST

1. Circle the letters that you chose. 2. Put the number of letters you chose for the left

side in that column.3. Put the number of letters you chose for the right

side in that column.

Where do you stand?If you chose more answers from the left side you tend to agree with more liberal policies and would probably vote for President Obama

If you chose more answers from the right side you tend to agree with more conservative policies and would probably vote for Governor Romney

If you have a split amount in both categories, you would be considered a more moderate (middle of the road) voter who could for either depending on the issue

Who are the candidates?

How do they feel about the issues?

Using your graphic organizer, put an O for Obama, an R for Romney, or a U for undecided underneath the issue name, depending on who you agree more with as we go through the issues.

(We’re only going over the ones from your graphic organizer, not all of them)

Education: How do we get students to succeed in

school?Romney believes that students and parents should be able to choose where they want to go to school and those who cannot afford too would be given vouchers (money) so that they can send their children to the school of their choice.Obama believes that the previous policies in education should be removed and that the states should begin a reform program and reward effective schools and successful schools.

Immigration: How do we solve the issue of illegal

immigration?Obama believes that we need to secure the border and decrease illegal immigration. He believes that we should focus on those illegal immigrants who endanger the community and wants young people brought here at a young age to earn citizenship through the military or higher education.Romney believes that we need stronger border enforcement including a high tech fence and more border patrol in border states. He also believes that giving illegal immigrants the incentive of citizenship through military or higher education will only make the issue of illegal immigration worsen.

3. Foreign Policy: How do we interact with countries we

have conflict with?Romney believes that in an effort to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons the U.S. should take greater military action within the region and more trade embargoes.Obama believes that in an effort to stop Iran from producing nuclear weapons, that the U.S. should continue negotiating peace and also use trade embargoes. He does not believe we should continue with troops in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Defense: How should we move forward in regards to

the military?Obama believes that we should reduce our nuclear stockpile and that we should not invest in making anymore nuclear weapons. He also wants to cut military spending after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are over. He believes we should recognize Palestine as a true nation only after they have become peaceful with Israel.

Romney believes that we should modernize our nuclear stockpile. He also believes that we should not cut military spending. He does not want to recognize Palestine as a true nation because of the U.S. friendship to Israel.

Abortion?

Romney: Prolife: Pregnancies should not be aborted in any case.

Obama: Prochoice: Pregnancies should be aborted if the women choose too.

Gun Control: Should there be more restrictions on gun

control?

Obama: No, but there should be stricter regulations for assault weapons and gun storeowners should do background checks.

Romney: No, but gun storeowners should do background checks.

Healthcare Plan: What should we do about Obama’s

Healthcare Plan?Romney: He believes that there are good parts of it to keep and parts of it not to keep.

Obama: He believes that all of it should remain.

Issues of importance In your notebook, write down the following questions:

1.Which issues are the most important to you for this election? (Choose two)

2. How do each of the candidates feel about the issue?

3. Which candidate would you choose? Why would the candidate you’ve selected be the best option to choose? Explain.

Tomorrow’s Socratic SeminarYou will be required to speak at least three times; not just agreeing/disagreeing but making a valid point

Look over your notes and make sure you use valid facts and evidence to support your arguments