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At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Wilson of Pennsylvania said: "The subject of presidential selection has greatly divided the House, and will also divide people out of doors. It is in truth the most difficult of all on which we have had to decide." Wilson made the first proposal for popular election of the President. He argued that the power and independence of the chief executive could be guaranteed only if his power "flowed from the people at large". |
The Virginia Plan offered by James Madison and the New Jersey Plan from William Patterson called for the President to be selected
by the legislature. Some delegates believed that the direct popular election of the President would be dominated by the larger states.
"A number of proposals, including direct election by the people, by state legislatures, by state governors, and by the national legislature, were considered. The result was the electoral college, a master stroke of compromise, quaint and curious but politically expedient. The large states got proportional strength in the number of delegates, the state legislatures got the right of selecting delegates, and the House the right to choose the president in the event no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. Mason later predicted that the House would probably choose the president 19 times out of 20." Americans.net.
1. How does the Electoral College actually work?
What is the winner-takes-all rule?
2. Based on question 1, who elects the President?
What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes?
3. How many Electoral votes does your state have?
4. How does the plan empower to the smaller states?
5. What is meant by a "faithless elector"?
6. According to The U.S. Electoral College Calculator a person can win the presidential election by winning just 11 states.
How can this be?
Is you state one of these states?
Name an election where the person who won the greatest number of popular votes was not made President.
How many times has this happened?
7. The American Bar Association and many grassroots organizations are calling for changing how the U. S. President is chosen.
How would this change be accomplish?
8. Give an example of a change that has been made in the U.S. Constitution regarding elections and the office of President.
Is it time for the popular, direct election of the President and Vice President?
"The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise power from behind the scenes." Justice Felix Frankfurter
Resources:
Constitutional Topic: The Electoral College USConstitution.net
"The Electoral College", William C. Kimberling, Deputy Director FEC Office of Election Administration (pdf)
The American Electoral College by Ellis Katz http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/politics/eleccol/katz.htm#note1
The Electoral College in the 21st Century - http://www.fairvote.org/?page=1729
How the Electoral College Works - Ch 2. http://www.every-vote-equal.com/tableofcontents.htm
US Presidential Elections - http://www.multied.com/elections/
FAQ - U.S. Electoral College - NARA http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html
National Popular Vote - A Plan to Make Each Vote Count
Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789 - Library of Congress
The Charters of Freedom - National Archives
The Yes Men - democracy for sale - Try your hand at this approach to dealing with a problem facing you today.
"All power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people. That government is instituted and ought to be exercised for the benefit of the people; which consists in the enjoyment of life and liberty and the right of acquiring property, and generally of pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. That the people have an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or change their government whenever it be found adverse or inadequate to the purpose of its institution." James Madison
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posted 6/2007 In the spirit of Thomas Paine - released to public domain by Cynthia J. O'Hora
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