Topic 3: The Electoral College

For this topic, you'll take on the role of a constitutional designer and think about the best way to structure elections in the United States.

Focus Questions:

How does the Electoral College work and why do we have it? Is our system for electing the president fair?

Objectives:

• I will be able to explain how the Electoral College works and think through arguments about why it was adopted.

• I will be able to explain the logic of the Electoral College and how it represents a compromise between large and small states.

• I will be able to argue whether the Electoral College is fair and what the best way of changing it would be.

Some useful vocabulary:

• Electors: A member of the Electoral College who votes directly on a presidential candidate.

• Delegation: The group of electors held by each state, based on their representation in Congress.

• Electoral College: The system by which the president is selected by the delegation of electors from each state.

• Popular Vote: An electoral system in which the candidate who wins the most overall votes wins the election.