Aim: How doe the electoral
college system operate?
Electoral College System

In US presidential elections, the Electoral College
is the group of electors who actually cast ballots
for the President. When a voter casts a ballot for
a presidential candidate, he or she is actually
voting for a slate of electors from their state
who will cast their ballots for their candidate.
What does this say about the actual election of
the President???


Indirect election- The people technically DO NOT vote
for the President!!!!!!!
The actual electoral college meets in December to
vote for the President!!!
How it operates

A candidate needs 270 votes to win in the Electoral College.

If a candidate doesn’t get a MAJORITY, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PICKS THE
PRESIDENT!!!!!
This has happened 2 x

Each state gets a number of electors that is equal to the total Senators and House of
Representatives from that state.
Someone can win by winning just the 11 largest states.
Nebraska and Maine award votes by congressional district vote totals. They can
divide their Electoral votes, and are not "winner-take-all." For example, if McCain
wins the overall vote in Nebraska, he gets 2 votes. If Obama can win 1 of the 3
districts within Nebraska, and McCain wins the other 2 districts, then McCain would
get 4 electoral votes, and Obama would get one electoral vote.
Elected officials at the federal level are not eligible to be Electors (people who vote in
the Electoral College.) WHY????
We have had 18 presidents who have been elected by majority in the Electoral
College who did NOT receive at least 50 percent of the popular vote.
More than 150 "faithless" electors have decided not to vote for the candidate that
they pledged to elect.


4x the winner of the popular vote DID NOT BECOME THE PRESIDENT
More than half of the states have laws that punish an elector who is
"faithless." However, these punishments have never been enforced, and the
punishments are as little as a $500 fine.
Who does it help??

Where should the candidate campaign.
Which states???


Battleground states!!!
Big or small states???


Small states!!!
Cuz at least they are worth some points!!
Aim: How is the Constitution
flexible?
Constitutional Flexibility

Why would we set up a Constitution that is
flexible and vague?
to fit the changing times
 People change


There was no internet, in 1789, so can the
federal government make a law dealing
with the internet??

Yes!!,, there are communication and
commerce parts to the Constitution, so we
adjust it to the “new” versions of commerce
and communication
Elastic Clause
Congress can make any laws it feels is
“necessary and proper”
 dfdfd

Amendments

Change to the Constitution
2/3rds of Congress/3/4 of states
 27 total amendments
 1st 10 is Bill of Rights

Judicial Review

Supreme Court decides if a law is
unconstitutional
Comes from McCulloh v Maryland case
 and Marbury vs. Madison


dfd
Unwritten Constitution
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Lesson_
19_Notes.htm
 Cabinet
 Committee System
 PAC’s/Pressure Groups
 Political Parties
 Judicial Review
