US History, October 14 Entry Task: Write down your FAVORITE cartoon character. We will narrow it down to 2 or 3 Announcements How many people will be gone tomorrow? Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010 CONSTITUTION TEST Oct 22 or 23 Today: Executive Branch - on notes from yesterday??? Also, have you turned in: Typology Quiz Answers
Notes on the Electoral College How many votes? Where does this # come from? How is the President ACTUALLY elected? Why do many criticize the electoral college? http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaignfinance http://seattletimes.com/flatpages/politics/2012washington-election-results.html
Separation of Powers: 3 Branches of Government Executive (carries out laws) President (evaluates laws) Supreme Court Legislative (makes laws) Cabinet Judicial Circuit Courts Congress Vice President District Courts House of Representatives Senate
Executive Branch Salary: $400,000 with $50,000 annual expense account + travel & entertainment account http://247wallst.com/2010/05/17/the-networth-of-the-american-presidentswashington-to-obama/5/
Executive Branch: carries out laws President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden President serves a 4-year term, limited to 2 terms as of 1951
Executive Branch: carries out laws President Obama s Cabinet
Line of Succession Vice President Joe Biden Speaker of the House John Boehner President pro tempore of the Senate Patrick Leahy Secretary of State John Kerry
The Electoral College - The Presidential candidate that receives more than half of the electoral votes wins the election. - There are a total of 538 electoral votes. Therefore, a 270 Presidential candidate must receive at least electoral votes to win the presidency. Fill in the blank! How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency? If 269 is exactly 2 6 9 = half of the electoral votes half, how many electoral votes 2 538 electoral votes are needed to win? 270
Electoral College How many votes? Where does this # come from? How is the President ACTUALLY elected? Why do many criticize the electoral college?
The Electoral College How are the number of electoral votes per state determined? Here s the formula: # Senators (2) + # Representatives in the House = # electoral votes per state Remember, how many Senators does every state have? 2
The Electoral College O.K., let s practice using the state of Wyoming. # Senators (2) + # Representatives in the House = # electoral votes per state If Wyoming has 1 Representative in the House, how many electoral votes does Wyoming have? 3
Electoral College How many votes? Where does this # come from? How is the President ACTUALLY elected? Why do many criticize the electoral college?
2008 Electoral College Map How many members of the House of Representatives do the following states have? 1) Washington 2) Kansas 3) New York 4) California 9 4 29 53
- If no candidate receives at least 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the President.
2000 and Beyond Election of 2000 The Candidates: George W. Bush (R) Al Gore (D) Ralph Nader (G) Republican George W. Bush beat Democratic challenger Al Gore in one of the closest elections in American history.
2000 Election Results By State George W. Bush (R) Al Gore (D)
2000 Presidential Election Closest race in history Bush v. Gore (& Nader) Bush = 271 electoral votes; 50,456,002 popular Gore = 266 electoral votes; 50,999,897 popular Florida Recount (super close Gore was down less than 600): ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court
Problems in Florida led to HAVA: Help America Vote Act
Critics of the Electoral College say There have been 700 attempts to change the Electoral College with an amendment to the Constitution! Someone who did not receive the popular vote can win the electoral vote Concentration on swing states Money spent on elections Risk of faithless electors No room for 3rd Political Party candidates
Criticisms of the Electoral College: Concentration on the swing states Wyoming (3 EC votes): 164,594 people per EC vote. California (55 EC votes): 615,848 people per EC vote 1992, Ross Perot won 18.9% of the national vote, but received no electoral college votes
Attention given to swing or purple states - 2004 Waving hand visit from Pres or VP in the last 5 weeks before election $ represents $1 million on TV ads
Alternatives??? A direct popular vote, with a runoff between the top two finishers if no candidate receives 40 percent of the vote. A district plan awarding two electoral votes to state's popular vote leader and the others to the winner in each congressional district. A proportional method dividing each state's electoral vote to mirror its popular vote, which would do away with the winner-take-all nature of counting electoral votes. Majority preference voting, in which voters rank their preferences; if no candidate received more than 50 percent, the bottom vote-getter would be eliminated and the second choices of those voters would be redistributed, repeating the process until someone had more than 50 percent. Another proposal would keep the electoral college in place, but add another 102 electoral votes (two for each state and the District of Columbia) and award all of the bonus votes to the national popular vote winner.
Recent Election Funding Decision Citizens United decision
http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/campaign-finance
Citizens United decision result No limits on independent campaign spending by corporations, associations, or labor unions Are politicians beholden to their contributors?