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Every Four Years: Qualifications for the Office of President and Electing the President
Section 2: Introducing Presidential
Elections |
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Procedure:
1. Review the section of your textbook that covers
the presidential election process, as well as Article
2, Section 1 of the Constitution. Divide the class into
mixed-ability groups.
2. Assign a recorder for each group and give the
recorders markers and a large flip chart to record responses.
3. Review with the class the rules for brainstorming
and group work (for example, the recorder must write down
all responses and cannot edit; all members should take
part in the discussion).
4. Pass out the "Introducing Presidential
Elections Worksheet." Read and discuss this handout
with your students. Discuss the steps that the present
candidates have followed to become the nominees of their
parties.
5. The recorder for each group will then share
the answers with the entire class.
6. The teacher will ask the class what they would
keep, add, and delete in the process of electing the president.
7. The teacher will then examine with the students
the information related to the Electoral College in Article
II, Section 1, Clause 2. As a follow-up, the teacher will
have the class examine the chart, "Distribution of
Electoral Votes" which can be found at:
http://www.fec.gov/pages/elecvote.htm
Students should be asked to analyze specific data from
the chart. For example: How many states have gained /
lost electoral votes? As an additional activity the teacher
should distribute a map of the United States and ask the
students to identify the state(s) they would campaign
in and why. As a result of this students should understand
why candidates tend to spend more time in states with
higher populations rather than in states with smaller
populations.
8. The teacher will then assign each student to
a state, allocating to each student the number of that
state's electoral votes. Using the upcoming election as
their example, the students will cast their state's electoral
votes for Bush, Kerry or Nader. If no candidate achieves
a majority of the electoral votes, the teacher will explain
how the selection process will continue in the House of
Representatives. The teacher can then discuss past elections
in which the electoral vote was in dispute. Examples of
disputed elections can be found in the Election
Timeline on the HISTORY NOW website.
9. Compose a brief letter to the editor of your
local newspaper explaining your views about why you favor
retaining or eliminating the Electoral College system.
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