Question

I GIVE MEDALS<3 THIS IS GOVERNMENT, NO ONE SEEMS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THAT CLASS. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
-The Electoral College?
-2000 Presidential Election?

Answer 1

I thought we did this yesterday. Well anyway:

Electoral college is a system put in place by the founders to put some extra safegaurds into the presidential election process. There was concern that electing a president by direct election could lead to a tyranny of the majority. Politicians would pander to people in the largest population areas and ignore the rural areas.

Under the EC system candidates can't just win a certain section of the country. They have to have a national organization. In practise, this creates swing states. Campaigns figure out where they are most likely to sway the people to their side. If a state has a solid majority for Candidate Jones then candidate McGillicuty probably won't spend much time or money there.


In the EC system, the people select electors. Each state gets a number of electors based on its congressional representation.

After the presidential election, the electors then meet at their respective state capitals and cast votes for President and Vice President. The electors are not bound to vote for the winner in their state. But the system is set up so that Democrat electors go if the Dem won the state and vice versa.

A candidate is not declared the winner until all the states report their EC results. The candidate with the most EC votes wins.

Answer 2

The 2000 presidential election was Bush and Gore. Gore and Bush were your candidates in 2000. Same situation.

Bush got the electoral college win. Gore got the popular vote. Florida was the question. Who ever one it, would have the EC majority.

So the voting in some counties came under great scrutiny. Florida's Secretary of State couldn't call the election for either candidate.

Both sides got their lawyers down there. Recounts were ordered. "Hanging chad" became a thing.

Constitutionally, it looked like it might have to be decided by the House of Representatives which had a GOP majority.

The Dems and Gore tried to force the issue by getting the Supreme Court to make Florida go into their column.

The SCOTUS decided Florida went to Bush.

So the Bush 43 presidency started with bad feelings left over. People said that he was no elected but selected. Much like the aftermath of 1876, and 1884 and even John Quincy Adams presidency.

Answer 3

We did same assignment. But different questions though.
Thank youuu:)