SynthesisPrompt

AccordingtotheConstitution,thePresidentoftheUnitedStatesisnotchosenbydirectpopular
voteinstead,eachstatesvotersselecttheirstateselectors,who,inturnvoteforapresidential
candidate.Thissystemhasbeenthesubjectofmuchcontroversy.

Carefullyreadthefollowingsevensources,includingtheintroductoryinformationforeach
source.Thensynthesizeinformationfromatleastthreeofthesourcesandincorporateitintoa
coherent,welldevelopedessaythatarguesaclearpositiononwhethertheAmericanpresidential
votingsystemshouldberestructured,andifso,how.

Makesureyourargumentiscentralusethesourcestoillustrateandsupportyourreasoning.
Avoidmerelysummarizingthesources.Indicateclearlywhichsourcesyouaredrawingfrom,
whetherthroughdirectquotation,paraphrase,orsummary.YoumaycitethesourcesasSource
A,SourceB,etc.,orbyusingthedescriptionsintheparentheses.

SourceA

Gregg,Gary."KeepElectoralCollegeforfairpresidentialvotes."

Politico.(2012):n.page.Web.
18Mar.2014.

Thefollowingisexcerptedfromanopinionarticleinapoliticaljournal.

[A]bolishingthecurrentsystemwillstronglytiltelectionsinfavorofcandidateswhocan
winhugeelectoralmarginsinthecountrysmajormetropolitanareas.
Somearecallingforadirectdemocracyinwhichan18yearoldvoterinCalifornia
andan18yearoldvoterinOklahomawillnotbeignored.ButabolishingtheElectoralCollege
wouldmeanignoringeveryruralandsmallstatevoterinourcountry.Ifyoudontbelieveit,just
lookattheelectoralmapsandthenumbers.
BarackObamareceived3.3millionmorevotesthanMittRomneyintheNov.6election,
butwon3.6millionmorevotesthanRomneyinjustfourcitiesChicago,Philadelphia,New
YorkandLosAngeles.Hewonthosemarginswithoutmuchofacampaign.Now,imaginean
ObamacandidacyfreeoftheneedtoappealtoOhiofactoryworkers,Coloradocattlemen,Iowa
hogfarmersandVirginiapoliceofficers,andyoustarttogetthepicture.
IftheUnitedStatesdoesawaywiththeElectoralCollege,futurepresidentialelections
willgotocandidatesandpartieswillingtocatertourbanvotersandskewthenationspolicies
towardbigcityinterests.Smalltownissuesandruralvalueswillnolongerbetheirconcern.
CitiesalreadyarethehomesofAmericasmajormedia,donor,academicandgovernment
centers.Asimple,directdemocracywillcentralizeallpowergovernment,business,money,
mediaandvotesinurbanareastothedetrimentoftherestofthenation.
TheElectoralCollegehas,ontheotherhand,givenuscompetitiveandfairelectionsfor
morethantwocenturies.OnereasonRepublicansfeelsobitteraboutthe2012presidential
electionisthattheirpartylostwhenithadarealshotatwinning,andtheyknowit.Itwasntthe
faultoftheElectoralCollege.
Whatsmore,supportersofthepopularvoteplanhaventstoppedtoconsiderthe
problemsinherentinmanagingsuchasystem.Willwehavetocreateandpayforanewfederal
agencytoverifytheaccuracyofpopularvotetotals?Probably.
Onecanonlyguessattheothernightmarescenariosthatcouldarise,suchasrunoff
electionsandprecinctbyprecinctnationalrecountsincloseraces.
Ifwewantpresidentialelectionstobefairandrepresentativeaswellasefficient
weshouldpushtokeeptheElectoralCollegeinplace,notdissolveit.
Itsabalancedwaytochooseourpresidentsthathasproveditsvalueovertime.

SourceB

Stewart,David."AbolishtheElectoralCollege."U.S.News&WorldReport.6Feb2013:12.
Web.18Mar.2014.

Thefollowingisexcerptedfromanopinionarticleinapoliticalmagazine.

Atthe1787ConstitutionalConvention,mostdelegatesopposedpopularelectionofthe
president.Theywere,afterall,eighteenthcenturypatricianswhomistrustedcommonpeople.
Theirviewswerebasedonpremisesthatnolongerapply.In1787,manyAmericanscouldnot
readandlivedisolated,ruralliveswithlittleaccesstonewsreports.Becausemostpeopleknew
littleaboutpubliceventsorleadersfromdistantstates,theconventiondelegatesreasoned,they
wouldnotmakeawisechoicebetweenpresidentialcandidates.AccordingtoGeorgeMasonof
Virginia,popularelectionsweretheequivalentofaskingablindmantochoosebetweencolors.
Accordingly,thedelegatescontrivedasystemwhereeachstatewouldchoosepresidential
electorspresumablymenofthebettersortwhowouldgathertochoosethebestmanfor
president.Toindulgeparochialpoliticalculturesindifferentpartsofthecountry,eachstate
wouldchooseitselectorsinwhateverfashionitwished.Thus,underArticleII,Section1,state
legislatureshaveunfettereddiscretiontodecidehowtochooseelectors.Theycanpickthe
electorsthemselves,assignthemaccordingtothepopularvoteineachcongressionaldistrict,or
flipacoin.
Inearlyelections,somestateshadtheirlegislatureschooseelectorsSouthCarolinadid
sountil1868.Otherstatesallowedthepeopletovote,assigningelectorstoacandidateona
winnertakeallbasis.Stillothersawardedelectorsbasedonthepopularvoteineach
congressionaldistrict,orblendeddifferentfeatures.
Earlypoliticianseagerlymanipulatedthesystem.Take,forexample,theelectionof1800.
Ayearbeforethevotingbegan,VirginiaRepublicansadoptedthewinnertakeallsystemto
ensurethatallofitselectorssupportedlocalboyThomasJefferson.InMassachusetts,Federalists
mimickedthemovetopreventJeffersonfromwinklinganyofthatstate'selectoralvotesaway
fromtheirfavoriteson,JohnAdams.
ThenMarylandFederaliststriedtoreplacethatstate'scongressionaldistrictsystem,
whichwaslikelytosplitvotesbetweenAdamsandJefferson,withchoicebythestate
legislature,wheretheFederalistsmightdobetter.Inbruisinglocalelections,Republicanswon
enoughlegislativeseatstoshortcircuitthescheme.
Fortyeightstatesnowfollowthewinnertakeallmodel.MaineandNebraskaassign
mostoftheirelectorsaccordingtothepopularvoteineachcongressionaldistrict,withtwo
electorsawardedbasedonthestatewidevote.Yeteverystateremainsfreetofollowthepath
mostlikelytofavorthepresidentialcandidateofthatstate'sdominantparty.Thesystemvirtually
begstobegamed.

SourceC

Wikipediacontributors."ElectoralCollege(UnitedStates)."Wikipedia,TheFreeEncyclopedia.
Wikipedia,TheFreeEncyclopedia,12Mar.2014.Web.19Mar.2014.

ThefollowingisexcerptedfromaWikipediaarticleabouttheElectoralCollege.

SourceD

TheTroublewiththeElectoralCollege.YouTube,2011.Web.18Mar2014.

ThefollowingisexcerptedfromavideoarguingagainsttheElectoralCollege.

SourceE

UnitedStates.NationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration.WhatistheElectoralCollege?.
Web.

ThefollowingisexcerptedfromagovernmentarticleregardingtheElectoralCollege.

TheElectoralCollegeisaprocess,notaplace.Thefoundingfathersestablisheditinthe
ConstitutionasacompromisebetweenelectionofthePresidentbyavoteinCongressand
electionofthePresidentbyapopularvoteofqualifiedcitizens.
TheElectoralCollegeprocessconsistsoftheselectionoftheelectors,themeetingofthe
electorswheretheyvoteforPresidentandVicePresident,andthecountingoftheelectoralvotes
byCongress.
TheElectoralCollegeconsistsof538electors.Amajorityof270electoralvotesis
requiredtoelectthePresident.Yourstatesentitledallotmentofelectorsequalsthenumberof
membersinitsCongressionaldelegation:oneforeachmemberintheHouseofRepresentatives
plustwoforyourSenators...
Underthe23rdAmendmentoftheConstitution,theDistrictofColumbiaisallocated3
electorsandtreatedlikeastateforpurposesoftheElectoralCollege.Forthisreason,inthe
followingdiscussion,thewordstatealsoreferstotheDistrictofColumbia.
EachcandidaterunningforPresidentinyourstatehashisorherowngroupofelectors.
Theelectorsaregenerallychosenbythecandidatespoliticalparty,butstatelawsvaryonhow
theelectorsareselectedandwhattheirresponsibilitiesare...
ThepresidentialelectionisheldeveryfouryearsontheTuesdayafterthefirstMondayin
November.YouhelpchooseyourstateselectorswhenyouvoteforPresidentbecausewhenyou
voteforyourcandidateyouareactuallyvotingforyourcandidateselectors.
Moststateshaveawinnertakeallsystemthatawardsallelectorstothewinning
presidentialcandidate.However,MaineandNebraskaeachhaveavariationofproportional
representation....

SourceF

Best,Judith.TheChoiceofthePeople?:DebatingtheElectoralCollege.Lanham:Rowman&
LittlefieldPublishers,1996.ix.Web.

ThefollowingisexcerptedfromabookabouttheElectoralCollege.

Theframers[oftheConstitution]agonizedoverhowtodeviseasystemforelectingthe
president.TheyconsideredelectionbyCongressatleastfourtimesbutrejectedit.Electionby
thepeoplewasvoteddowntwice.ThedelegatesdislikedtheideaofelectionbyCongress
becausethiswouldhavemadepresidentstoodependentonthenationallegislature,especiallyif
theywantedtorunforreelection.Theywereevenmoreopposedtodirectelectionbythepeople
becausemanydelegatesthoughtitunlikelyorimpracticalfortheaveragecitizentoknowenough
aboutcandidatesfromotherstates,anddoubtless,too,mostdelegatesquestionedtheabilityof
thepeopletocastresponsiblevotes.
Therewasanotherhighlypoliticalreasonwhymanyofthedelegatessoughtsomesystem
otherthanelectiondirectlybythevoters.Ifasystemofdirectelectionbythepeoplehadbeen
adopted,theslavestateslikeVirginiaandNorthCarolinawouldstandtolosetheadvantagethey
enjoyedinwhattheconventionhadapprovedfortheHouseofRepresentatives.Underdirect
popularvoting,onlytheenfranchisedwhitepopulationcouldvotewhereas,iftheCongressdid
thevoting,theaddedcloutofSouthernstates,whoseslavescountedasthreefifthsofoneperson
forpurposesofrepresentation,wouldbelost.
Intheend,theelectoralcollegetheframersdevisedwasaspecial,temporarycongress
electedtoselectapresident,butwithouttheshortcomingofrelyingontheregularCongress.Any
fearofplottingorcorruptionwasallayedbythefactthatdelegateswouldmeetintheirrespective
states.