LESSON PLAN: The Electoral College
By Lara Maupin, former social studies teacher and student government adviser at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia

Subjects: government/civics, current events

Time: This lesson is intended to take one - two class periods.

Lesson Objectives:

• Students will understand how the Electoral College system works.
• Students will analyze and debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College system.
  

Overview:

• In this lesson, your students will examine how the Electoral College works in order to better understand how Americans elect their president. This issue has become especially timely since the 2000 election when George W. Bush became president after winning the most electoral votes but losing the popular vote. In 2004, the election is once again a close one. This lesson is particularly relevant in a government or civics class but may be used in any social studies class in which current events such as the 2004 election will be discussed.

Correlation to National Standards

Materials Needed

• HANDOUT
• TEACHER KEY
• Computers with Internet access or printed copies of articles from the Web sites given below.

Procedures for Teachers

1. Introduction / Background
Explain to your students that while in November Americans will cast their ballots for president, there is actually a system called the Electoral College that determines who will win the election. Often ignored, Americans had a lesson on the workings of the Electoral College after the 2000 election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush became president. Ask your students what they remember about the 2000 election. Explain that George Bush won because he had 5 more electoral votes than Al Gore. (You may also want to discuss the contested results in Florida and the Supreme Court case that ultimately determined the outcome of the election.)

Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. Because of how the system is set up, it is possible for one candidate to win the popular vote and another to win the electoral vote. After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system. However, no proposals to do so were seriously considered. Why? Tell your students they will now try to answer that very question.

2. Handout: The Electoral College
Give your students the Handout and ask them to use the following online resources (or printouts from these Web sites or of these stories that you provide) in order to complete it. Students may work individually or in small groups.

FEC: The Electoral College
http://www.fec.gov/pages/ecmenu2.htm

National Archives: U.S. Electoral College
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/

Online NewsHour: Electoral College
November 23, 2000
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/july-dec00/ec_11-23.html
December 18, 2000
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec00/EC_12-18.html

Online NewsHour Extra: How the Electoral College Works
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec00/electorsbox.html

3. Group Activity: Debate
After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. What do they think about the system? Do they think it is fair? What do they think of the 2000 election results? Would they like to see the system changed? Why or why not? Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. End with a class discussion. What can your students conclude? Why does the system continue?

Extensions

• Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. Students share their findings. Discuss. What surprised them? What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? What can they conclude from these elections? What relevance do they have today?
  
  
• Refer students to Online NewsHour's Electoral College Map. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/politics101/politics101_ecmap.html
  Students can examine past election results, create election strategies, and predict Election 2004 results.

Correlation to National Standards

McRel Compendium of K-12 Standards Addressed:

Civics Standard 8: Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society

Benchmark 4: Understands the concept of popular sovereignty as a central idea of American constitutional government (e.g., the people as the ultimate source of the power to create, alter, or abolish governments)

Benchmark 7: Understands how the design of the institutions of government and the federal system works to channel and limit governmental power in order to serve the purposes of American constitutional government

Civics Standard 20: Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics

Benchmark 1: Knows the origins and development of the two party system in the United States, and understands the role of third parties

National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Strands:
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Power, Authority, and Governance
Civic Ideals and Practices

About the Author Author Lara Maupin has a Master’s Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.