The Constitution, the Electoral College and Voting!

The purpose of the United States Constitution is:

• to divide the country's power into three parts (the legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch) and give citizens rights.

• to allow the President to make all the important decisions for the country and give citizens rights..

• to guide the United States in creating another country in the future.

• to divide the country's power into two branches (the states and the nation) and give citizens

The Electoral College was originally created...

• because paper ballots had to be transported by horse and carriage which was VERY time consuming.

• because many American citizens in the 1700's were not able to read, write and were generally uneducated.

• because those in power did not trust the average citizen to make the "correct" choice when electing the president.

• All of the above.

Which of the following statements about the Electoral College is INCORRECT:

• In order for a candidate to win the Electoral College, they must receive more than 50% of the electoral votes.

• The "Winner Take All" method applies to all states except Maine and Nebraska, which can split their electoral votes.

• It is possible to LOSE the popular vote and WIN the Electoral College.

• Every state has 10 electoral votes.

While completing the Math of the Electoral College activity, we learned that an electoral vote in North Dakota is more powerful than an electoral vote in California. Why is this?

• More people live in North Dakota than in California.

• The electoral college is based on population, but California's population is underrepresented and North Dakota's population is over represented.

• North Dakota is a larger state, in terms of area, so its electoral vote counts more.

• North Dakota is the capital of the United States, so it has more power.

It is important to vote because...

• voting is how you become eligible for a tax return.

• it's our civic responsibility (not required by law but encouraged) to participate in the process of selecting officials to govern our country!

• it's our opportunity to influence the weather!

• It's our civic duty (required by law) to participate in the process of selecting officials to govern our country!

Paying taxes, obeying the law, attending school and jury duty are examples of:

• Civic Duties

• Fun weekend activities!

• Civic Responsibilities

• Jobs

According to the Political Spectrum, Republicans generally believe (select all that apply)

• there should be less government control, and more people control.

• we should "save the turtles"

• the Constitution should be interpreted strictly.

• we should add more holidays to the calendar.

According to the Political Spectrum, Democrats generally believe (select all that apply)

• there should be less government control, and more people control.

• we should "save the turtles"

• we should spend more money on government programs such as public education, healthcare and public housing.

• the Constitution should be interpreted strictly.

There are a total of (a)   electoral votes in the USA.

This vote is simply the number of US citizens who voted for a particular candidate.

• Common Vote

• Popular Vote

• Electoral Vote

• The BIG vote