Popular v.

President Name: Gabriella Segarra

A. For or Against? Does the Electoral College work for all states? Read the statements and decide
whether the person in each state would be for or against the process. Write your answers in the chart.

1. I live in Florida. We’ve had some very close election results in recent years with Democrats and Republicans fighting
neck and neck to win our 29 electoral votes. In fact, that’s why they call my state a “battleground state”.
2. I’m from Wyoming. We’re a big state in size, but we have a small population compared to other states. Not a lot of
city slickers out here in Wyoming. We’re known for ranching, mining, agriculture, and tourism in our rural state of
just under 600,000. And our 3 electoral votes are important to us!
3. In Michigan, just 10,000 votes separated the top two candidates in the 2016 election when our state turned red
for the first time in 30 years. Before that Michigan’s 16 electoral votes were known to go blue. Looks like the next
election could be another close call.
4. I’m a Republican, but my state, Massachusetts, seems to always go blue, giving me the blues! Massachusetts’
electoral votes have consistently gone to the Democrats. I take voting quite seriously, but I often wonder if I
should even show up to do it.
5. I live in California. If a candidate wins our 55 votes, they have almost 25% of what they need to be president. Some
areas are strongholds for Republicans and others for Democrats. With our large population, millions of Californians
might vote for a candidate and none of those votes will go toward the electoral results.

In Favor of the Against the

State Explanation
Electoral College Electoral College
Florida

Wyoming

Michigan

Massachusetts

California

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Popular v. President Name:
B. Battleground. Red, blue, or swing, even a safe state can become a battleground in a close
election. Read each clue. Identify the state described on the map. Label it and record its number of
electoral votes on the map.

1. I border California on the southeast side. I’m the 6th largest state and hold 11 electoral votes that
are known to go red, though I did turn blue for Democratic candidate Bill Clinton in 1996.
___________________________________
2. I’m located just below Georgia. Candidates battle it out for my 29 electoral votes. Whether I tip red
or blue can be a pretty close call!
___________________________________
3. Find me north of Indiana and Ohio. For six elections straight I turned blue. 2016 was a close call,
but Republican candidate Donald Trump won my 16 electoral votes for the first time since 1988.
___________________________________
4. I share my name with another but I’m north not south! Find my just below Virginia. I’m known to
swing red, but my 15 electoral votes went to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in 2008.
___________________________________
5. Polls aren’t always right. Just north of Illinois, my 10 electoral votes consistently went to the
Democratic party until 2016 when Republican candidate Donald Trump won my state by just 0.7%.
___________________________________
6. South of New York, my 20 electoral votes have gone to the Democratic candidate since 1992. But in
2016, Republican candidate Donald Trump won in my state.
___________________________________

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Popular v. President Name:
C. Digital Exploration. Visit https://www.270towin.com/historical-presidential-elections/. Explore
the electoral maps for the years listed below and summarize what you notice about the popular and
electoral vote results in these unique elections. Look closely, there’s much to see!

Election Candidates & Popular Electoral

What do you notice?
Year Party Vote Vote

1960

1984

2000

2016

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Popular v. President Name:
D. Primary Source. Read the excerpt from Federalist 68 written by Alexander Hamilton to the people
in the state of New York. Then answer the questions that follow.

To the People of the State of New York:

THE mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any
consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, or which has received the slightest mark of approbation from
its opponents. The most plausible of these, who has appeared in print, has even deigned to admit that the election of
the President is pretty well guarded. I venture somewhat further, and hesitate not to affirm, that if the manner of it be not
perfect, it is at least excellent. It unites in an eminent degree all the advantages, the union of which was to be wished for.
It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust was
to be confided. This end will be answered by committing the right of making it, not to any preestablished body, but to
men chosen by the people for the special purpose, and at the particular conjuncture.
It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities
adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all
the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their
fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such
complicated investigations.
It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder. This evil was not
least to be dreaded in the election of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration of
the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions which have been so happily concerted in
the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief. The choice of SEVERAL, to form
an intermediate body of electors, will be much less apt to convulse the community with any extraordinary or violent
movements, than the choice of ONE who was himself to be the final object of the public wishes. And as the electors,
chosen in each State, are to assemble and vote in the State in which they are chosen, this detached and divided situation
will expose them much less to heats and ferments, which might be communicated from them to the people, than if they
were all to be convened at one time, in one place.

1. Hamilton said that those who oppose the method for selection of the president describe it as
“guarded”. But how does Hamilton describe it?

2. Why does he say this?

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Popular v. President Name:
D. Primary Source Continued...

3. Hamilton says that the method for selecting president “unites in an eminent degree all the
advantages, the union of which was to be wished for.” What were those desires? (Hint: Hamilton states
three desires.)

4. How does Hamilton say electors should be selected? Why?

5. How does Hamilton reason that the Electoral College lessens “tumult and disorder” in the selection
of the president?

6. Go back to question 1. Address the opponents’ concerns. Does the method of selecting the president
seem “guarded” to you or is Hamilton right? Defend your answer with evidence from the text.

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Popular v. President Name:
E. Research & Write. We know that the Founders felt strongly that the Electoral College would
help to protect the interests of the states and be a check against the “tyranny of the majority”. But
in today’s time are those checks still needed? There’s debate on both sides. Which side are you
on? Electoral College or popular vote?

1. First, find out more about the issues on each side. Consult at least one source from each of the
buckets below. Record your findings below.

Bucket 1 Bucket 2 Bucket 3

• Time.com • Real Clear Politics • PBS News Hour
bit.ly/33KSwJK bit.ly/3fMFXQo bit.ly/3adZ84u
• Harvard Magazine • Slate • National Conference of
bit.ly/2PIXpuJ bit.ly/2DQMnki State Legislatures
bit.ly/3acCvxr

Source Findings

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E. Research & Write Continued...

2. Now what are the advantages of the Electoral College?

3. What are the advantages of the national popular vote?

4. Do you support the Electoral College, or would you prefer the popular vote be used to select the
president? On the next page, draft a short essay stating your position and why. Include at least three
reasons to support your position. Remember to:
• Make an argument! Clearly state your position in your introduction.
• Explain yourself. Provide three reasons to support your position.
• Back it up. Use evidence from the sources you read to back up your argument.
• Shush the haters! Address a counterargument and knock it down.
• Close it out. Provide a concluding paragraph or statement.

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E. Research & Write Continued...

© 2020 iCivics, Inc. Research & Write Activity ̶ Side C