Since the national popular vote was first recorded in 1824, there have been four presidential elections where the winner of the Electoral College lost the popular vote: Donald Trump (R) in 2016, George W. Bush (R) in 2000, Benjamin Harrison (R) in 1888, and Rutherford B. Hayes (R) in 1876. Outline the function of the Electoral College and explain why the Founders felt it necessary in the first place. What are the arguments for using the popular vote instead of the Electoral College? What are the arguments for using the Electoral College instead of the popular vote? According to recent public opinion polls, do Americans favor keeping or abolishing the Electoral College (identify which groups support which position)? What are some of the current proposals for reforming the Electoral College? Why is it unlikely that the U.S. will switch to a popular vote? Do you think the Electoral College should be maintained in its current form, reformed in some way, or replaced by the national popular vote? [Hint: Pew Research is a good source for public opinion data.]
The Lesson Writing Assignments are worth 100 points each. These exercises are to demonstrate that you have read the material and that you have thought about the issues. This assignment consists of producing an essay of at least 750 words (this is not a mandatory word count but an estimate of the minimum needed to properly complete the assignment) on the provided lesson topics, as well as a title page and works cited page with at least three sources (your textbook and two outside sources) containing information used in the essay. The assignment is to be formatted according to the American Psychological Association (APA Guide) style. You should use Arial or Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spacing, and one inch margins on all four sides of the paper. Papers not formatted properly or with grammatical or spelling errors will lose points. For this class, abstracts are not needed since this is a smaller writing assignment. Also for this class, do not use direct quotes when writing your paper; paraphrase and cite instead. Click APA Example Paper.pdf APA Example Paper.pdf – Alternative Formats to see an annotated APA example paper.It is important to think critically about your assigned topic and clearly express your thoughts about it in writing. Where appropriate, make sure to include specific evidence and/or examples (along with appropriate citations). When writing your analysis, consider the eight standards for critical thinking (Paul and Elder, 2013): clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness. Ask yourself questions, such as
- How can I validate the accuracy of my statement?
- How is this information relevant?
- How does my conclusion address the complexities of the issue?
- What is another interpretation or viewpoint of the issue?
- Does my conclusion follow from the data and/or statements I have provided?
- Is my writing detailed and demonstrates my mastery of the topic? (Don’t just give the “What” but also the “Why” and “How.”)
