Kadoka High
School
Kadoka, South Dakota
Teacher: Teresa Shuck
The Election
Process
By: Chris Kendrick
Grade 11
Many people in the United States have different opinions on the election process, but nobody can change it. I believe that this year’s election will be talked about for a long time, and nobody will ever know who should have really been the real President.
The election I think starts way too early. People who want to run for President start campaigning about a year before the election even happens. One part of the campaigning that I like best is the debates. These debates give the American people a chance to see what each candidate wants and what they want to get rid of. These debates also give the public a chance to see what the candidate knows about foreign affairs in which this year we found out that President Bush was a little rusty on his knowledge of the Middle East’s leaders.
There have been many elections that have been really messed up because of the Electoral College like in 1796 when John Adams, a Federalist, was chosen as President and then Thomas Jefferson a Republican was voted in as Vice President. Then there was this year when they had all of the controversy down in Florida.
I don’t really like the electoral vote. When the candidates are out campaigning they only go to the states in which they can rack up a large number of votes, which is pretty smart.
The bad thing about the election is when the candidates start saying stuff about the other person and then they go and make commercials about how they can’t get it done. I don’t think that is fair because they don’t even know each other, but they go and say stuff about them that isn’t even true. All that they are trying to do is make themselves look better but they are really making themselves look worse. If they was a good man they would let the statistics speak for themselves and statistics don’t lie. Then there is the poster and signs that they put out trying to convince people that they would be a good choice. I mean I don’t have a problem with them, but when they put them out half a year early, you get tired of seeing them.
One thing that I don’t get about the election is when they have two ways of voting. The first is the popular vote that’s where everybody’s vote goes. Then there is the electoral vote that is where each state is given a number of electoral votes based on how many representatives they have. Like South Dakota we have three representatives so the government gave us three electoral votes. Each state is given an amount of representatives they can have by how many people live in that state that’s why Florida and California have so many electoral votes, and that’s why the candidates always campaign in those high-populated states.
One of the big things about this year’s election is the voting slip in Dade County in Florida. This obstacle came about the day after everybody voted. Some people said that they voted for Ralph Nader when they wanted to vote for Al Gore, but nobody could do anything about it because nobody knew if they were telling the truth or not. The main reason why the election results took so long to come about is because Al Gore kept wanting to recount the votes because he needed a couple hundred votes to win Florida’s 25 electoral votes which would of got him the presidency. Since Gore tried recounting all of these votes, Bush said that it was time to stop. So the courts stepped in and they told Florida’s counties to quit recounting because they new Gore wouldn’t win, and so Bush won the 25 votes and he got the presidency.
To keep the election from being so complicated they should just get rid of the electoral voting, and they should only go by the popular vote. Though if they would of went with the popular vote this year Al Gore would have won the Presidency. Candidates always wonder why people don’t vote. The reason is because they think that their vote won’t matter because with the electoral vote around they don’t even use your vote. So those people say to themselves that what is one less vote, but this year in Florida one vote did matter because Bush only won with a couple of hundred votes.
I know that choosing a President is a serious decision and
responsibility, and I think that if the candidates took a little pressure of the people of
this nation it would be a lot less mistake free. Because
when people are pressured they mess up and that isn’t good when there is the future
of our nation hanging in the balance.
Questions
- How and when did the United States elect a president and vice president of different parties? Name them and their respective parties.
In 1796 the United States elected John Adams, a Federalist, for president, and Thomas Jefferson, a Republican, as vice president.
2. Describe four ways that were suggested to elect the President between 1808 and 1846.
In 1808 the proposal to choose the president by lot first surfaced, to reoccur unsuccessfully in 1844 and 1846. Originally the candidate to be chosen by lot were to come from retiring senators; in later proposals the states were each to elect a native son candidate. In 1816 the first direct vote plan was proposed by senator Abner lacock of Pennsylvania and was defeated 21 to 12. In 1820 the second faithless elector deprived James Monroe of a unanimous vote. In 1822 it was proposed that four regions on a rotating basis choose the president. In 1826 Representative Charles Hanes introduced the electoral vote, but there was the popular vote to.
3.
Name five U.S. Presidents who were elected with less than a popular vote.
John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Abe Lincoln, Harry Truman.
4.
Describe the winner-take-all system. Which
states use this system?
The winner take all system is an unfair system, and it is used in every state but Maine.
5.
When do the electors vote and when are the results known?
The day is set the 2nd Tuesday after the first Monday. The winner is known in January.
6. What effect would
substituting a direct vote for the Electoral College have on third party candidates? Why?
Still others say that Electoral College endangers the two party system and encourages third party strategy to win concessions from major candidates.
7. Give four arguments for and against a direct vote system.
It would help the most popular party, it would also give everyone a say, it doesn’t help the not so popular party, and the candidates that are not so popular because of their party might not receive enough votes.
8. Describe the differences between the district plan, the proportional plan and the winner-take-all plan.
The district plan lets one of the four regions choose the president, proportional plan called for a division of each states electoral votes, the winner take all plan is a plan that two electors are chosen on a statewide popular level and one is chosen from two congressional districts
- State the four points experts in 1969 agreed should be included in an ideal plan for electing U.S. presidents.
(1) the need for a quick decision and clear cut winner
(2) the victor should be the peoples choice, and they should have the majority of the popular votes
(3) the President elect should have a mandate to govern a legitamacy which comes from a good margin of victory
(4) the ideal system should not undermine the two party system.
- Write a paragraph
describing what is meant by the following.
Crisis really help presidential candidates, because it gives the candidates something to talk about. Crisis also help them because they can talk about how they would fix things, and how it would be so much better if they were President.