Executive Branch(2)

Selecting the President

How our President is elected• NOT by popular vote • By the Electoral College

How the Electoral College works

If you win the popular vote in a state, you get ALL its electoral votes.

How many electoral votes does a state get?

# of Representatives + Senators

• Iowa has 4 Representatives and 2 Senators = 6 Electors

Every state gets at least 3• The system gives small

states an advantage

What if neither candidate gets a majority of electoral votes?

House of Representatives votes The Election of 1800• Thomas Jefferson (running

for President) and Aaron Burr (running for VP) tied in the Electoral College.

• Amendment 12 says now the Prez and VP have to be voted for separately.

• The election of 1824 was also decided be the House.

The EC: not a perfect system

Some Weaknesses• Winner-takes-all is unfair

(other candidate could have more popular vote)

• 3rd party candidates can prevent a majority (can lead to bargaining)

• Election by House has flaws

Some Possible Reforms• A candidate could get the

same % of electoral votes as he won popular votes in a state

• Dump the EC and vote directly

Nomination

• The process of choosing a candidate to represent the party

It’s a looooong process—there are already people coming to Iowa because they want to be the candidate fo r their party in 2016.

Nominating Process

Local caucus(es)

State primaries

National Conventions

(R & D)Campaign Presidential

Eleciton

January-June

July- August August -November

November

Iowa has the first caucuses.

New Hampshire has the first primary.

Inauguration Day

January 20

The day the President takes the oath of office.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court administers the oath.

Congress and the nation are witnesses.