Reading an electoral map.What will it take to be elected the next U.S. President? The answer has changed since the last election!Every 10 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time U.S. conducts a census (count of the population), in part to determine the number of seats each state should be given in the U.S. House of Representatives. The results also determine the number of Electoral College electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, votes for each state, which is equal to the number of its U.S. Senators and Representatives. The 2000 Census data changed the number of electoral votes in 18 states for the next two presidential elections. Some states, like Texas, had a big population increase according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the 2000 Census. They gained electoral votes. But other states, like New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Ohio, had a decrease in population and lost votes. Several of the states that gained electoral votes normally vote for Republican presidential candidates. Had the 2000 election been held using the new electoral vote numbers, President Bush would have won seven more electoral votes. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. The map shows how many votes each state will have in the 2004 Electoral College. The color key (1) Also called "chroma key," it is a technique for superimposing one video image onto another. Widely used to place an interesting scene behind people such as a news reporter on TV, it is also used for creating special effects such as floating a car on the ocean. shows how many votes each state gained or lost, or if there has been no change. Study the map, and then answer the following questions. QUESTIONS 1. Which state has the largest number of electoral votes? -- 2. How many votes did this state gain or lose as a result of the 2000 Census? -- 3. Which state has the second-largest number of electoral votes? -- 4. How many votes did this state gain of lose after the 2000 Census? -- 5. How many states gained seats after the 2000 Census? -- 6. How many states lost seats as a result of the 2000 Census? -- 7. How many electoral votes does the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). have? -- 8. Most of the states that gained votes are located in the (choose one): (A) Northeast; (B) Southeast and Southwest; (C) Northwest -- 9. Most of the states that lost votes are located in the (choose one): (A) Northeast and Midwest; (B) Southeast; (C) Far West -- 10. It takes 270 votes to be elected President. What are the fewest number of states a candidate can win and still be elected President? -- LESSON PLANS OBJECTIVES Students should understand: * How to read a U.S. map charting each state's number of electors electors, in the history of the Holy Roman Empire, the princes who had the right to elect the German kings or, more exactly, the kings of the Romans (Holy Roman emperors). ; * How a state's number of electoral votes is equal to the sum of its Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress. TEACHING STRATEGY Ask students to identify as many U.S. Senators and Representatives from your state as possible. BACKGROUND The largest "landslide" in Electoral College history occurred in the 1984 U.S. presidential election. President Ronald Reagan defeated the Democratic candidate, Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (born January 5, 1928) is an American politician and member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (largely established by former Vice President Hubert Humphrey). , by capturing nearly 98 percent of the Electoral College, about 525 out of 538 electoral votes, The next-largest margin of victory occurred in the 1972 election when President Richard M. Nixon defeated Democrat George McGovern George Stanley McGovern, (born July 19, 1922) is a former United States Representative, Senator, and Democratic presidential nominee. McGovern lost the 1972 presidential election in a landslide to incumbent Richard Nixon. , 520 electoral votes to 17. THINKING SKILLS CAUSE AND EFFECT: What determines a state's number of electoral votes? (Each state's quantity of electors is equal to the sum of its U.S. Senators and Representatives. This figure is based on a national census, which the U.S. government undertakes every 10 years.) MAKING COMPARISONS: How many states will have the same number of electors as they had in 2000? (The number of electors in 32 states was unaffected by the 2000 census.) ACTIVITY ELECTION 2003: Stage a mock election A mock election (or pretend election, fake election) is an election organised for educational or transformative purposes. Mock election for educational purposes Secondary schools organise mock elections to introduce young people to the concept of elections before they in your class. Instruct students to nominate at least three classmates Classmates can refer to either:
ANSWERS 1. California 2. Gained one electoral vote 3. Texas 4. Gained two electoral votes 5. Eight states 6. Ten states 7. Three electoral votes 8. B 9. A 10. Twelve states |
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