Electoral College Opinion Paper
The Electoral College:
An Opinion Essay
Overview
The Founding Fathers wanted to create a "safety system" to keep the general public from electing someone who would be unsuitable as president. Slow communication and poor education during the late 18th Century made it a necessity in the eyes of the framers to restrict the process of electing the president to an educated elite.
Task
There has been a public outcry to change the process of presidential election. You must research and develop an opinion to either alter the process or contend that the current process is functioning well enough to not warrant any changes. (In other words, if the process doesn't need changes, then that would mean the status quo should be upheld.)
You will need to assume roles that either support the current system or propose a change. You will need to develop logical arguments and to collect resources that either defend your position or discount the opposition's stance.
Process
1. Use the resources listed below to research different views on the Electoral College.
2. Note that many of the sources include various replacements for the electoral college.
3. You will need to provide an accurate summary of the current workings of the Electoral College.
4. You will need to develop a defense of your position on the Electoral College.
5. You will also need to develop logical arguments against the opposing viewpoint.
6. These ideas will need to be arranged in paragraph form according to the paragraph organizer provided to you.
7. You will open a word processing document to type out your final copy.
Resources
1. http://people.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college.htm
From the people at Howstuffworks.com. This is the best place to start. The site explains the workings of the Electoral College in language that might be the easiest to understand.
2. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/government/howthepresidentiselected.htm
This site gives a well written overview of the Elecotral College. It has more that you need to know to summarize how it works.
3. http://www.fec.gov/pdf/eleccoll.pdf
This site is full of details regarding the Electoral College. It It has two sectins offering pros and cons of the college.
4. http://www.avagara.com/e_c/
The Electoral College Web Zine provides arguments defending the process and why some think direct election of the president is dangerous.
5. http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/case/3pt/electoral.html
This site offers links to new proposals and the pros and cons of the Electoral College. It might be very useful when you are creating your opinions for the third and fourth paragraphs.
6. http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/elecollg.html
Groliers information about the Electoral College.
Learning Advice
1. Be sure to follow the paragraph form outlined on the “paragraph organizer”.
2. Arrange your sentences in a logical sequence to help persuade your readers.
3. Give special attention to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
4. Be sure you are taking into consideration the “opinion essay grading rubric” provided to you or click on the site to see it displayed. This provides the requirements for your grade.
Conclusion
Now you are armed with the knowledge necessary to defend your position on the Electoral College. Educate others about how we really choose a president and your views on the process. Don't be afraid to voice your opinions in other appropriate formats.
Lincoln Public Schools, Lincoln, Nebraska
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