Do Now Is the average person really prepared to vote responsibly?

Essential Questions (Q1) What is the Electoral College? (Q2) What is the legislative branch? (Q3) What is the executive and judicial branch?

Exit Ticket Does the Electoral College still have a purpose today?

Test Day Sit Down quietly Open your binder Review your study guide No talking

In the beginning… Electoral College!! For Presidential elections, our Founding Fathers created the… Electoral College!! Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution states: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.” So, each state adds up its representatives in the House and its two Senators, to determine how many delegates to the Electoral College they have (minimum of 3).

But, what is the electoral college for? The Founding Fathers did not trust the American people to select a qualified person to be President. So, each state holds an election in which the people vote for a candidate’s, or political party’s, “electors”, who then vote for the President. The idea was that if the people elected a completely unqualified person as President, then the Electoral College could correct their “mistake”.

Question 1 Electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the President and Vice President of the United States are the… (PP) Electoral College

Okay, now we know how a president gets elected, but how do we choose the candidates? Primaries and caucuses are the elections held in each state for the members of each party to vote for a presidential candidate. Primary = a statewide secret ballot vote for a presidential candidate Caucus = local gatherings in which people openly select candidates

Question 2 A statewide secret ballot election in which people select candidates for President of the United States is a… (PP) primary

Question 3 A local gathering in which people openly select candidates for candidates for President of the United States is a… (PP) caucus

All the delegates won by the candidates meet at the party’s national convention to choose a presidential candidate.

Question 4 A national meeting of delegates to select candidates to run for President and Vice President of the United States is called a/an… (PP) convention

Louisiana has 8 electoral votes The candidate who gets the majority of the people’s votes (the popular vote) in Louisiana, gets Louisiana’s 8 electoral votes. 6 representatives in the House of Representatives + 2 Senators = 8 electors to the Electoral College.

Question 5 The number of electors in the Electoral College was decided by which amendment to the U.S. Constitution? (Text Dependent)

Question 6 When do the electors cast their votes for president and vice president? (Text Dependent)

Question 7 When there is a tie in the electoral vote, who breaks the tie? (Text Dependent)

Legislative Branch

Qualifications for the House of Representatives Must be a resident of the state you are representing Must be at least 25 years old Must be a US citizen at least 7 years

Question 8 To serve in the House of Representatives, you must be at least _______ years old. (PP) 25

House of Representatives 435 Members Representation based on population of each state Members serve two year terms Louisiana has SIX representatives in the House. You are in Louisiana’s First Congressional District

Question 9 The house in the legislative branch in which members serve two year terms is the… (PP) House of Representatives

Question 10 Louisiana has _______ representatives in the House of Representatives (PP) six

Senate 100 Members Each state has equal representation 2 Senators for each state Members serve 6 year terms

Question 11 The house in the legislative branch in which members serve six year terms is the… (PP) Senate

Qualifications for Senate Must be at least 30 years old Must be a US citizen at least 9 years Must be a resident of the state you are representing

Question 12 To serve in the Senate, you must be at least __________ years old. (PP) 30

Question 13 The requirement that both the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have is… (PP) both must be residents of the states they represent

Executive Branch

President of the United States Serves a maximum of two four-year terms. Must be at least 35 years old. Must have been born in the United States Must have been a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years

Question 14 The President of the United States can serve a maximum of two _______ terms. (PP) 4 year

Vice President of the United States Same qualifications as the President Serves as president of the Senate, and breaks all ties in voting

Presidential Line of Succession the Vice President the Speaker of the House the President pro tempore of the Senate Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce

Presidential Line of Succession Then, it’s the… Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security After that, the world has probably ended, so….who cares?

Judicial Branch

Qualifications for Supreme Court The US Constitution lists NO qualifications for being a member of the Supreme Court!

Supreme Court Nine members of the Court, appointed by the President and approved by the Senate They serve lifetime terms Highest court in the United States

Question 15 Who appoints the members of the Supreme Court? (PP) The President