Electoral College (25 pts)
The electoral college is a group of people whose job it is to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. There are 538 electors who represent the 435 House Representatives, 100 Senators, and an extra three people to represent the District of Columbia. To win, a nominee for president must get a majority of electoral votes. Most states have a winner-take-all method for electoral votes. The winner of the popular vote in that state receives all of the electoral college votes for that state. The magic number of votes is 270. If no candidate reaches 270 votes, the decision of President and Vice President will go to Congress. The House of Representatives will choose the President of the United States. The …show more content…
The first factor that a presidential candidate is looking for in a vice president is someone who is “politically and personally compatible with themselves” (Polsby, 2016). This factor is important because a presidential nominee cannot have a vice president who doesn’t agree with them. They cannot be talking bad about the candidate without hurting them in the polls. If the vice president nominee is similar to the presidential nominee, things will run more smoothly. The second factor looked for in a vice president is one “who promises to inspire respect and enthusiasm among the electorates” (Polsby, 2016). The vice presidential pick can’t be a joke. For example, no one would pick Donald Trump as a VP. His personality only works as a presidential candidate. His vice presidential pick is much calmer and quieter than he seems to be. The third factor that a presidential contender searches for in their vice presidential choice is someone who will “who will be judged as sufficiently qualified to assume the presidential office if the need arises” (Polsby, 2016). This factor is the reason why so many vice presidential choices are current or formers governors/senators. A nominee for president cannot just pick any guy off the street to be a vice president. There is always a chance that the vice president may have to be the president one day. They need someone with at least some governmental experience who can navigate their way in the event of a tragedy. The fourth factor looked for in a vice presidential running mate is someone “who possesses some desirable qualities that the presidential nominee lacks” (Polsby, 2016). The contender for vice president should always be an asset to the contender for president, never a liability. They are there to help the presidential candidate get elected, not to really share their own voices. The pick should always add to resume of the presidential nominee. The fifth factor is more
The electoral college is a group of people whose job it is to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. There are 538 electors who represent the 435 House Representatives, 100 Senators, and an extra three people to represent the District of Columbia. To win, a nominee for president must get a majority of electoral votes. Most states have a winner-take-all method for electoral votes. The winner of the popular vote in that state receives all of the electoral college votes for that state. The magic number of votes is 270. If no candidate reaches 270 votes, the decision of President and Vice President will go to Congress. The House of Representatives will choose the President of the United States. The …show more content…
The first factor that a presidential candidate is looking for in a vice president is someone who is “politically and personally compatible with themselves” (Polsby, 2016). This factor is important because a presidential nominee cannot have a vice president who doesn’t agree with them. They cannot be talking bad about the candidate without hurting them in the polls. If the vice president nominee is similar to the presidential nominee, things will run more smoothly. The second factor looked for in a vice president is one “who promises to inspire respect and enthusiasm among the electorates” (Polsby, 2016). The vice presidential pick can’t be a joke. For example, no one would pick Donald Trump as a VP. His personality only works as a presidential candidate. His vice presidential pick is much calmer and quieter than he seems to be. The third factor that a presidential contender searches for in their vice presidential choice is someone who will “who will be judged as sufficiently qualified to assume the presidential office if the need arises” (Polsby, 2016). This factor is the reason why so many vice presidential choices are current or formers governors/senators. A nominee for president cannot just pick any guy off the street to be a vice president. There is always a chance that the vice president may have to be the president one day. They need someone with at least some governmental experience who can navigate their way in the event of a tragedy. The fourth factor looked for in a vice presidential running mate is someone “who possesses some desirable qualities that the presidential nominee lacks” (Polsby, 2016). The contender for vice president should always be an asset to the contender for president, never a liability. They are there to help the presidential candidate get elected, not to really share their own voices. The pick should always add to resume of the presidential nominee. The fifth factor is more