Electing a President Worksheet

Question 1

For what two reasons did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention mistrust direct election of the President by the people?

Answer 1

• Citizens had poor education (up to 4th grade)
• Citizens didn’t know the candidate very well, due to bad communication and bad transportation

Question 2

Legally, whose votes elect the President?

Answer 2

The delegates from the electoral college (you are voting for someone to vote for you)

Question 3

How is the number of electors per state is determined?

Answer 3

The # of senators and representatives added (ex. Wyoming has 2 senators and 1 representative, so they have 3 electors)

Question 4

Why did the writers of the Constitution allot electors by adding the # of senators and representatives?

Answer 4

They did this so that the power of each state was distributed more evenly, since some states were a lot larger than others population-wise. The bigger the population, the more the state is worth

Question 5

In what way is the electoral college archaic?

Answer 5

The electoral college doesn’t let people think for themselves, even though in present-day America, most people are educated. Communication is better too, so you know more about the candidate.

Question 6

Why would direct election of a Presidential candidate be unfair?

Answer 6

The small states would be ignored because they have less people, so the presidents wouldn’t focus on them.