DISCUSSION

Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion question, read Chapters 5 and 6 in American Government and review Week Three Instructor Guidance. In addition, read the following articles: What Are the Arguments Made in Favor - and Against - the Electoral College?, GOP Leaders United in Defense of the Electoral College, and the ProQuest article Why the Electoral College is Bad for America.

Reflect: As the textbook author asserts, the Framers intentionally designed a process for selecting presidents that would minimize the president's political power - the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would insulate the chief executive from the public because they feared the power of presidents who might be elected by the people. However, the Electoral College has also spawned a long ongoing debate about whether the Electoral College should be abandoned in favor of new methods, which would ensure that the candidate elected has the most popular votes. The controversy over the Electoral College must be understood in order to better understand how and why U.S. presidents are elected. After you have read and studied the Electoral College process, you will critically think about the process and share your insights as you write your discussion.

Write: For this post, the class will be divided into three sections. Please be sure to write about the specific topic you are assigned based on the first letter of your last name.

First, all students should summarize how the Electoral College functions.

Second, each student will focus on a specific argument regarding the Electoral College, based on the first letter of their last name.

If your last name starts with A-K: Explain the positive impact of the Electoral College and defend why the Electoral College should remain as it is currently. Be sure to include both the pros and the cons of keeping the Electoral College as it is currently.

If your last name starts with L-R: Explain the negative impact of the Electoral College and defend why the Electoral College should be abolished. Be sure to include both the pros and cons of abolishing the Electoral College.

If your last name starts with S-Z: Explain the impact of the Electoral College and defend why it should be modified, but not kept as it is currently written or abolished. Be sure to include both the pros and cons of modifying the Electoral College.

Fully respond to all parts of the prompt and write your response in your own words. Your initial must be at least 300 words. Support your position with at least two of the assigned resources required for this discussion, and/or peer reviewed scholarly sources obtained through the AU Library databases. Include APA in-text citations in the body of your post and full references on the references list at the end. Please be sure that you demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them into your argument, and cite them properly.