The Electoral College and Cabinet Departments

Trivia Time

1. Which President is the only one from New Jersey?

​

• Which President was an actor before he was elected to office?

​

• Which President is on the penny?

Answers

1. Grover Cleveland
2. Ronald Reagan
3. Abraham Lincoln

What is it?

1. On election day, we vote for our favorite candidate

2. What we’re actually choosing are ELECTORS who represent the political party of the candidate we like

​

The Electors

Electors vote for the candidate that wins the popular vote in a given state.

1. Any registered voter can be chosen to be an elector

2. Purpose to elect the President and Vice President

How Many

Per State?

1. Each state:

# of Senators (2)

• # of Reps = Electors

2. Winner takes all!

3. Total for the country: 538

1. 270 needed to win

4. NJ has 14 electoral votes (2 Senators + 12 HOR Reps)

Why not popular vote?

Founding Fathers:

1. Guards against uneducated voters

2. Gives smaller states more power

What happens if?

1. If 270 electoral votes are not reached by a presidential candidate - who elects the President?

​

2) In this same scenario - who elects the Vice President?

Answers

1. The House of Representatives elects the President
2. The Senate elects the Vice President

Trivia Questions

1. Which President signed the Louisiana Purchase?
2. Which President was the first to stay in the White House?
3. Which is the only President to hold a PH.D?

Trivia Answers

1. Thomas Jefferson
2. John Adams … George Washington oversaw construction of the white house
3. Woodrow Wilson got his PH.D in Political Science and History at Johns Hopkins University

Cabinet Departments

• Main function is to advise the President on important matters regarding those departments

A total of 15 Departments

• State - Justice
• Agriculture - Energy
• Homeland Security - Veteran Affairs
• Treasury - Interior
• Commerce - Education
• Health and Human Services - Transportation
• Defense - Labor
• Housing/Urban Development

Responsibilities

Agriculture- focuses on farming and food production

Commerce- focuses on promoting economic and tech development

Defense- focuses on military defenses and forces

Education- attention to preparation and student achievement to compete in a globally competitive environment

Energy- promotes clean, affordable and reliable energy

​

​

Responsibilities Part 2

- Health/Human Services- protects health and provides essential services for those unable to help themselves

- Homeland Security- attempts to prevent terror attacks

- Housing/Urban Development- enforces fair housing laws and attempts to improve housing communities

- Interior - main conservation agency to protect America’s lands, water, and other natural resources

- Justice - enforce laws and preserve public safety

Responsibilities Part 3

• Labor - promotes and reviews programs for a strong American workforce
• State - develops and implements foreign policies
• Transportation - ensures fast, efficient, safe, and accessible ways to get to work centers
• Treasury - maintains systems for the finances of the US including currency, taxes and payments
• Veteran Affairs - oversees programs that help veterans, their families, and survivors

Is there a limit to the Number of Cabinet Departments?

22nd Amendment

1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice or more than 8 years.
2. Ratified in (1947) in response to FDR’s record four term presidency

​

25th Amendment

1. This amendment provides a line of succession in the event the President, VP, or other important member of government cannot perform their duty in office.
2. Ratified in 1967 as a result of JFK assassination.

Why the 22nd and 25th Amendments Added?

22nd Amendment was added to (1947)

1. limit the power of any one person and prevent him/her from potentially abusing that power

​

25th Amendment was added to (1967)

1. Keeps the continuity of government and prevents mass panic within the US