In “Electoral College 101" the political humorist Mo Rocca consults a third-grade class on the fairness of the Electoral College.
Indeed, it’s not just third graders who may be wondering: What is the Electoral College, why do we have it, and is it the best way for our country to choose the next president?
1. Watch the seven-minute film above. While you watch, you might take notes using our Film Club Double-Entry Journal (PDF) to help you remember specific moments.
2. After watching, think about these questions:
• What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?
• Were there any surprises? Anything that challenged what you know — or thought you knew?
• What messages, emotions or ideas will you take away from this film? Why?
3. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)Continue reading the main story
4. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
5. To learn more about the film, read this article by Mo Rocca. It begins:
“How long did you rehearse the scene where those third graders freak out about the Electoral College?” I’ve been asked that several times after screenings of “Electoral Dysfunction,” from which this Op-Doc video is adapted.
The answer is we didn’t. We simply held an election: Colored Pencils vs. Markers. When Markers won the popular vote but Colored Pencils prevailed in the Electoral College, it got ugly fast. Turns out third graders have an uncorrupted sense of fairness.
The men who foisted this system on us were hardly more enthusiastic about it. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention voted at least 60 times on how presidents were to be chosen. They rejected the idea of popular election — and they repeatedly scrapped versions of the Electoral College. In other words, they were against it before they were for it.
Proponents like to say it was created to protect “small states,” which is a much nicer way of saying it was created to protect “slave states.” Indeed, that’s one of the reasons it was created. Under the Constitution’s 3/5 clause, each slave — otherwise treated as 0/5 of a person — was counted as 3/5 of a person, thereby bolstering Southern states’ share of electoral votes.
Today it certainly favors states with smaller populations: about 139,000 eligible voters in Wyoming get one Electoral College vote. But it takes nearly 478,000 eligible voters in Pennsylvania to get an Electoral College vote. (Does Wyoming really need to be protected? I’m pretty sure the Cowboy State can take care of itself.)
• See all the films in this series.
• Read our list of practical teaching ideas, along with responses from students and teachers, for how you can use these documentaries in the classroom.
• Our next Film Club will take place on Friday, Oct. 28.Continue reading the main story