Electoral College and Interest Group Free Response Assignment
Free Response Essays Directions: Provide separate, well-constructed responses to each essay
prompt. Unless the directions indicate otherwise, respond to all parts of both questions. It is
suggested that you take a few minutes to plan and outline each answer. Each response should
take no more than 25 minutes to complete, to include planning, in order to simulate test-day
conditions. In your response, use substantive examples where appropriate. Make certain to
number each of your answers as the question is numbered below.
QUESTION 1:
Electoral College A significant feature of the Electoral College is that most
states have a winner-take-all system.
(a) Describe the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College.
The winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College means that the candidate who has
received
the most votes wins all of a state’s electoral votes.
(b) Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College
affects how presidential candidates from the two major parties run their campaigns.
Because presidential candidates are competing for state’s electoral votes, they might
focus their campaign on certain swing states or competitive states. This can include
spending more money on advertising, addressing certain issues, etc.
(c) Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College
hinders third party candidates.
While third party candidates might receive many popular votes, they do not receive
electoral votes unless they win the entire state.
(d) Explain two reasons why the Electoral College has not been abolished.
The Electoral College is apart of the United States Constitution, so therefore abolishing
it would require amending the Constitution. In addition, this system has not only been
apart of United States history, but it also benefits smaller states by having a voice in the
election.
