The Electoral College: How Is the President Elected in the United States?

How does the Electoral College work?

Did you know it only takes 270 votes to become President of the United States?

In this class students will be introduced to the Electoral College system. Students will learn how the electoral college was devised by the founding fathers, how the presidential election process was modified by the 12th Amendment, and how the system works today. Students will be introduced to the characters John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford, who so greatly split the electoral vote in the Election of 1824 that the electoral college failed to produce a winner and the election was sent to the House of Representatives -- and the "corrupt bargain" that doomed the Adams presidency.

We'll also look at the numerous times in American history when the winner of the popular vote for President has lost the electoral college. We'll also discuss how Robert F. Kennedy may have likely been elected president through a vote by the House of Representatives following the 1968 election, were it not for his assassination.

This should be a fun class as many of the characters and storylines involved are quite colorful!

I am offering this class by request. It is a natural for me to offer as I authored a book in 2016 about the electoral college and the 12th amendment!