POSC 225 1nd Edition Lecture 17Outline of Last Lecture I. Campaign specific Incumbancy Advantagesa. Moneyb. Senatec. HouseII. ElectionsIII. RedistrictingIV. GerrymanderingOutline of Current LectureII. Electoral Collegea. The Basis of the Electoral College Systemb. Objectionsc. BenefitsIII. Presidential Roles/responsibilitiesIV. Presidential PowersCurrent LectureThe Basis of the Electoral COllege System- To win the presidency, you must win majority of the Electoral COllege (EC) votes. EC is a group of people called “electors” who meet in December. THey each get 2 votes; 1 for president and 1 for VP. - We tend to think that the president is elected in Nemer popular vote, but really you do not need to win the majority of the votes cast by American voters in November's election to be president. - Each state’s EC votes equal the size of that State’s congressional delegation. aka take the number of house seats and add 2 senate seats. - e.g. VA has 11 house seats plus 2 so VA has 13 electoral COllege Votes. - NOTE: there are 538 votes in total because of the 2 votes for DC per the 23rd amendment. SO you need 270 electoral college votes to win the presidency.How is a candidate win EC votes? The candidate who wins the most votes (a PLURALITY) of the votes cast in the November election ( popular vote) wins all of that state’s EC votes.Plurality: you win more votes than anyone else but not necessarily a majority, e.g. if you have more than two candidates. This Is a winner-take-all rule, all states but Maine and Nebraska have this. So state law determines (1) how electors are chosen and (2) how EC votes will be distributed. This Is why EC affects how presidential candidates actually campaign. As problematic as EC is, politicians know how it operates. Faithless Elector: An elector that does not vote according to the party he has pledged to vote for. Happens rarely, and doesn’t affect the presidency in the end. Recall that this is because the electors are die-hard party members who wouldn’t vote against their party. If there is no majority winner (rare) the House selects the President And the Senate selects the Vice President (per the 12th amendment).Objections and Potential benefits in EC System:Objections ● EC violates the principle of political equality (one person, one vote)○ e.g. wyoming has 1 vote per 170,000 residents but VA has 1 for 600,000 residents. ● EC can depress voter turnout. If the election truly went by a national popular vote, then every voter in every state would have incentive to vote. Benefits● EC can produce a clear majority winner even when popular vote doesn’t.○ e.g. 1992 Clinton in 3 way race with huge majority of electoral college votes○ e.g. 1980 Reagan didn’t actually crush Carter in the popular vote, but he barely won so often in the states that he crushed Carter in the EC vote. ● EC can protect minority rights if candidates must pay attention to interest groups. Presidential Roles (pp. 318-327)the book divides presidency into 2 sets of powers: domestic and foreign affairs. This is partly as a result of formal powers, popular expectations, and foreign affairs thrusting themselves onto presidents. Domestic Roles● National Leader “Head of State) - in part a ceremonial role, looked to in times of crisis, promotes national symbols/rituals. e.g. throwing the first baseball at baseball season, putting the wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier.● Chief Executive: p. 320-21. CEO of the executive branch expected to run it efficiently.● Chief Legislator: can recommend legislature to congress. We expect this in todays political society.● Economic manager (not in textbook): Manage the economy to promote the wellbeing of the national economy.● Party leader- expected to raise money for/be the face of his/her party. Foreign Policy● Chief trade negotiator● Chief diplomat: heads team to achieve agreements and plays the lead role in negotiating with foreign nations.● COmmander in Chief - listed in Article 2 s 2 as a specific power in list of other presidential powers, listed pretty narrowly, CIC only once congress has declared war. Thefounders didn't’ intend this as a kitchen sink of powers, but rather as one power.Presidential PowersRichard Neustadt - “presidential power is the power to persuade” (incomplete definition?)Wildavsky - “Presidential power is the control over government decisions.● Formal Powers (listed in Article II)Commander in Chief clause● make treaties (with 2/3rds vote in Senate to ratify)● Receive and send ambassadors (wit confirmation form the senate to send/appoint)● grant pardons (except in cases of impeachment)● appoint federal judges and senior level officers (with approval by the senate)● recommend legislation (which congress can ignore, alter etc.)● Veto (congress can overrideNOTE: These powers are shared with the senate in some way/shape/form for domestic