The Formation Of The Electoral College - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1491 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/06/13 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Electoral College Essay Did you like this example? The preamble to the Constitution of the United States begins with the recognizable phrase, We the people, implying that the form of government laid out in the constitution will be representative of the peoplers will. The formation of the Electoral College in Article II, Section 1, leads to the conclusion that this may only indirectly be the case. The establishment of the Electoral College was the result of compromise as the members of the Constitutional Convention struggled to determine how the President would be elected. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Formation Of The Electoral College" essay for you Create order While some Founders called for a popular vote, most were at best, reluctant democrats (Jillson pg. 21). Many did not believe that the common people capable of making the best choice for such an important office in the newly formed government. The Brearley Committee was formed to resolve how the President would be elected. The Brearley Committee proposed that an Electoral College be formed to vote for the President. To balance the interests of large and small states, the Electoral college would give one electoral vote to each state for the for each of the members that state has in Congress. A simple majority would decide the victor. The original proposal provided that the Senate, in which state representation was equal would select the President from the top five candidates should the Electoral College not reach a majority. When objections that the addition of this power to the Senate made it resemble the aristocracy of Great Britain that America had revolted against, it was decided that the final vote would be made by the House. While the Constitution establishes the Electoral College the states are free to determine the manner in which electors are appointed. There are currently 538 electors in the Electoral College, one for each member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as three who are designated for the District of Columbia. The three additional votes for the District of Columbia were added in 1961 with ratification of the 23rd Amendment. Despite its name, the electoral college is not a place. Instead, it is a method that the founding fathers created as a compromise between those who believed that the president should be elected by Congress and those who believed the president should be elected by a popular vote. Many people tend to forget that the Electoral College was created to ensure fairness and is written into the constitution, often misunderstanding what it can and cannot do. To put things into perspective: a voter in Wyoming has over three times as much power in the Electoral College as a voter in California. For every 134,783 people they get one electoral college vote, while in California 1 vote represents 410,647 people. California has 55 total votes in the the college but in a winner takes all system if 22 electoral college goes to Republican and the rest to Democrat, the staters electoral votes are all Democrat. However, the Electoral College did not always work fairly or in the way it was meant to. For most of the course of American history the Electoral College has reflected the views of the populous and the Electoral College results have matched the popular vote. There have been seven instances when the Electoral College either did not produce a majority winner, did not agree with the popular vote, or produced an otherwise disputed result. In the election of 1796 electors voted for two candidates without differentiating between the office of President and Vice-President. The candidate who received the majority of electoral votes became the President and the candidate with the next highest number of votes became Vice-President. This election resulted in John Adams becoming President and Thomas Jefferson who ran against him becoming Vice-President. Problems began to arise in elections, most notably in the elections of 1796 and 1800. The election of 1800 Adams and Jefferson faced off again. This time Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes and the decision was pass to the House of Representatives where Jefferson won ten states becoming President. The elections of 1800 of 1804 led to the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804 which called for the electors to cast two votes distinguishing between votes for President and Vice-President and gave constitutionality to the proces s by which the offices of both with be decided in the event an electoral majority was not achieved thereby solving the complications of the prior two elections. There have been other attempts to change the system, but the closest Congress has come to trying to amend the Electoral College after 1804 have failed to pass the Senate. The most notable attempt was made in 1969, which proposed the direct election of a President and Vice President, requiring a run off when neither candidate received more than 40% of the vote. This proposed resolution made it past the House of Representatives, but sadly failed to pass the Senate. The election of 1824 presented a new problem, John Quincy Adams received fewer electoral votes and fewer popular election votes than opposition candidate Andrew Jackson. Since neither received the necessary majority for an Electoral College win the decision was again referred to the House. As stipulated by the 12th amendment the House now had to choose from among the top three candidates, Adams, Jackson and Crawford. The House elected John Quincy Adams President. The election of 1836 resulted in the Vice-Presidential candidate Richard Johnson missing the majority of electoral votes by one. Per the 12th Amendment the election was referred to the Senate where Johnson was elected. Today, if in the event that the Electoral Colleges is in deadlock or if no candidate receives majority votes, a contingent election will be held. In this case, the election of the president goes to the House of Representatives. Each state casts one vote for one of the top candidates to elect the winner. Only two presidential elections have been decided in the house; once in 1800, and again in 1824. In the election of 1876 twenty electoral votes from four states were disputed by Congress and referred to a bipartisan Electoral Commission for resolution of the election. Though Samuel Tilden missed the electoral majority by one vote and won the popular election the commission awarded all twenty disputed votes to Rutherford B. Hayes and he was declared winner by 185-184 electoral votes. While some may know a bit of how the electoral college votes, there is little known about who these so-called electors are or how they are chosen. Article II, section 1, clause 2 states that electors canno t be a Senator of representative or anyone holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States may become an elector. The selection of these electors is a two-part process. The first part of the process is controlled by political parties in each state. The parties nominate electors at state party conventions or they are chosen by a vote through the central committee. This results in the presidential candidate having a different set of electors in every election. The second part of the process happens on election day, when votes are cast for the next presidential candidate. When people vote, they are actually voting to select their staters electors. In 24 states the Electoral College can vote for whoever they want to. There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states. Some states, however, require Electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote. Usually, the electors stay true to their party values in voting for a candidate, but they are not required to. Electors who have pledged to vote for a candidate but end up not are called faithless electors, but more than 99% of electors vote as they have pledged. In the past presidential election of 2016, the question of how the Electoral College actually worked came into question. Before this election, it seemed that paid no attention to how the president was elected, they assumed that whichever candidate received the most votes automatically won. This, however, is not the case. When Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost the Electoral vote, the nation was baffled. How did that seem fair at all? Claims being made such as Russia hacking the election may or may not be plausible explanations for this, but this is not the first time in history a candidate has won the popular vote and lost the Electoral vote. In 1824, Andrew Jackson won the popular vote and lost the Electoral vote, as did Samuel Tilden in 1876, Grover Cleveland in 1888, and Al Gore in 2000. Instances like these plant the s eed of doubt in the minds of the American people. How can the US still be considered a legitimate democracy if the votes casted do not truly equate to voting for a candidate, but voting for an elector to choose a particular candidate? Attempts to change the Electoral College system have not been successful, but who knows what the future of voting holds in store for the United States?

What is Communication Anxiety - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 655 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/01 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Topics: Anxiety Essay Did you like this example? Many people are required to take a speech class in college. Thus, many people are away of the stress, pressure, and anxiety that comes from speaking directly to their peers. While taking speech in college is important and is something that will be used throughout a lifetime, many people struggle with giving a speech in a classroom. It seems like an easy task, to simply explain or inform your classmates about a certain topic. However, as humans we fear rejection and strive for perfection in all things. This self-induced pressure is the core of communication anxiety. Some people may think that having time to prepare for a speech that they would be less nervous since they feel ready to address the audience and have put in the work, but Bochme et el. argued that â€Å"Even when such social situations are anticipated, pronounced anxiety symptoms emerge† (2013, p. 1413). In fact, there was a study done where participants said that having knowing they will have to give a speech was more stress-inducing (Bochme et al., 2013). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "What is Communication Anxiety?" essay for you Create order Unfortunately, some positions require a person to give a speech, regardless of the person’s level of social anxiety. Being able to speak well and having the ability to control a room using your voice is something that will be helpful in the work force (Roby, 2009, p. 608). While most people take a speech class in college, Wright State University required students to take the Personal Record of Communication Apprehension (Roby, 2009, p. 608) . Roby (2009) said that â€Å"This survey was used to measure communication apprehension of the teachers in the course† (p. 608). Roby (2009) reported that â€Å"Those emerging as leaders were associated with argumentativeness and communication apprehension, and combined were better predictors of leadership† (p. 609). He went on to say in response to a study that â€Å"there is an inverse relationship between verbal aggressiveness and content listening† (Roby, 2009, p. 609). Later on in his article, Roby (2009) mentioned that â€Å"Anticipatory speech anxiety was detected during informative speeches that were impromptu, extemporaneous, and completed by reading a manuscript† (pp. 608-609). So if we are to encounter communication anxiety or apprehension to public speaking, whether our speech is to be spontaneous or not, how are we to let our voice be heard by our peers without letting our fears overcome us? How are we to become better speakers if we are overly comfortable with being listeners? Roby (2009) offered some simple tips in his article that will not completely cure communication apprehension but may perhaps help with anxiety related to public speaking. He mentioned that â€Å"Sharing information in group discussions led to more openness for all members to share, thus reducing communication apprehension and increasing the frequency of communicating† (Roby, 2009, p. 609). Having the freedom to let your thoughts be heard, then, can potentially help a person get used to sharing things with others, thus preparing them for future speeches. It was noted by Roby (2009) that spontaneous speeches did not help people with their communication anxiety (pp. 608-609). However, he went on to say that â€Å"Impromptu speech exercises reduced communication apprehension† (Roby, 2009, p. 609). Roby (2009) reported that â€Å"When eliminating the speech evaluative factor, students [could focus on]†¦ improving their speaking skill instead of having concern about their grade† (p. 610). Roby (2009) also mentioned in his article that anxiety related to public speaking could be reduced when the person to be giving a speech â€Å"envisioned themselves as public speakers who were positive, vivid, and in control† (p. 209). By taking out the negative thoughts and anxiety associated with public speaking and replacing them with positive thoughts, people could actually alter how they felt about a situation. A person may never be rid completely of their fear of public speaking. Public speaking may come easy to someone, while another may struggle with even starting a conversation with someone one-on-one. With careful preparation and a positive outlook, however, a person with communication apprehension can learn to control anxiety and deliver a successul speech that an audience can connect with.

Essay Contemporary Poverty in the United Kingdom - 766 Words

Introduction: This report will focus on contemporary poverty in the UK although poverty is different globally, it will look at childhood in general and show the effect that poverty has on the experiences of childhood. The report will define poverty and use statistics and government policy on poverty. Three sources will be analysed, for the academic my main source is on the book of Ridge (2002) which is Childhood Poverty and Social Exclusion from a Childs perspective, next for media source it is a documentary called Poor Kids and my case study is on a lone parent family. Townsend who was a sociologist in (1979) defined poverty he said â€Å"Individuals†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Academic source: Firstly, Ridge (2002) has done research on young people and she is interested on finding out how they experience and encounter poverty. She is also interested in looking at the effect of poverty and social exclusion has on children and young people. The method Ridge uses in her research is Quantative and Qualitative, she has had discussion with young people and compared individuals from lone parent household and people in two parent household. Also on people that move in and out of poverty. The key point she makes is on social exclusion the lack of participation in social events which effects self-confidence. Other people also talk about the lack of participation Hirsch (2006) states that individuals in poverty find it hard to take part in society this is because, they do not have the resources they need. Equally the lack of participation makes poverty worse, in both ways which is directly and indirectly. Also because, of lack of resources and not being able to be part of the society children socially exclude themselves. Hirsch mentions that â€Å"Participation is especially important for children, for example school trips, sport or cultural activities, feeling included, etc. The long-term detrimental effects of poverty seem to have much to do with feeling like an â€Å"outsider† From a survey that’sShow MoreRelatedThe Long Lasting Effects Of Colonialism On Africa1666 Words   |  7 Pageswhen countries exploited Africa during 1880-1913, the people who inhabited the land experienced poverty and starvation due to countries claiming and controlling their land. During the scramble of Africa, countries saw the great amounts of natural resources they were able to exploit, such as a large quantity of diamonds, gold, salt, iron, etc. The extraction of the continents resources increased poverty in Africa which resulted in their economy to plummet. 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VA Information Security Free Essays

In your opinion, how well developed are your organization’s information security policies? Describe policies and measures used by your organization to ensure confidentiality, availability and reliability of data and information. Describe how the organization could (or does) protect from the loss its data. What steps could (or do) they take to make sure that data remains accessible in the event of a catastrophic event such as a fire or other natural disaster? What things do you think your organization could do to further enhance information security? Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: In your opinion, how well developed are your organization’s information security policies? Describe policies and measures used by your organization to ensure confidentiality, availability and reliability of data and information. We will write a custom essay sample on VA Information Security or any similar topic only for you Order Now Describe how the organization could (or does) protect from the loss its data. What steps could (or do) they take to make sure that data remains accessible in the event of a catastrophic event such as a fire or other natural disaster? What things do you think your organization could do to further enhance information security? Information security policies are measures taken by organizations to ensure the security and safety of information of an organization (Stallings, 1995). The policies of an organization pertaining to information and data are bench marks and core resource in any organization. This paper looks at the information security situation in the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) with an aim of analyzing the organization’s information security policies, standards and measures used by the organization to ensure confidentiality of its information. VA has in the recent years been on the spotlight concerning its information security breach specifically it has been accused of being very vulnerable to information security breaches. VA lacks information control system which is vital in access to the organization’s information system. VA also lacks enough physical protection of computer facilities, something which leaves its information stored in computers very vulnerable to burglary. In terms of the human factor in information, security the organization data and vital information is easily accessible to a wide range of staff some of whom do not require access to the information. VA is currently facing the threat of information security in the areas of personal identification information, loss of data, accessibility of data to unauthorized persons, or misuse of information and should deal with the above issues in order to ensure maximum information security. The information security policies at VA include well laid out procedures for implementing and handling of day-to-day data and information, controlling the employees’ access to data and information, careful selection of security controls. VA has enacted steps aimed at protection its information systems, further it has safeguarded the nearby buildings by making sure that recommended fire protection as well as other hazards such as floods and wind. The equipment at VA is also safe guarded from any hazards such as , natural, environmental, as well as unauthorized access. In addition, access of data in VA is well safe guarded by use of not-easy-to-hack passwards. These are comprehensive and in compliance with ISO standards. At VA, such are updated very regularly. There is also a full pledged department for supporting the information system of the organization. Since human factor plays a very vital role in information security, alongside the technological issues are human oriented efforts such as awareness campaigns and seminars aimed at enhancing security in VA. Examples of technological based security measures adapted by VA include the installation of firewalls, installation and constant upgrading and updating of antivirus software, Alongside the above, VA ensures the security measures are controlled through use of security alarms, when there is impending danger as well as ensuring that all incoming emails are scanned. VA has invested in qualified staff and therefore, the quality of security management is guaranteed. In terms of physical security, VA has invested in security management. In terms of reacting to security breaches, VA has a clear reporting system which culminates in thorough investigations and appropriate course of actions once breaches are reported to the management Disasters can, and do strike when least expected and if no proper systems are in place for data recovery, massive damage and loss of information as well as equipment can be suffered. The cost is very high and sometimes it is irreparable. Any data protection measure must take into account the facilities, data, hardware and network safety (Summers, 1997). At VA, the data is invaluable and is crucial since it entails details of veterans’ information and if this was to be lost, it can not be regained. Perhaps the hardware, the facilities, and the networks can all be reconstructed. The data protection strategies at VA include, back ups; there exists hard copies of data stored in different locations. Such back ups also are available in online backups and disks. It will be wise though, for VA to include snapshots of disks to act as back ups in the event of data corruption as well as carrying out these back ups regularly. VA can significantly improve its information security by; training all staff on the information policies as well as standards and make sure such are comprehensive and updated (Neumann, 1995). This is necessary and relevant to VA because some of the information breaches reported there, in the past were related to lack of stringent policies. By ensuring that, evaluation of systems is done properly before system change over in order to avoid setbacks. By training employers on enhanced security measures such as use of passwords; ensuring commitment from top management to safeguard information. Virus attacks are common in computer networks; therefore it is highly commendable that, VA ensures installation of effective anti-virus software. There is a need to have secure and restricted areas for systems. Although data encryption is highly commended, access should be guaranteed to make sure that no an authorized person gains access to the back-ups. System hardening is highly recommended since data in VA system is potentially useful and of interest to hackers and therefore it is not unlikely that hostile networks may attempt to hack the information. How to cite VA Information Security, Papers