Explain how the Electoral College works and why it is unlikely that this system will be changed.

What will be an ideal response?

Each state has as many Electoral College votes as the number of representatives in the House of Representatives, plus two to match the number of senators from each state. That means that Electoral College votes can vary between three (many small states) and fifty-five (California). In every state but two, the candidate who receives the plurality of the vote wins the entire state’s slate of Electoral College votes. This means that candidates concentrate their campaign efforts on winning competitive states, also known as swing states, especially large ones. Some observers complain that the system is broken because the candidate who received more popular votes in the 2000 election did not receive the majority of the Electoral College vote. The Electoral College results often, in fact, overstate the margin of victory. Nevertheless, it is a protection of federalism--because states run elections--and no viable better alternatives have been offered. Furthermore, doing away with the Electoral College would require amending the U.S. Constitution, a cumbersome process that is difficult to achieve.