electoral college lesson

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Teacher Candidate Copy ELECTORAL COLLEGE LESSON PLAN I. Grade Level: High School Government II.Topic: The Electoral College III. Standards: A. Specific Virginia Standard(s) of Learning the lesson is designed to meet: Civics Standard 8: Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society Benchmark 4: Understands the concept of popular sovereignty as a central idea of American constitutional government (e.g., the people as the ultimate source of the power to create, alter, or abolish governments) Benchmark 7: Understands how the design of the institutions of government and the federal system works to channel and limit governmental power in order to serve the purposes of American constitutional government Civics Standard 20: Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics Benchmark 1: Knows the origins and development of the two party system in the United States, and understands the role of third parties B. National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Strands: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Power, Authority, and Governance Civic Ideals and Practices IV. Character Principle

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Page 1: Electoral College Lesson

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ELECTORAL COLLEGE

LESSON PLAN

I. Grade Level: High School Government

II. Topic: The Electoral College

III. Standards:A. Specific Virginia Standard(s) of Learning the lesson is designed to meet:

Civics Standard 8: Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how this form of government has shaped the character of American society

Benchmark 4: Understands the concept of popular sovereignty as a central idea of American constitutional government (e.g., the people as the ultimate source of the power to create, alter, or abolish governments)

Benchmark 7: Understands how the design of the institutions of government and the federal system works to channel and limit governmental power in order to serve the purposes of American constitutional government

Civics Standard 20: Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations and groups in American politics

Benchmark 1: Knows the origins and development of the two party system in the United States, and understands the role of third parties

B. National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Strands:

Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Power, Authority, and Governance Civic Ideals and Practices

IV. Character PrincipleFaith (Trust and Hope): 1 Samuel 2:35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever.

(As a people, we elect officials and establish a government in the hope those we place our faith in will be just and worthy of the people’s trust.)

V. Objective: Incorporate multi-modality techniques to explain how the electoral college operated, the history behind and the significance of the electoral college.

VI. Materials: Computer C-SPAN 2012 Electoral College Map Electoral College Turns Presidential Election into State-to-State Combat (Article)

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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/us/july-dec08/electoralcollege_10-14.pdf Index cards Video #1 http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/TheElecto/start/1/stop/450 Video #2 http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Dayatthe/start/1842/stop/2361 Video #3 http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Collegean/start/0/stop/186 Congressional Chronicle website, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/congress (click on the

“Members” tab. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html 2012 Electoral College Map Activity (Assessment) http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ElectoralCollege6/start/418/stop/600 http://www.c-spanclassroom.org/images/2012_Electoral_College_Map_Poster_Large.JPG Electoral College Pros and Cons chart “How is Government Chosen?” Fact Sheet: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-

world-factbook/docs/profileguide.html

Vocabulary:

Electoral College National Popular Vote District Method Proportional Method Federalism Faithless Elector

VII. Procedures:1. Instructional Set (how the activities will be introduced):

Pre-assessment questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know

Activity 2: Students will read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the reading

comprehension and discussion questions on the student handout.

Activity 3: Engage students in a discussion and encourage the class to think about how the issues

outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Activity 4: Ask students to read the section of the Constitution that provides for electors. Discuss

the method of determining how many electors each state is appointed and who is exempt from

being selected as an elector.

Activity 5: Have students review “How is Government Chosen?” Fact Sheet

2. Developmental Activities:1. Instruction: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html

In groups, the students will visit the website and choose a FAQ topic. They will then

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read the chosen fact and write a brief summary of their findings. One Student will share the findings with the class.

2. Guided Practice: Students will read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the reading comprehension and discussion questions on the student handout.

3. Independent Practice: Electoral College Turns Presidential Election into State-to-State Combat (Article)

4. Group debate

3. Closure: Class discussion Recap

VIII. Diversity / Differentiation for Exceptionalities:A. Learning Styles (modalities / multiple intelligences) – Visual, Auditory, Note-taking, Group work, and

discussionB. Gifted – Open discussion/assisting group mates with assignmentsC. LEP – Individualized help with worksheetsD. LD, ED, ADD – Group work--

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.htmlIn groups, the students will visit the website and choose a FAQ topic. They will then read the chosen fact and write a brief summary of their findings. One Student will share the findings with the class.

E. Multicultural Connections – Class will review how governments in other countries are chosen.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/profileguide.html

IX. Evaluation: 2012 Electoral College Map Activity (Assessment)

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Prior Knowledge Assessment

What is the Electoral College?

What do you know about the Electoral College?

What role does it play in presidential elections?

Why do you think the founders provided for electors?

Students can write their ideas on index cards

Create an aggregate list, discuss students’ ideas, and save the list to compare what they

have discovered after the lesson is completed.

Do all votes in the presidential election count equally? Why or why not?

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READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS Answer Key

1. When was the Electoral College formed? How many votes are there in total? Why that number?

ANSWER The Electoral College was formed in 1787. In total, there are 538 Electoral College members: states are allotted a vote for each of their two senators, each House representative (depends on population), plus three votes for the District of Columbia.

2. How many Electoral College votes does a candidate have to receive to win the Presidency? ANSWER The number of electoral votes needed to gain a majority and become president is 270.

3. What are “red” and “blue” states? ANSWER “Red” states are states that vote firmly Republican, while “blue” states are states that vote firmly democratic.

4. What is a swing state? A battleground state? ANSWER Swing states are states that are neither “red” or “blue”, these states can be further divided into “leaning” or “battleground” states, which are just too close to call. 5. Name at least four battleground states? Are any near you? ANSWER Based on the map (the list of states is updated day to day as states can easily shift from leaning to battleground and back again.)

6. What major change has been made to the Electoral College? ANSWER Early on, each member of the Electoral College would cast two votes for president. The runner-up would win the vice presidency. In the case of a tie, the vote was sent to the Congress.

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Things quickly got complicated in the election of 1796 when the president and vice president came from separate parties and platforms, and in 1800 when it was tie but both candidates were hated by their parties.

The 12th Amendment -- passed in 1804 -- added that the Electoral College must vote for one president and one vice president.

7. Why do some people criticize the Electoral College?

ANSWER Critics of the system still argue that the system can privilege the voters of swing states as candidates will campaign harder for their votes. Other critics say that they system is inherently undemocratic as it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote and still lose the election as happened in 1876, 1888, and 2000.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (more research might be needed)

1) Do you think the Electoral College is a fair system? How would you change and improve it?

2) Why do you think people who argue for direct popular vote have had such a hard time changing the system?

3) Look at the current swing states. Is your state one of them? Do you see any similarities? Why do you think those states are swing this election?

4) What issues do you care about this election? Are the candidates talking about those issues? Why or why not?

Extension Activity Have students write a 300-500 word essay on this topic providing clear examples.

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Extra Feature Story

Electoral College Turns Presidential Election into State-to-State Combat

October 14, 2008

While voters might think they're voting for Barack Obama or John McCain on Election Day, they're not. They're voting for a member of the Electoral College — a uniquely American institution responsible for George W. Bush's win in 2000 despite his losing the popular vote to Al Gore, and the reason the campaigns have spent over $25 million on ads in Ohio and nothing in Utah.

Created in 1787 to balance power between small and large states, the Electoral College has had a profound effect on presidential elections, leading candidates to focus on so-called battleground states instead of winning over the most total voters.

When voters cast their ballots, they're actually selecting electors set up by each state who are pledged to one of the candidates selected in primaries or other contests.

In total, there are 538 Electoral College members: states are allotted a vote for each of their two senators, each House representative (depends on population), plus three votes for the District of Columbia. The electors never gather together – instead meeting in their respective state capitals on the "first Monday after the second Wednesday in December" to symbolically carry out the vote.

The most important number on Election Day is 270 -- the number of electoral votes needed to gain a majority and become president.

The popular vote is not important on the national level, but it is at the state level. In nearly every state, the candidate who gets the most votes wins all of that state’s electors. (Maine and Nebraska use a tiered system and sometimes split their votes.)

Swing States, Battleground States

Each campaign divides the electoral map into states firmly Republican (“red”), firmly Democrat (“blue”), and swing states. These swings states can be further divided into “leaning” or “battleground” states, which are just too close to call.

This year, some of the hottest battleground states are Nevada, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. This list of states is updated day to day as states can easily shift from leaning to battleground and back again.

Both major party campaigns spend almost all of their time and money on battleground states.

Historical Reasoning

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The idea of the Electoral College was formed during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The delegates to the convention worried how to balance the power between the smaller states and larger states and between the state governments and the federal government. (Although we often forget it, the United States is still a union of states who all want to be adequately represented.)

Early on, each member of the Electoral College would cast two votes for president. The runner-up would win the vice presidency. In the case of a tie, the vote was sent to the Congress.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/ 1http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/ 2

Things quickly got complicated in the election of 1796 when the president and vice president came from separate parties and platforms, and in 1800 when it was tie but both candidates were hated by their parties.

The 12th Amendment -- passed in 1804 -- added that the Electoral College must vote for one president and one vice president.

Critics

Critics of the system still argue that the system can privilege the voters of swing states as candidates will campaign harder for their votes.

The system is weighted to benefit smaller states. For example, Wyoming, the least-populated state, gets 3 votes, giving it one Electoral College vote per 172,000 people, while California, the largest state, has 55 votes, making it one vote per 655,000 people.

Other critics say that they system is inherently undemocratic as it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote and still lose the election as happened in 1876, 1888, and 2000.

While many proposed constitutional amendments have been written to adopt a direct popular vote instead of the indirect Electoral College system, none have successfully made it through both houses of Congress.

-- Compiled by Lizzy Berryman for NewsHour

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Students will read the following section of the Constitution that provides for electors. Discuss the method of determining how many electors each state is appointed and who is exempt from being selected as an elector.

 Article II, Section 1.The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

 

Read the following excerpt from the Constitution, and discuss the process of electing the president and vice president. Explain that this portion of the Constitution was later modified by the 12th Amendment. View the accompanying video of Historian Don Ritchie discussing the foundation of our voting system.Ask students to describe the process of electing a president and vice president in the two examples that were given in the video clip and explain how it is different from elections today.

 Article II, Section 1.[The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two

Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with

themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the

Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit

sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President

of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and

House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be

counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if

such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if

there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of

Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by Ballot one

of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest

on the List the said House shall in like Manner choose the President. But in

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choosing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from

each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member

or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be

necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person

having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President.

But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall

choose from them by Ballot the Vice President.]*

The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

Constitution Day at the US Senate - Sept. 15, 2008 (3 ½ minutes)

 

Read the excerpt below taken from “The Federalist No. 68, The Mode of Electing the President”, written by Alexander Hamilton, Discuss the purpose of the paper, and have students explain Hamilton’s position regarding electors.

It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the

person to whom so important a trust was to be confided. This end will be answered

by committing the right of making it, not to any pre-established body, but to men

chosen by the people for the special purpose, and at the particular conjuncture.

It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most

capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under

circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the

reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small

number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be

most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such

complicated investigations.

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Read the 12th Amendment, and discuss the change in the process of electing the president and vice president; then view the following video of Historian Don Ritchie discussing the 12th Amendment and the elections of 1800 and 1824. Discuss the two elections and how they affected the voting process.

Amendment 12 - Choosing the President, Vice-President. Ratified 6/15/1804.

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President

and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same

state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as

President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they

shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons

voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they

shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the

United States, directed to the President of the Senate; 

The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the

President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed;

and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest

numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House

of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in

choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from

each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or

members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be

necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a

President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth

day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in

the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.

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The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the

Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors

appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on

the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall

consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole

number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to

the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United

States.

Constitution Day at the US Senate - Sept. 15, 2008 (3 minutes)  

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Further thought Activity

1) Congressional Chronicle website, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/congress, and click on the

Members tab.

2) Determine the number of electors in your state.

3) Once the map has populated, you can click on your state, and your members of Congress

will populate.

4) Determine the total number of electors who will be representing their state in the next

election by adding together the number of members in the House of Representatives and

the Senate.

A. How many electors are in Virginia? How many are in the House? How many are in the Senate?

13 total. 11 in the House and 2 in the SenateIn the electoral college, each state gets one electoral vote for each of their members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

B. Name 2 electors from each.

HOUSE SENATE

James 'Jim' Moran D-VA 8th 20Mark R. Warner D-VA

Gerald E. 'Gerry' ConnollyD-VA 11th

18James H. 'Jim' Webb D-VA

Eric CantorR-VA 7th

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Robert 'Bobby' ScottD-VA 3rd

Robert 'Bob' GoodlatteR-VA 6th

Frank R. WolfR-VA 10th

Robert HurtR-VA 5th

Scott RigellR-VA 2nd

Morgan GriffithR-VA 9th

J. Randy 'Randy' ForbesR-VA 4th

Robert J. 'Rob' WittmanR-VA 1st

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Vocabulary:

Electoral College-- a body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the

President and vice President of the U.S.

National Popular Vote-- a system of election where the president is elected by a

majority of all the voters in the country

District Method-- Two Electors At Large and one Electors for each Congressional

District are pledged to each Presidential/Vice-Presidential ticket (the Electors' names may

or may not appear on the ballot). The At-Large Electors pledged to the ticket having

received the plurality of votes state-wide are chosen. The Elector pledged to the ticket

having received the plurality of votes within each Congressional District is chosen.

Proportional Method-- splits each state’s electoral votes in accordance with their

popular vote percentages.

Federalism-- is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by

covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to

describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided

between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or

provinces). Federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which

the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments,

creating what is often called a federation. Proponents are often called federalists.

Faithless Elector-- a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the

candidate they have pledged to vote for. Faithless electors are pledged electors and thus

different from unpledged electors.

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Group DebateAfter students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. What do they think about the system? Do they think it is fair? What do they think of the 2000 election results? Would they like to see the system changed? Why or why not? Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. End with a class discussion. What can your students conclude? Why does the system continue?

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2012 Electoral College Map Activity Questions

Homework/Assessment

Use the map to answer the following questions. When necessary, use outside resources to

give complete answers.

1. What is the minimum number of states that a candidate needs to win in order to win the

election? What are those states?

2. Given recent years’ results and current voting trends; create a scenario in which the Electoral

College vote results in a tie. How would the U.S. select a president in this scenario?

3. What states gained electoral votes since the last election? What states lost electoral votes since

the last election? What geographic trends do you notice from the states that gained/lost votes?

What are possible reasons for these results?

4. Using the result maps since 1992, which states have voted both Democratic and Republican in

separate elections? What can be concluded about these states and their role in the election

compared to other states that have voted for only one party over these elections?

5. Which two states use the district method? How does this differ from the winner-take-all

method? What are the pros and cons to this method?

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6. In which election did a candidate win the popular vote, yet lost the Electoral College vote and

therefore the election? How is this possible?

7. Since 1900, how many Republicans have been elected president? How many Democratic

candidates have been elected president? Were there any trends or “streaks” for one party?

What reasons might explain these trends?

8. What is the location for the Democratic National Convention? Republican National Convention?

Why did each party select these locations for their conventions?

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Classroom discussion

View the following video clip of Michael White from the National Archives and Records Administration (3 minutes) speaking about the Electoral College process, and discuss the following questions.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ElectoralCollege6/start/418/stop/600

(Students will remain in their groups. The teacher will ask the questions and call on those volunteering answers. If no one volunteers, choose a student.)

1) Who are the electors?2) How are they selected?3) Who do they represent?4) What is their role in an election?5) What information is included in the certificates of ascertainment?6) What are the requirements of being an elector?7) How many certificates of votes are there?

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Electoral College Pro/Cons/Alternatives

Name:________________ Date:____________ Class Per._____________

Pros Cons Alternatives

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How Is the Leader Chosen? Fact Sheet

___________________________________________The following information describes the executive branches of the governments of several selected countries:

Mexico • Chief of state: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006); note: the president is both the chief of state and head of government. • Head of government: President Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa (since 1 December 2006) • Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; note: appointment of attorney general requires consent of the Senate. • Elections: president elected by popular vote for a single six-year term; election last held on 2 July 2006 (next to be held 1 July 2012) • Election results: Felipe CALDERON elected president; percent of vote: Felipe CALDERON 35.89%, Andres Manuel LOPEZ OBRADOR 35.31%, Roberto MADRAZO 22.26%, other 6.54%

People’s Republic of China • Chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003); Vice President XI Jinping (since 15 March 2008) • Head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Executive Vice Premier LI Keqiang (17 March 2008), Vice Premier HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premier ZHANG Dejiang (since 17 March 2008), and Vice Premier WANG Qishan (since 17 March 2008) • Cabinet: State Council appointed by National People‘s Congress • Elections: president and vice president elected by National People‘s Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 15-17 March 2008 (next to be held in mid-March 2013); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People‘s Congress • Election results: HU Jintao elected president by National People‘s Congress with a total of 2,963 votes; XI Jinping elected vice president with a total of 2,919 votes

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United Kingdom • Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948) • Head of government: Prime Minister David CAMERON (since 11 May 2010) • Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister.

United States • Chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); note: the president is both the chief of state and head of government. • Head of government: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph BIDEN (since 20 January 2009) • Elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held on 6 November 2012) • Election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of popular vote: Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other 1.3%.

Cuba • Chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008); note: the president is both the chief of state and head of government. • Head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008)

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• Elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 24 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013) • Election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote: 100%; Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura elected vice president; percent of legislative vote: 100%

from The World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/profileguide.html