Electoral College Importance

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Part One Thoroughly identify and give the significance of the following terms in at least one paragraph: 1. Politics Politics is a process of making decisions, policies and maintaining or fighting for power. For American politics, there is a question where the power lies, so there are four theories. First, pluralism, which says that the government is influenced by interest groups that “spring up to champion.” Second, there is the elite theory, says that power lies in the hands of a small group of wealthy individuals, another theory, the bureaucratic theory states that the real power is in the millions of men and women who carry out day to day lives. Finally, the social movement emphasizes the power of citizens to rise and protest. Overall,…show more content…
Each state selects “well-known individuals with sound judgment,” to vote for the president; the state has the same number of electors as they do member of its congressional delegations in both the House and the Senate, (By the People, 59). This means that population matters for each state. Furthermore, the electors usually follow whichever candidate who won for their state, but only twenty-six require them to do so. The electoral college is significant because it is one of the basic functions of American government, president like George W. Bush, and Donald Trump won because of the electoral…show more content…
Separation of church and state is a paraphrasing of Thomas Jefferson’s words when asked about the function and intent of the establishment clause and the free exercise clause, which are both in the first amendment. The establishment clause states that the government may not establish an official religion, and free exercise clause, which says that the government may not interfere with religious practices, (116). This is confusing because of contradicting ideas: “one nation, under God,” in the Pledge of Allegiance, and “in God we trust,” written on money. The idea of separation of church and state is important because this was a key idea that America was born on: that no religion is forced, and religion shall be practiced freely. 8. Penumbras Emanations The United States Constitution does not directly state our right to privacy, but the rights are specifically mentioned in the Bill of Rights in the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Nine Amendments. Justice William O. Douglas explains that “have penumbras… that give them life and substance,” (113). Furthermore, penumbras literally means shadow, or, “zones of privacy” for which people have the freedom to make choices without the government interfering. Penumbras Emanations is important because the modern-day reading of the Constitution helps protect human rights as society changes. 9. Civil
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