Question

Research the following:

TEXT & AUTHOR

TIME Magazine
These 3 Common Arguments For
Preserving the Electoral College Are Wrong
By Robert Speel

Real Clear Politics
Why We Need the Electoral College
By Peter J. Wallison

PBS NewsHour
This proposal calls for popular vote to determine the winner.


NEXT… answer the above for each in 2 sentences in a 5th graders response for each above :

HOW DOES S/HE SUPPORT THEIR ARGUMENT?




Then answer the above for each in 2 sentences in a 5th graders response for each above :
CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANY BIASES THIS
AUTHOR MIGHT HAVE?

Answer 1

I don’t have the full articles to read right now, so I’ll give short, simple answers based on the titles and where they were published. Each answer below is written for a 5th grader and uses two sentences per question.

TIME — “These 3 Common Arguments For Preserving the Electoral College Are Wrong” (Robert Speel)
- How does s/he support their argument?
He explains the three big reasons people give for keeping the Electoral College and then shows facts and examples that he says prove those reasons are not true. He uses history and numbers to show why the system can be unfair.
- Can you identify any biases this author might have?
The writer might prefer changing the way we pick presidents, so he could focus more on problems than on good points about the Electoral College. He also writes for a magazine that often supports voting changes, so that could shape his view.

RealClearPolitics — “Why We Need the Electoral College” (Peter J. Wallison)
- How does s/he support their argument?
He uses history, law, and examples from past elections to show that the Electoral College protects small states and keeps elections steady. He points to reasons why he thinks changing it could hurt how the country works.
- Can you identify any biases this author might have?
The author likely likes traditional rules and might worry about big changes, so he could downplay problems with the Electoral College. He often writes for conservative places, so his views may lean toward protecting older systems.

PBS NewsHour — “This proposal calls for popular vote to determine the winner.”
- How does s/he support their argument?
The story explains the proposal and says picking the president by total votes would make every person’s vote count the same. It uses simple examples and quotes from people who say this would be fairer and make campaigns pay attention to more places.
- Can you identify any biases this author might have?
PBS tries to be neutral, but the piece might favor fairness and equal votes, so it could highlight the benefits of a popular vote more than the downsides. Also, people who work for public news shows sometimes focus on fairness and civic reform, which can shape the story.