AccelePrep for the ACT Test 2nd Edition Student Text

C HAPTER 13 | F AST T RACK TO W RITING M ECHANICS • 237

ANATOMY

DIRECTIONS: You have 40 minutes to plan and write an essay. Read the prompt carefully and make sure you understand the instructions. The Electoral College Our indirect method of selecting our president through the Electoral College (all Electoral College votes are declared to the winning candidate in each of the 50 states) has come into question. Direct popular election is the method most often presented as the fairest way to choose a president. Adoption of this process would mean, simply, that the candidate who received the most votes would become president. Some argue that the Electoral College could be kept and votes in the states could be designated to a candidate in a proportional method, so a person who received 60% of a state’s votes would receive 60% of its electoral votes. Those who favor this method argue this is the fairest way to choose who will lead the country. However, would changing the constitution be an extreme and unwise change? No matter which side you may choose, this conversation is an important one for

CLOSER LOOK Notice that the prompt does ‘– –‡•– ƒ •’‡…‹ϐ‹…„‘†› ‘ˆ knowledge. For example, it does not ask, “What were the causes of World War II?” or “What is the best recipe for chocolate cake?” Also, notice that the prompt is constructed so you can provide a very successful response based simply on the perspectives listed and your own personal experience.

our nation’s future. Perspective 1 Direct election of the president by popular vote is the fairest way to choose our chief executive. Such a change in our process of selecting the president would reinforce our view that America is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Perspective 2 The Electoral College has served the United States for over 250 years. Radical change is not always the best course. A tweaking of the selection process would provide candidates a percentage of the votes earned in each state.

Perspective 3 Changing the constitution is never to be done lightly. The founding fathers thought long and hard about this step. We should think long and hard about such a change to our constitution and the possible consequences of such a decision.