Fabian Ramos and Mia Garcia-Second Presentation: Elections Matter
I have to admit that when at the beginning of the semester Professor Sinkoff announced that we would have some presentations about the elections, I was very excited since I am very passionate about politics, and being able to talk about this in a class and have it been a part of my grade caused me to be happy. However, when I started hearing that it was not only a presentation but also a brochure and special event, my happiness went down a little, I started to think “How will I make that brochure?” and I was also thinking “What exactly is this famous special event?” I was wrong, these presentations and all the activities that went along with them were extremely amazing. Although the main topic was Elections Matter, there were subtopics which were gender equality, educational and immigration policies, and finally the topic that our group chose, the Electorate and the Election Process.
Since I am very passionate about politics, I was comfortable with either topic that my other group mates chose, but I must admit that my favorite from the beginning was the Electorate and the Election Process. Professor Sinkoff let us choose, but the other groups were faster than ours, and even when I was not expecting it, my favorite topic became the topic of our presentation because it seemed like not too many people liked the Election Process. To be fair, this is a complex and difficult topic because our election process is so unique, as is our electorate, but I think I like this kind of presentation that requires a little bit more research.
We got into our breakout rooms, where we divided how to research our topic. I chose the History/overview of the topic, I did it because I thought it was the one that required more research, and because I was very excited about the project, I decided to pick this one. The preparation for this presentation took about 2 or 3 weeks because believe me, the amount of information out there is more than you can imagine, so you need to decide which source is the best. I used government sources like the National Archives and also watched some YouTube videos from College professors that explained our electoral system. I also remembered much of what I learned back in the Spring Semester in my government class, and it was very helpful.
While doing my research, I once again realized how unique our system for choosing the president is. I also realized how incredible and diverse is our electorate, the people who are eligible to vote, and many other things that made me even more proud about the fact that I can vote and decide the vote of our great nation. Professor Sinkoff made this project experience not just another presentation, she was able to show our class, or at least me, the power that we have in our vote. Many countries do not have the opportunity for a free and fair election and many others do not even have the opportunity to vote, so we who have it should value it as the great treasure that it is.
The Electoral College, for me, is the best way to choose the president because it guarantees every state a voice. It was incredible to see how diverse our electorate is and to realize that Asians, Latinos, African Americans, Whites, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Men, Women, and every single group and individual has the right to be part of the democracy in our country. That is something that makes America the best country in the world. This reminds me of the famous quote of former President Reagan that said, “America represents something universal in the human spirit. You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become a Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won’t become a German or a Turk. But anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.”
I created the agenda for the group, and we started with the creation of the slides, which was very easy. Mia sent us the link, and we created our slides with bullet points and images. When everyone was done with their slides, I started making the brochure, which was the key part of our special event with students from another class, Professor Kennedy’s class. I also chose to create the video for the group, I had some problems understanding Loom, but I figured that out and sent the video to the person in charge of putting all the videos together. The special event was so amazing, before the event started, I had a very good conversation with Professor Sinkoff about how we were managing election anxiety. All the videos were incredible and the Q&A was so great that many of us would have liked to stay longer. Professor Sinkoff did incredible work creating this special event for us.
Finally, our class presentations were also full of good work, questions, participation, and debate about the issues we discussed. My favorite part of the other groups’ presentations was when they explained the different perspectives of each political party on the issues that they talked about. My group presentation was incredible, everyone in the group did a lot of research, and they sounded knowledgeable about their sub-topic. I opened my group presentation and spoke passionately about the subject. I felt that it was my moment to express myself through something that I had been preparing for a long time and that I already knew.
In conclusion, this experience was the best and I learned a lot about each group. This blog was also an incredible experience. See you later blog.
(Mia)
During the recent presentation, I was part of a group that tackled one of the most important components of the U.S. election system, namely the Electoral College. It would involve Elizabeth Mata, Elizabeth Alfonso, Carolina, Fabian, and me, Mia Garcia. Indeed, it has been quite a journey for all of us, bumpy as it was. Some members were not contributing much in the beginning. Some did not have a clear vision of their responsibility or lagged behind in their contribution. It was kind of hard to keep everything organized at this end, and at times it overwhelmed me. But when we learned to communicate better and clear up people's roles, our teamwork improved, and we ended up with a presentation that all of us felt proud of.
This was due to the need to share, with our colleagues, useful information about how the Electoral College works, its history, strengths, and weaknesses, and compare it with other electoral systems in developed countries. Thus, this would help anyone understand why the Electoral College is such a hot-button issue in American politics.
We started off by clarifying what is meant by "electoral rates," referring to the various groups involved in the elections. These groups can be further divided based on the categorization of race, gender, religion, and even income. I was hoping to help demonstrate through my speech how various opinions regarding the Electoral College differ based on their various experiences and needs. Some examples are: minorities feel that they do not have a voice, whereas those from the smaller states see the Electoral College as protection for themselves. We wanted our classmates to be aware of the different opinions regarding this subject by explaining all these differences.
Secondly, we explicitly explained what the Electoral College is and how it works. In the United States, the president is not directly chosen by the vote of the people but by the final decision of the Electoral College. The number of electors depends on a state's population; therefore, the more populous the state, the higher the number of its electors. When voters within a state decide on the candidate they feel is best for them, that candidate usually takes all of their state's electoral votes. This "winner-takes-all" method can allow for situations where a president may win the presidency without actually winning the popular vote, which can be very controversial at times.
In order to make sure we had all angles covered, tasks were divided amongst the group. Elizabeth Mata and Elizabeth Alfonso did a presentation on the history of the Electoral College. They said it had been established by some wanting direct election, while others were afraid that would lead to elected candidates who were not qualified. It was presented to all on how it was developed and why it applies today.
Fabian and Carolina then gave examples of how the Electoral College has affected past elections. They shared real-life scenarios and conducted interviews about the system. Some interviewees felt the Electoral College was fair in giving a voice to smaller states, while others thought it was an outdated method that is undemocratic. In allowing our peers to hear such different opinions, we helped them understand how people are affected differently by the Electoral College, depending on their state or their background.
We also discussed the pros and cons of the Electoral College. Among the positives, the foremost is that it requires the candidates to pay attention to the concerns of small states. If it were not for this, the candidates could literally visit the major cities and forget about the countryside. This is one of the many positive features of the system that proponents love to bring up.
On the negative side, we said that the "winner-takes-all" rule may lead to a candidate winning the election without receiving the national popular vote. It might undermine confidence in the legitimacy and fairness of the electoral process. We referred to the 2000 and 2016 elections when the operation of the Electoral College gave rise to strong debates on its reform. I mentioned that it is these pros and cons that make the Electoral College a hotbed of discussion and that they are what shape one's view about how effective it is.
We were seeking to broaden our fellow classmates' perspectives by comparing the Electoral College with other countries' electoral systems. Most democracies use the system of direct elections, in which leaders are elected through the total number of votes. This presented how other systems worked and how that impacted political representation. In countries utilizing direct elections, voters at times feel a better connection between votes and election outcomes.
We also briefly covered how the Electoral College influences campaign strategies. Candidates often focus on "swing states"-that is, those whose voting outcome is not certain-targeting their messages to those voters. As a result, the needs and interests of voters in states thought of as "safe" for one party or another are often ignored. This way, I attempted to explain how the Electoral College influences election results and interaction between candidates and all voters.
In conclusion, we tried to give an overview to our colleagues about what the Electoral College is; it is part of the US electoral system, quite complex and debated. We explained how it works, shared with them some history, and presented different opinions on its role, which might help our classmates when discussions about possible reform are at issue. The feedback of our colleagues proved appreciation for the performed analysis and different points of view that were brought up.
Overall, I was proud of the teamwork and the insights we provided into this paper. The participation was, at best, rocky; still, we finally did provide a cohesive presentation. This experience has taught me that to achieve a common objective, persons need to communicate and cooperate. I hope that our work created interest in and fostered discussion about the electoral process and its effect on American democracy. Understanding the Electoral College is helpful in understanding how U.S. elections are conducted and what representation has come to mean.
We supported each other in just a way that our differences worked to put together an informative yet engaging presentation. Every member contributed a valuable input, which was reflected in the final product. I really do believe that, at the end, our presentation shed light on some of the complexities of the Electoral College and further encouraged my classmates to deeply think about its importance regarding shaping democracy.
This experience taught me that even when working in a group presents challenges, open communication and flexibility can lead to success. I hope with our presentation we further inspired our classmates to learn more about the Electoral College and how this might affect future elections. With this knowledge from various perspectives, we will appreciate why it matters to each of us here in the United States.
Loved both of your reflections. Great!!
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