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Hank Hargis
Blue 5
October 25, 2017

K - There are three branches- Executive, Legislative and Judicial.
W - A more in-depth understanding of how the electoral college works.
L - If you vote, some people in other states will actually have more high-powered votes than you will have.
A - I am going to become President and abolish the electoral college.
Q - What else are they hiding from us?

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In case you somehow missed it, we are in the last few weeks of the 2016 Election Season, and I think it's safe to say that we are all ready for it to be over with. As I've talked to a lot of my friends, it seems as though a lot of us still don't know who we're voting for. We feel like this election season is a joke. It's obvious that the Internet thinks this election season is a joke, too. Here are my top 15 favorite memes of the 2016 Election Season.

1. Crying Child

2. Game of Thrones

3. The Emails

4. Community

5. Star Trek

6. Hair

7. Anchorman

8. Batman

9. The Great Gatsby

10. Rick Astley

11. Kanye 2020

12. Bernie or Hillary

13. Making fun of Bill

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In case you somehow missed it, we are in the last few weeks of the 2016 Election Season, and I think it's safe to say that we are all ready for it to be over with. As I've talked to a lot of my friends, it seems as though a lot of us still don't know who we're voting for.

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Save a pic from Google images or Pinterest.

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The Electoral College has peacefully transitioned presidential power yet opponents point out that it does not always elect the popular vote winner, as seen in this year's election.
The Electoral College has been successful in the peaceful transition of Presidents

By Charlotte Seton

The Electoral College system is once again under attack. That's an understandable - but not well-informed - reaction to the fact that Donald Trump is our new president. Trump won 306 of the 538 Electoral College votes despite losing the popular vote. But while it may not feel like it, the Electoral College outcome is actually more representative of the country as a whole than the popular vote result.

The popular vote process gives disproportionate influence to the most heavily populated states. Assuming it takes approximately 65 million votes to win the presidency and 55 percent of people vote, then voters in the seven most populated states could decide the fate of all 50 states in a popular vote process. But a candidate needs to win at least 13 states in the electoral system, making it more representative.

This is not the only time a president has been elected in spite of losing the popular vote. In fact, Trump is the fifth president to win this way. Every time this happens there is an outcry to replace the electoral system. Since the recent election, California Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced legislation to scrap the system and rely on the popular vote instead.

Boxer has a lot of public support. A 2013 Gallup poll shows that 63 percent of Americans would like to axe the Electoral system. This is most likely because many Americans do not understand that the U.S. is governed as a democratic republic, not a pure democracy where the will of the majority prevails without governmental constraints.

The framers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College, and incorporated it in the Constitution, as a rejection of the one-person-one-vote process. So each state in the Electoral College is represented by two electors (equal to the number of senators) and a second group of electors reflecting the state's population (the number of congressmen). As the most populated state, California has the most electoral votes.

Under this system, a vote in rural states carries more weight than a vote in populated states in determining the presidency. In the 2016 election, for instance, each electoral vote in Wyoming represented approximately 194,000 people whereas each electoral vote in California represented approximately 696,000 voters. While that may seem unfair to Californians, it serves a broader good by ensuring all regions' viewpoints are expressed.

The system was cleverly designed to better reflect the choices of our nation as a whole, because it requires a broad geographic distribution of popular support to win. Since no single state or region of the U.S. controls the 270 electoral votes needed to win, the winning presidential candidate must represent the views of a broad swath of states. So if a candidate receives a substantial majority of the popular vote, he or she is virtually certain to win enough electoral votes to become president.

However, the price to pay is that sometimes the candidate who wins a majority of the popular votes may not become president. If a candidate's votes are concentrated in a few states, he or she is less likely to win the Electoral College than one whose votes are evenly distributed across the country.

If the popular vote is close, then the winner of the election will typically be the one with the widest distribution of popular votes. The recent election reaffirmed this rationale because Clinton's support was generally limited to the more populous east and west coast states.

Our democratic republic form of government balances the power of the national population with the power of the individual states to ensure the ongoing unity of our country. For over 200 years, the Electoral College system has made it possible to have a president with sufficient breadth and depth of popular support to effectively govern the nation. Abolishing this system would erode the political stability of our country.

The Electoral College must be updated to elect the national popular vote winner

By Grant Barnes

We have a president-elect who lost the popular vote by more than two million votes. We use various explanations for this phenomena such as, "it was an outlier election; the Electoral College protects disenfranchised states; or not enough Democrats voted."

In fact all these explanations are incorrect. Trump won because his Middle America supporters are the most franchised under the Electoral College system. When averaged across all states, Trump will receive one electoral vote per 205,000 of his voters, while Clinton will receive one electoral vote per 282,000 of her voters.

It is time to update the Electoral College system to always elect the winner of the popular vote.

Currently Wyoming has one elector per 195,369 residents, contrary to California, with one elector per 700,724 residents. When calculating voting power, a Wyoming resident's vote is worth 3.6 times that of a Californian.

When comparing voting averages of different states, disenfranchisement of voters in big cities and large states is the biggest problem. A vote in the 10 lowest populated states has 2.5 times the power of a vote in the 10 highest populated states. California falls victim to this because of its large urban centers.

The Electoral College system was designed by the Founding Fathers with the intention of having state electors cast votes for the presidency. The hope was that the electors would be knowledgeable and vote on the basis of a candidate's merit and presidential potential. In the event that no presidential candidate won a majority of electoral votes, the presidential election would go to the House of Representatives, the congressional body closest to the people.

The Electoral College was most importantly supposed to work without interference of populist opinion, political parties, or national campaigns.

Today, the Electoral College serves a much different purpose. Forty-eight states have electors cast their vote based on winner-take-all systems, where the popular vote winner in a particular state takes all the electoral votes.

If electoral votes were simply split evenly among the national population, Clinton would have received 258 electoral votes, Trump would have received 250 electoral votes, and third party candidates would have split the last 30 electoral votes.

Under this method, neither candidate would win 270 electoral votes, the needed majority to win the presidency.

Solving the problem is not easy, as a constitutional amendment is required to change the mechanics of the national Electoral College. However, the same effect can be created more feasibly if electors cast their votes to reflect a national popular vote.

The National Popular Vote (NPV) bill pledges to solve the problem of the Electoral College by giving 270 electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote. It has been passed in 11 states with 165 electoral votes and will go into effect when states with 105 electoral votes pass the bill. If 270 Electoral College votes are subject to the NPV bill, then all those votes would go to the candidate who won the national popular vote.

California is one of the most underrepresented states in presidential elections. A Democrat's vote in California is not as significant as a Republican's vote in North Carolina.

California passed the NPV bill on Aug. 8, 2011. However, California will not cast its votes to the national popular vote majority winner until states with a total of 270 electoral votes pass the law.

For now California uses the winner-take-all system for electoral votes.

Five presidential elections have gone against the popular vote in America. How can a country call itself a democracy when the highest office is not voted for through a direct voting process? A direct voting system is the most widespread election method used to elect heads of state worldwide. It is time to advocate for the NPV and make the 2020 election the first popular vote election for President of the United States.

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Point, Counter-Point: Electoral College - The Redwood Bark

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Point, Counter-Point: Electoral College The Electoral College has peacefully transitioned presidential power yet opponents point out that it does not always elect the popular vote winner, as seen in this year's election. The Electoral College has been successful in the peaceful transition of Presidents By Charlotte Seton The Electoral College system is once ...

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Katelynn Hill, 10-24-17, Red 2 (continued)

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Katelynn Hill, 10-24-17, Red 2 (continued)

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Morgan Greene, October 24, 2017, Red 2 (Continued)

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Morgan Greene, October 24, 2017, Red 2 (Continued)

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(K )I know there are three types of government: Judicial, Legislative and Executive.(W)I want to know what our government does with our votes instead of just what they tell us.(L) I learned that our government is a lot more corrupt than we think. (A) start a petition to get people to abolish the electoral college.(Q) Why did we need an electoral college if we all helped choose the president?

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k-there are three branches of government
w-how the electoral colle

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K-  What I know about our government is that there are 3 branches that help make decisions based on votes of people and government.
W-  What I want to know is how long these people are in the 3 branches, and could they find a way to redirect the voting?
L- What I learned watching the video is that the government has many secrets and ways to get around everything. The government also has was to get what it wants without the entire country getting mad about it.
A- The actions I will take is to learn more about how the government hides things and try to educate the public.
Q- The questions that I have are: Can the government really put propaganda in front of our faces for centuries and people still don't notice what the government is doing?

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K- What I know about government is that it helps large groups make good (or bad) decisions.
W- What  I want to know is how long government has been around and how it helps or doesn't help different groups of people.
L- What I learned was that many voting laws are not as fair as we think. For example, although most people beleive that all American citizens have equal voting rights, citizens of Washington DC and of US territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam can not legally vote in US elections.
A- An action I can take is to inform people that I know (that can vote) about the unfair voting laws in place.
Q- One question that I have is why can't/don't politicians change unfair voting laws?

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Oct.23
B5
K: I know that government is how countries and other communities make decisions. A couple types are monarchy, democracy, and republic.
W: I want to know more about how monarch families become monarch families.
L: I learned how political parties draw unfair districts.
A: I can learn more and encourage others to contact politicians.
Q: I have questions about how the electoral congress was established.

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K: I know that there are 3 branches. I know that they have different levels in government. I know that there it a fraction of each office that has to agree to a law for it to be passed and if the president vtos a bill then the people 18 and up vote to get it passed.
W:What percent of people have to vote for the bill to turn into a law?How many people are in the different offices ai a time? How many people are  in office for 1 state in each group?
L:I learned that felons cant leave the country or vote.I learned that the territories don't have a say in the votes nor do people who live in DC.

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K.I know that there are 3 different branches in a government, Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch,and the Executive Branch.The government is who people look towards in a crisis or for international trade of some sort
W.I want to know the different types of governments.

L.I learned that if something is unfair you can make districts.

A. Fight for those people who have laws against them that prevent them from voting.

Q.Why don't we just change our gerrymandering government or the way its set up.

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K: I know the three branches of government, I know that there are different types of government.
W: I want to know who came up with the idea of government.
L: I learned that we vote for the people that actually vote, which are mostly retired politicians. I also learned that elections are normally decided before the actual election, this is called "gerrymandering".
A: Fight for the rights of African Americans and others who can't vote.

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K: I know that government is important and is the way people make decisions together.
W: I want to know the different ways that countries make decisions and how our country makes decisions.
L: Today I learned that America is thought to have a good election system there are still many ways people can take advantage of the system and rig it to determine who wins. Also not everybody can vote even if they are American citizens if they live in a territory, are a felon, or live in Washington D.C. The third thing I learned was in Adam Ruins Everything they talked about how the electoral college works and how they can take advantage of our votes.  The last thing we talked about was on the homework where there are many different ways of government, but ours is special and uses Gerrymandering just like France.
A: The action I will take is I will build up my education and learn more about politics so later in life I will vote for the right person to better our country.
Q: The questions I have is why is Gerrymandering still legal?, and why some states have more electoral votes for their population than others?

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"True Dat." -Augie Werthman

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K: I know there are 3 branches, judicial, legislative, and executive. The president is head of the executive branch. All decisions have to be approved by all 3 branches.
W: I want to learn the specific process things go through to get approved.

L: I learned that all the election results are predetermined, so there is pretty much no point in voting, the Electoral College pretty much votes for us, and many unfair laws are in place that prevent people in Washington D.C., US territories, and felons from voting.
A: Protest the unfair districts and make sure all the districts are in your favor. Get rid of the Electoral College. Pass laws to make sure everyone in the US can vote.
Q: Why has this corrupted system of government been in place FOR SO LONG??????????

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K- I know that there are many different types of governments. I also know it's how people make decisions in one group together. I also know every human group has a government. Such as families, neighborhoods, clubs, and nations
W- I want to learn every single type of government because all I know is that there are many types.
L- I learned that still many Africans can't vote because they were in jail Also I learned that the electrical college does not have to vote on who their state votes on and can just pick anyone they want.
A- The action I will take is to build my education about politics so I can learn about how to change this and help more and more people.
Q- Why is the electrical college able to just vote for people they just want to vote for even though their state wants a different person.

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k- There is the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branch. It is the way people make decisions together
w- What the different types of government are
l- Smaller states have more power in the electoral college. There are still laws preventing African Americans to vote.
a-Protest the laws preventing African Americans to vote. Post on social media about it.
q-  Why people still think African Americans are lesser than white people.

This is a map of swing states. Swing states are states that don't have a large population. The states that don't have a large population have a lot of power in the electoral college because they have more electoral college votes for less people where as large states have less votes for more people.

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K: There are three branches of the government which are Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
W: When and where the first government was formed.
L: That a lot of our votes just go in the trash.
A: Protest against  the electoral college.
Q:  Why haven't any of our elected officials done anything about our unfair elections.

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K:  Some thing I know about government is there are three
W: what is the electoral college about
L what i learned was sometimes i votes even don't matter cause were voting for people to vote for us
A: an action i will do is find more dirty secrets the goverment is hiddding

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K    I know a little bit about the three branches of government
W   I want to know more about the specific parts of each of the three branches.
L     What I learned was that the government helps keep the country, state, group, etc together but can not be completely trust worthy.
A     The action I would take would be to stand up for my rights
Q     The questions I have are how do they deal with the votes and how to organize those things.

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K: I know that in the government they have a Legislative branch a Judicial branch and a Executive branch. I also know that the government can take control of people to.
W: What I want to learn about the government is what do they do like do they only talk about the legislative,executive,and judicial branch.
L: What I learned about government is that they have more than the 3 branches. They have the election but everyone can't also vote.
A:I will  take action of being a good child is by getting a good education.
Q.The question I have is back then why didn't girls have a chance to vote why was it boys who only got to vote and girls didn't get a chance to vote?

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k) What i know about government is that there are three branches.I also know that the government is in charge of  the government's budgets and/or the money supply to promote economic growth, control inflation, and lower unemployment.
w) I want to know what the government limits are. What they do not control. How the government and government name came about.
l)What I learned was that the vote really does not count on citizens. Also that electors chose who they want to vote for.
a) The action I will take as a child is I will get a good education and make sure there is proof for what I do.
q) The questions I have are why did the founding fathers set the government up like the way it is. Why does it matter if citizens vote.

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W: I want to know the major differences and similarities in the differing parties in votes and elections. I would also like to know the past of the many respected political figures in our history.
K: I know that there are two major parties Republican and Democratic in many elections held. I also know about many of our great and some of our poor leaders we have had in the past and in the present. I know about other countries ways of government as well.
L: I learned about the many ways politicians, and even the founding fathers have downsized the common person or the lower hand. I found out about how in one of the most important parts of our society there is a huge loophole so that our vote (when we can vote) is basically insignificant as well. I also learned about the mistreatment of those of a different race or sex tracing all the way back to the founding fathers . All I'm saying is that I wouldn't want my father to do that to me.
A: I will fight for the rights of those who are different than myself and those who are the same and won't wait until I am an adult because my peers and I have proven that we have the ability and intelligence to fight for what is right and I believe we will do just that, if not more. In addition to this I will continue to educate myself on the subject and all others so I have an unwavering stance on what is right for a country that can be truly amazing once more.
Q: My question is how did a democratic nation stoop to this level in such a short amount of time (in relative history.)

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(K)i know about taxes(that goes to the government), laws, the branches of government(legislative, judicial, executive)
(W)more about the topic, what is our role in it,what is it, and why is it important
(Adam)
(L)that the legislators vote for who they want, they don't care about us and who we want them to vote for.

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K
W
'Adam'
L
A
Q

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K what I know is that there are 3 branches of government  legislative,Judicial ,and executive
W what I want to learn is why can't people vote because of who they are or what  they look like

L I learned that just because one side has smaller votes doesn't mean they cant win

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k Iknow that there are 3 branches of government called legislative, Executive, and Judical. Also a government can keep things equal by decisions.
w I want to learn about how elictions or votes do not really care of are votes but why.
L I learned that some people cant really vote because people are different.
A I will vote for what ever age I am if I do good at school and get a good education.
Q My question is that why do they not count are votes.

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(K) I know that the government has three branches legislative,executive,and judicial. also I know that (our government specifically) that it is run by the people.
(W) I want to know how our votes count in presidential elections.
after Adam ruins everything
(K) elections are basically rigged by politions redrawing the districts and making some people

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K: The government is a group of people who make decisions for citizens and there are 3 parts of it, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
W: I want to know when they were created and who came up with it.
A: I learned that the less people there are in a state, the more effect they have on the vote, and when there are more people in a state, its the opposite, also the government are the ones actually voting.
Q: I will tell others about how most of the voting is kind of a scam

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K: I know that there are 3 types of government branches. Legislative, Judicial, and Executive.
W: I want to know how the 3 branches of government started.
L: I learned the electoral college was really bad that many people tried to abolish them for years.
A:

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K: I know there are three branch of gov. (judicial:supreme court and lower court, legislative: senate, house of representatives,Executive:president). W:who set up the government were kids can't vote.L: The founding fathers were kide can't vote. Q: why they cheat to win the elec

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K: The government can establish laws or rules from cities to countries
and a government can either be command, market, or mixed and some are made up of 3 branches Judicial, Executive, and Legislative.
W: I want to know why some governments mistreat their people, because without them they cannot increase, in power.
L: I learned that some Electors can change the votes making their side of the vote win based on their opinion.
A: I will get research and knowledge based on the problem and try to make a protest.
Q: Can the same government last forever?

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K: What I know about the government is that they have three different types of branches the Judicial branch, Legislative branch, Executive branch. And the three different kind of branches have different jobs in the government.

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K: I know that goverment is like a form of managment to manage a country or state. There are three types of goverment including Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
W: I want to know how goverment has changed threw out the years.
L: I learned that when we vote we vote for electors and electors don't even have to vote for the people we want them to.
A: I will edguacate my Mom about this and she could tell other people and they could tell other people and it could spread.
Q: Why is this system not as known.

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K: I know that government is how people make decisions and there are different types of government
W: How governments have evolved and changed over time
L : some Jim Crow laws are still in effect and causing major differences
Q : what would it take to get rid of gerrymandering, voting restrictions, and the electoral college?

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K: I know that government is how people make decisions together.
W: I want to know more about the 3 different branches of government.
L: I learned that your vote can count as just a little bit depending on which state you live in.
A: I can tell people that when they vote their votes count as nothing(they have no power of who becomes the president).
Q: Why do people care if their vote matters or not?

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K: What I know about the government is that there are three branches in the government: Legislative, Executive, Judicial.
W: I want to know if there was no laws what would happen.
L: The winner for president decides before we vote.
A: The actions that I will is to learn more about Monarchy.
Q: Why do we have Legislature.

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K: What I know about the government is that there are three branches in the government: Legislative, Executive, Judicial. The government, when faced with threats of war, do what they believe will cost the least lives of citizens. The president is the head of the government in a democracy, but they really have no power in a democracy without the consent of the other branches of government.
W: I want to know how the smaller states get equal power as the bigger states in elections.
L: I learned from A.R.E that smaller states were given more votes in elections in what I assume was an attempt to make the votes between bigger and smaller states equal. I also learned that most presidents are chosen years before people actually vote.
A: The action I will take is I will just inform people that their votes have no actual power over who becomes president.
Q: Why is our voting system so corrupt?

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K: I know the government is a system in which people make decisions
W: What I want to know is how the first government was created
L: The winner for president is decided before we vote
A: I will tell people that their votes are useless
Q: why do most people think their vote really matters?

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K: What I know about the government is that there are different branches in which people make different decisions on things
W: what I want to know is what caused the idea to separate into branches.
L: I learned from Adam that the electoral college is mostly what decides the vote even if someone else wins the popular vote
A: Make a law that the electoral college must consist of men and woman of different races and ideas to make a fair and reasonable decision
Q: What causes rich men to be on the top of the pole and to make the decisions for a diverse society of people?

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K: I know that the government is how people make decisions together. I know our government has 3 branches Legislative , Judicial , and Executive.
W: What I want to know is when the first government was created and when.
L: I learned that electoral  votes are when you have this many people for this many electoral votes.
A: Make a law that the electoral college most consist of people that actually care about it and should have women and people of all different races.
Q: Why do only rich and caucasian people get to have decisions about the important stuff.

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K: I know that government is a system that helps people in a community make decisions about how they run their country.
W: I'd like to know how residents of a country keep their country from falling apart before a government system is established. I'd also like to know how countries/communities choose their government systems.
L: I learned that the electoral college is basically totally bogus, meaning that peoples' votes basically have no influence on the electoral college voters.
Q: How the heck did we allow this stupid part of the government to be allowed?! It totally goes against the basics of democracy!! In democracy, it's supposed to be the people that vote. In this case, It's just one person!! Our vote doesn't even count!!
A: I will spread the word that our votes don't count in presidential elections. That way, people with more influence in the government can take action since I can't, seeing that I'm an eleven year old boy.

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K: 3 branches, multiple types
W: How I can become/change the government
L: Popular Vote Pretty Much Doesn't Matter. Electoral College Divides States Into Weird Districts
A: Protest to eliminate The Electoral College
Q: Can we do things fairly?

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K-Government is a way to make decisions as a whole. A way to come to an agreement, a way to (sorta) make peace.
W- I want to know who came up with government and how it came to be without governing and making decisions together.
L- That the government isn't really a way to let the people chose the way the government runs.
A- I will vote when I can, I will try to make the voting age younger so I can vote early while I still remember what I want.
Q- I wonder if the people who are voting (18 year olds) know that their votes don't really matter that much.

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k: I know that they control many things, that there are 3 branches and they can help make decisions.
w: I want to to know how the government works exactly and what the government can help with.
L:I learned that the electoral collages are made by were you live, electors are the only ones that really vote, the founding fathers didn't think anyone should vote at all, the only other country that is like this is France.
Q: Why does the government do this? Why don't people know this?
A: Tell my mom and dad so they know about it.

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K) I know that there is 3 branches. These branches use checks and balances to equally divide power. The executive branch has a president who can veto or create laws. The legislative branch creates new laws by voting on them. The judicial branch is applied to by laws and judges make sure people follow the laws for a safe environment.
W) How the voting process works and the electoral college. How presidents get elected. Who the head of each branch is.
A) I want to be a part of choosing our countries leaders because, with a bad leader they could cause conflict which causes war putting me and my family and danger which I don't want.
Q) Why would the Founding Fathers set up the government like that?
Why would they make it so unfair?
Who would do that?
Isn't it not fair to say these 30 men can vote for the president?
L) The smaller states have more power and our past four presidents didn't win the popular vote yet they wee still elected president. The founding father's didn't think it was smart to let everyone vote.

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K: Here the government doesn't choose what to do. You do. But before you do you need to know so learn, know, and decide.
W: How was the government made and how we run it?
L: The voting system is super crazy.
A: I'm sort of mad at it because the most votes should have won.
Q: Why is the system crazy and why didn't the Founding Fathers not want us to vote

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K: I know that the government is the system of how people run a country. I also know there are many different types.
W: I want to know how they work and what each purpose of them is.
L: I learned that the electoral college didn't matter to the voters but older government officials make the decisions.
A: I want to make this illegal and fair so that peoples thoughts acually matter.
Q: I wonder why these things have not been changed and made into a new, fairer way of voting.

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K. I know that we are a democratic government. Which means the people decide who has power by voting.
W. I want to know who is responsible for our government and who came up with it.
L. Electoral college is not fair because they get their jobs because they are rich and are close to an important political figures. Also our votes usually don't count only the people in the electoral colleges do.
A. I will protest and learn more to help stop the unfairness.
Q. I want to know how people make reasonable votes on their leaders.

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K- I know that the government is how people make decisions, and people can have some control over it by voting, with some types of government.                                                                                                      W- I want to know more about how elections work and more detail about elections.                                                                                                                               L- I learned that states with smaller populations have more votes. Also that they can draw their own district so they can win.                                   A- Actions that I will take are vote when I'm older, and  protest for the things that I strongly agree or disagree and will research with lots of detail for what I'm protesting.                                                                               Q-  How do mayor elections work?

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K-  I know that the government is a system to make decisions together. I know the process of being elected.
Wtk- I want to know how a group without a government works.
L- The electoral college is bogus. Your vote doesn't matter as much as you would think.
A- The actions I will make is vote when I am older and protest things that I do not believe are right. I will also be educated on who I'm voting for.
Q-How does voting for mayor work???

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Nearly three weeks after the US presidential election, the last outstanding state, Michigan, finally officially certified that President-elect Donald Trump would receive its 16 electoral votes.

The final Electoral College totals, barring any faithless electors, are 232 for Hillary Clinton and 306 for Trump. Here's the final result of the election:

Business Insider/Andy Kiersz/Skye Gould

SEE ALSO: Here's what the US electoral map looks like adjusted for population

NOW WATCH: 'It was an act of pure evil': Watch Trump's statement about the Las Vegas shooting - the deadliest shooting in modern US history

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Here's the final 2016 Electoral College map

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Nearly three weeks after the US presidential election, the last outstanding state, Michigan, finally officially certified that President-elect Donald Trump would receive its 16 electoral votes. The final Electoral College totals, barring any faithless electors, are 232 for Hillary Clinton and 306 for Trump.

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Know-
Want to know-
(watch adam WC)
Learned
Actions
Questions

# data[].attributes.body
K The government is a system that people  make decisions together for that their benefit.
W Why do we have electoral college votes
L If your a smaller country you have a bigger impact on the votes
A Tell people how bad electoral college votes are so bad, so more people can try and change it.

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K: I know that the government is controlled by the people, and they also have some power. It relies on a system of checks and balances, and that there are 3 branches of government. I also know that democracy usually goes with capitalism or free market
W: I want to know how elections work, and what the Senate and House of Representatives do.I also want to know what each branch does more in depth.
L: I learned that the founding fathers thought we weren't responsible enough to vote.
Q: I want to know why we still have such a messed up system for elections.
A: I will tell people about the messed up way elections are held, and get them evolved in the fight.

# data[].attributes.body
K: I know there is three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) of gov't in our democracy. I also know that any group of people needs some sort of government to make decisions.
W: How voting and the electoral college works.
L: The voting system is extremely corrupt. It almost doesn't matter if you vote or not.
A: Maybe start a voting protest until the system is fixed.
Q: How has such a corrupt system evolved over time?

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K: I know that the government is extremely important and that the government has three branches. The government makes laws and passes them and citizens vote for who they want to be in the government
W: I want to know how people run and get elected into the government and more about how voting works.
L: I learned that people in smaller states have more power than people in bigger states, and that the founding fathers did not want most people to vote.
A: I will encourage my parents and other people to vote democratic so they can get rid of the electoral college.
Q:

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K: I know that the government decides the rules or laws of the place or country. I also know that the government is in charge of the actions of its country or place.
W: I want to know how the government works in places that have a monarchy or one person in charge of everything.
L: I learned that the parties can redraw the districts to unfairly win the elections. I also learned that the less people in the state their votes are worth more. Also, the electoral college can vote for anyone they want.
A: An action I will take is I will speak up and gather people with my ideas to change the people in charge.
Q: A question i have is why is gerrymandering still hasn't been made illegal.

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K: I know the three branches of government and the process of how laws are decided and most of the jobs of the the branches.
W: I want to know what the process of making new states are in the government.
L: I learned about the electoral college and the power of states with a small population.
A: The action i will take is when I get i plan to try to put the electoral college "out of business".

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K: I know that the government is a system that helps make decisions and run a country. I know the 3 branches (Judicial, legislative, and Executive).
W: I want to learn more about the process of running and being elected for a role in the government. Also what votes affect the outcome such as the electoral college and our votes. I want to learn more about the other governments besides a democracy.
L: I learned that if you have a smaller state your votes are worth more. The electoral college can vote for whoever they want and it doesn't matter what the people in that state voted for. Even if the majority of people are for one party in a state the party that is out numbered can draw their own districts to help them win.
A: I think we need to educate people on our crazy system and not totally replace it but make some new rules.
Q: I'm just confused on how our system has not been replaced and how our votes don't really do much. Also I don't get how People can change the districts to help them win.

# data[].attributes.body
k: I know that government are very important.I know that if we did not have one are economy would fall.
w: I want to know more about how much your vote counts.
l: the founding fathers did not want most americans to vote.
a: I will encourage my parents to vote for someone trying to make are country a democracy.
q: I am wondering how they came up with the electoral college.

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K  I know that the government are the people that pass laws and orders. The people vote [sometimes] for the leaders and representatives of a country.

W  I want learn more about the electoral college.

L I learned that our country doesn't have a real democratic election. Its just a bunch of guys who get together and vote for who they want based on their own opinions not the state that their representing.
A I will ask my parents to vote for people with more democratic views

Q Why is our democracy not a democracy.

# data[].attributes.body
k: I know that the government has three branches of government. One is legislative branch, another is executive branch, the last one is Judicial branch.
w: I want to know about the rest of the government
l:I learned that the founding brothers didn't believe in the electoral
a:I'll take actions of using the homework, resources, and my parents for help(if needed).
q: a question I had was how did they decide to make the government and sorted it out.

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K: i my decision affects the government  and that the government is split into three parts

W: i want to know is the government important

L: i learned  how the founding fathers did not want the Americans to vote

A: actions i will inform them that their voting does not go straight to the government

Q: questions are why doesn't the population vote count

picture:

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K) The government body the nation state/ The government is split into 3 parts executive, legislative, and judicial branch / The  government makes all the laws

W) Why black people could not vote and black people was on the world first

L) The founding fathers did not want women to vote/ The founding father wanted only 6 percent to vote

A)  Inform women to pick wisely because at first they could not vote

Q) Why does the population vote count

# data[].attributes.body
K. I know that the government is what keeps us safe with the laws that they create.
W. I want to know how government got its power
L. I learned that the voting poles are rigged because the electoral voters can vote for whoever they want.
A. I will inform people by telling them about Adam Ruins Everything.
Q.

# data[].attributes.body
K): How our government works (Branches of Government), dictators, monarchs, constitution.
W): Autocracies, Republics, Legislature.
L): I learned that elections are predetermined and our votes don't fully count. Also, I learned that voting laws rule out too many people from voting.
A): I will try to spread my knowledge with other people so most people will understand.
Q): I would like to understand why our government is so messed up, and our founding fathers would do this.

# data[].attributes.body
K : I know the 3 branches of government ( Legislative, Judicial, and Executive)
W: I want to know how long it takes for a law to get passed.
A: The founding fathers did not want american citizens to vote for president but they wanted them to vote for electors that would vote for president. Therefore america does not have a real democracy.
Q: I would inform people that our democracy is not a real democracy.

# data[].attributes.body
K--the gov has 3 branches/each branch has the same amount of power/the people are part of the gov/       W--????????
L--that our vote does not go straight to the ballot box it goes to the electoral college

# data[].attributes.body
K: i know that the government is how people make decisions together.
W: I want to know does the federal system work.
L:  i learned about democracy and elections about what presidents to vote for. Some smaller states votes worth more.
A: The founding fathers didn't want us americans citizens to vote for president.
Q: Some questions i have are some advantages and disadvantages  of the federal system of government.
picture:

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George Washington. Alexander Hamilton. Benjamin Franklin. John Adams. These men and several more continue to stand as some of the most influential figures of the United States of America, drafting the Declaration of Independence and helping to define the ideology and ambition of the free world.

More than 200 years later, their philosophies continue to inform, educate, and inspire. If you're aware of their significance but might be a little short on details, we've assembled a laundry list of facts, trivia, and lesser-known information about this formidable group.

1. They probably never heard the words "Founding Fathers." The term wasn't coined until 1916, when then-Senator Warren G. Harding was giving a speech at the Republican National Convention. Harding's phrase included men who fought in the American Revolution and drafted the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence.

2. John Hancock has become synonymous with personal signatures. One possible reason: His name takes up six square inches on the Declaration of Independence, a massive piece of real estate compared to the rest of the signees. Sam Adams, for example, needed just 0.6 square inches. No one knows for sure why Hancock used such broad strokes, although it's possible he didn't realize the document would eventually need 56 signatures.

3. Not too many people could crack jokes at Hancock's expense over it. That's because those signatures were kept secret for some time owing to the fact that there was fear of reprisal from the British. At the time the Declaration was signed, British armies were stationed nearby, and the potential for treason was large enough to keep quiet about it.

4. Instead of his handwriting, Hancock was more notable for his smuggling: He often brought over goods like glass, paper, and tea in secret to avoid excessive British taxation.

5. Hancock's smuggling practices led to the British wishing to see his head mounted on the proverbial stake. Hancock was actually said to be a little irate about that British resentment. He thought the 500 British pound price on his head was insultingly low.

6. Such semantics probably weren't on Thomas Jefferson's mind when he prepared the Declaration. Considered the best writer of the group, it was Jefferson who was charged with writing a rough draft of the document.

7. Jefferson's first draft contained a pretty crucial passage that was left out of the final copy: a call for the end of slavery. Jefferson took it out because he felt the document wouldn't be approved by delegates in states like Virginia and South Carolina.

8. Jefferson can also lay claim to having the most unusual "pets" of any president on White House grounds. A military captain gifted Jefferson with two grizzly bears in 1807. Jefferson knew the animals were too ferocious to be kept, but until he could pass them over to a handler in Philadelphia, they remained on the grounds for two months. Jefferson kept them caged on the front lawn.

9. That wasn't Jefferson's only experiment with imposing creatures. He once had the bones of a mastodon sent to him in the White House and devoted time to an attempt to reconstruct it.

10. Just before Jefferson was appointed minister to France in 1785, he took a trip to the country and quickly fell in love with its cuisine. In a rather cringe-inducing deal, he told his slave, James Hemings, that he would free him if Hemings would learn the art of French cooking and then pass it on to a Jefferson employee. Jefferson kept his word, although Hemings stayed in France for several years and didn't become a free man in the U.S. until 1796.

11. Jefferson liked to write nearly as much as he liked to eat. The third president wrote an estimated 19,000 letters of correspondence in his lifetime, keeping a copy of each for himself. Oddly, he never wrote to his wife.

12. After Jefferson became minister to France, he maintained a close relationship with both John Adams and John's wife, Abigail. Despite gender equality being a rare concept at the time, Jefferson thought Abigail to be every bit as insightful as anyone and kept a lengthy mail correspondence with her.

13. Perhaps Jefferson felt Abigail was a better pen pal than her aloof husband: Adams became vice-president in 1789 with Washington's appointment as commander-in-chief, but the role seemed to insult him. He called it the "most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived."

14. When he wasn't condemning his own job, Adams was an ardent admirer of William Shakespeare. With Thomas Jefferson, Adams even visited Shakespeare's home in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1786. Adams liked it; Jefferson thought they were overcharged for the tour.

15. When Adams took the presidential office in 1797, he brought with him two dogs. One was Juno, and the other was named Satan.

16. Adams was the first president to take up occupancy in the White House, but construction delays kept him off-premises until 1800-he was in office only five more months after moving in.

17. His lost bid for re-election may have had a little to do with his somewhat pompous view of the office. He often lobbied for the president to be referred to as "his highness."

18. Adams couldn't have been too much of a miser, though. In 1798, he formed the United States Marine Band, the oldest active professional music group in the country.

19. In a strange bit of coincidence, Adams and Jefferson died the same day: July 4, 1826. It was also the 50th anniversary of American independence.

20. While all of the Fathers are renowned for pushing the idea of liberty and independent choice, Benjamin Franklin apparently came to the idea a little late. In 1725, when he was just 19 years old, Franklin self-published a pamphlet titled A Dissertation Upon Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain that argued humans didn't actually have free will and weren't responsible for their behavior. Maturity prevailed, however, and Franklin later burned almost every copy of the booklet he could find.

21. Franklin's eccentricity wasn't limited to that strange philosophy. He once had a plan to rearrange the English alphabet by eliminating the letters C, J, Q, W, X, and Y, declaring them redundant. It didn't katch on.

22. A more reasonable Franklin contribution: bifocals, which he invented in order to both see from a distance and read text up close without having to switch lenses.

23. Continuing his role as America's most eccentric Father, Franklin also advocated for the turkey to be the nation's official bird. He once dissed the bald eagle, calling it a bird "of bad moral character."

24. Franklin also authored a text titled "Fart Proudly", a mocking essay intended to irritate the Royal Academy of Brussels, an institution he felt was too focused on impractical science. In it, he advocated for a breakthrough in making toots more pleasant-smelling. (He never sent it.)

25. Franklin's unique perspective extended to personal hygiene. He'd often opt for what he dubbed an "air bath" over a cold water bath, wandering around nude in his quarters for a half-hour each morning while reading or writing.

26. Franklin and John Adams made for a bit of an odd couple. Forced to spend the night together in a hotel while traveling in 1776, the two argued over whether the window should be open or closed. Adams believed night air could lead to colds; Franklin, obviously fond of a little breeze, dismissed the notion as nonsense and advocated for fresh air. (Franklin won: The window stayed open.)

27. When Franklin died in 1790, roughly 20,000 people attended his funeral-two-thirds of Philadelphia's population at the time.

28. Franklin and George Washington had at least one thing in common: considerable egos. Franklin was told by friends early in his life that he should start to consider humility a virtue, while Washington reportedly had to corral his predilection for arrogance.

29. While Washington may have curbed his ego, he still made time to look good. His famous white 'do was not a wig, but his actual hair, powdered white and carefully styled each morning.

30. While he looks out at you from the $1 bill with total calm, Washington could unleash a hellacious temper if you caught him on the wrong day. Leading the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, Washington used so much profanity that General Charles Scott, who witnessed the event, said he cussed "until leaves shook on the trees...never have I enjoyed such swearing before or since."

31. Later in life, Washington's newfound modesty helped usher in a significant principle of the U.S. presidency. Despite the public's desire for him to run for a third presidential term-which he would've won with ease-Washington elected to leave after two terms so he could resume being a regular citizen, avoiding the kind of long-term rule associated with monarchs.

32. Once he returned to private life in 1797, Washington opened a whiskey distillery at Mount Vernon, which quickly became the largest whiskey distillery in America.

33. Before taking on the presidency, Washington was wrapped up in the Constitutional Convention, a gathering of minds intended to elaborate on the famous document that would provide concise guidelines for future lawmakers. But Washington was unsure it would have such a lasting impact. Walking with a friend just before the convention came to a close in 1787, he said, "I do not expect the Constitution to last for more than 20 years."

34. In fact, it was Washington himself who didn't last that long. Plagued by a series of ailments including malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, and diphtheria, the Founding Father died in 1799 at age 67. Suffering from a severe sore throat, he asked doctors to bleed him. They did, with five pints being removed from his body in a single day.

35. Washington's onetime assistant, Alexander Hamilton, had a heartier constitution. Relegated to writing Washington's letters, Hamilton pleaded with the then-general to see action on the battlefield. Hamilton faced the British in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and came away with a victory.

36. Hamilton's health was also robust enough to carry on an affair with a married woman, Maria Reynolds, while serving as U.S. treasury secretary in 1791. When her husband threatened to go public with the scandal, Hamilton wrote and circulated a pamphlet detailing his side of the story. The Reynolds Affair became the country's first major political sex scandal.

37. In an odd footnote, when Reynolds later sued her husband, James, for divorce, her lawyer was Aaron Burr.

38. Beyond setting up the country's banking and financial systems, Hamilton was also concerned with protecting America's coastlines. To help suffocate smuggling and enforce tariff laws, Hamilton organized a marine service-it later became known as the United States Coast Guard.

39. Dueling was part of the Hamilton family long before Alexander's fateful encounter with Aaron Burr. Three years prior, Hamilton's son, Philip, challenged a lawyer named George Eacker to a pistol fight after Eacker was overheard criticizing his father. Eacker shot Philip, who died the next day.

40. In 1799, Hamilton's life gained one of its most interesting footnotes. As a practicing lawyer in New York, Hamilton teamed with future dueling foe Aaron Burr in what is believed to be the United States' first murder trial on record. After the body of Elma Sands was discovered, a grand jury indicted her boyfriend, Levi Weeks, for the crime. The wealthy Weeks enlisted Hamilton, Burr, and Henry Livingston for his defense. He was acquitted, though public opinion largely declared him guilty.

41. Hamilton founded another cultural touchstone-the New York Post-in 1801. Then titled the New York Evening Post, it's one of the longest continually published newspapers in the U.S. When he felt like opining, Hamilton would dictate articles to editor William Coleman.

42. Hamilton, however, had used his own hand to author the Federalist Papers, a series of essays sent to newspapers in the 1780s to rally support for ratifying the Constitution. Hamilton used the pseudonym Publius, collaborating with James Madison and John Jay.

43. There was little love lost between treasury secretary Hamilton and fourth president James Madison, who frequently sparred with him over economic strategy. Onetime friends, their acrimony set the tone for Madison's tenure in office.

44. Said to be shy and reserved, Madison apparently had a counterbalance in wife Dolley, who entertained the whole of Washington. At the time, the city was not exactly a hotbed of partying, and her lavish affairs helped endear congressional members to the idea of Madison as president.

45. To date, Madison remains our smallest president at 5 feet, 4 inches and 100 pounds.

46. Madison is also the president to grace the little-known $5000 bill, part of a series of high-value denominations printed between 1928 and 1945. The bills were mainly used to settle large transactions between banks.

47. Although Madison had two vice presidents die in office, he had better luck with future VP Dick Cheney: The former vice president's wife, Lynne, wrote a well-received biography of Madison in 2014.

48. While all of the Fathers had formidable intellects, Sam Adams had quite an early start. He was admitted into Harvard College at age 14 and earned a bachelor's degree in 1740.

49. In terms of Founding Father extracurricular activities, Sam Adams is frequently credited with being a brewer. That's not really true, though-his father made malted barley that was sold to breweries. His son inherited the business and became known as a "maltster." But politics soon dominated his time, and the business fell by the wayside.

50. Adams may not have been a brewmaster, but like a lot of Founding Fathers, he didn't mind pulling up a chair at a pub. You can enjoy a beer at the same location as Founding Fathers Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Adams. The Green Dragon Tavern in Boston is said to have been the preferred watering hole of the men where politics could be discussed without the hassle of sobriety.

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50 Things You Didn't Know About the Founding Fathers

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George Washington. Alexander Hamilton. Benjamin Franklin. John Adams. These men and several more continue to stand as some of the most influential figures of the United States of America, drafting the Declaration of Independence and helping to define the ideology and ambition of the free world.

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K: I know that governments a mix, market, or command economy. Also I know the 3 branches of government.

W: I want to know what our government can do that will be illegal.

L: I learned that the smaller states votes are worth more

A: I will sign I a potition to stop the electoral collage

Q: Why didn't the government change the electoral collage so people who are not in the government have more freedom

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(K)I know the government runs every thing i also know that there are three branches of government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Judicial is the Judge . Executive is the president. legislative is the house of representatives
(W)I want to know more about how the government and how it works
(L)i learned that we vote for electors and not the actual president.
(A) i would help to encourage parents to vote for the people who are more democratic
(Q)

# data[].attributes.body
K) I know that government is how countries stay stable.
W) I want to know how most of their of decisions are made.
L) I learned that the voting system is incredibly flawed.
A) I will try and stand out against the racism and unfairness of the voting system.
Q) Why has nobody done anything? Any mentally functional president, or human for that matter could realize that the voting system isn't right and NEEDS TO BE CHANGED!

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(k )Three branches of government, Legislative, Judicial, Executive. Legislative Branch makes new laws, Judicial Branch applies the laws, Executive Branch publishes the laws. Also, the government helps the country grow even with a bad president. Also, they let the citizens vote when they turn 18.(w) How did we get a bad president? Also will the government change in the future?
(L) In the elector college, smaller states votes have more meaning than bigger states. You're not voting for a president but are voting for an elector to vote for a president.
(A) Support by talking to family and friends to get rid of the electoral college.
(Q) How do we get rid of the electoral college? Why did the Founding Fathers make an electoral college?

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Piers Konkaw 10/23/17 Green 3! ._. HELLO

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Piers Konkaw 10/23/17 Green 3! ._. HELLO

# data[].attributes.body
K:I know that the government is very important because it helps make decisions together, and every group has a government (a system for deciding)
W:I want to know what the people in each branch do and if it takes a lot work and thinking.
L:I learned that people in bigger states count as less and people in smaller states count as more than bigger states.
A:I will tell people to vote democratic so they can get rid of electoral college. (Electoral college is bad)
Q: Has anyone ever tried to change or get rid of electoral college?

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K I know the three branches of the government judical,executional,and legaslative
W what I learned was that

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K: I know that there are three types of government, Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Branch. I also know that government has many latin words that mean different things in the government/Branches.
W: What i want to know is, Has the government ever done something illegal?? AND has the government ever done something that they thought should be illegal after they do it??
A: One thing I have learned is that if you live in a smaller state you get less of the vote than other people do. Some states are red states for the electoral colleges and some states are blue states for the electoral colleges because that is for how many people vote for the democratic side (Blue) and for people who vote for the republican side (Red). I also learned that woman were  not allowed to vote for what they believe in.
Q: The action I will take is that even though we cant vote does not mean that we cannot persuade people who they should vote for and tell them why and more about them so they know more about who they would vote for.

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(K) I know that the government run the country and one or more political parties make up the government.
(W) I want to know what the government is doing that effects our lives.
(L) I learned that the government lies and the founding fathers are liers.
(Q) I will try to tell people the truth about the government and hope they change their opinion.

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(K). I know that government is how people make decisions and that helps you decide what you want to do.
(W). I want to know why we can't just have one fair election to decide whether we do electoral college or popular vote.
(L). I learned that our voting system isn't democratic at all.
(A). I will encuorage my parents to help change the electoral college system.
(Q). I wonder if any one has tried to change the electoral college voting system.

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Ben Lee 10/23/17 Red-2

# data[].attributes.body
(K): I Know the goverment control everything.For example, money, economy, trade, tax, bank...

(W): I want to know the how goverment is working and laws are making.

(L):  I learned the voting for president is not real president.

(A):  The action I will say voting is not really going to goverment and
president.

(Q): Questions I have are why goverment not change election so we don't know what is happening.