What Happens If the Presidential Election Is a Tie

In four instances, the Electoral College, not the popular vote, has determined the outcome of a presidential election. Although there has never been a tie, the U.S. Constitution outlines a process for resolving such a scenario. Heres what would happen and who the players involved are if the 538 electors sit down after the election and vote 269 to 269. The U.S. Constitution When the U.S. first gained its independence, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution outlined the process for selecting electors and the process by which they would select a president. At the time, electors could vote for two different candidates for president; whoever lost that vote would become vice president. This led to serious controversies in the elections of 1796 and 1800. In response, U.S. Congress ratified the 12th Amendment in 1804. The amendment clarified the process by which electors should vote. More importantly, it described what to do in the event of an electoral tie. The amendment states that the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President† and â€Å"the Senate shall choose the Vice-President. The process is also used in the event that no candidate wins 270 or more Electoral College votes. The House of Representatives As directed by the 12th Amendment, the 435 members of the House of Representatives must make their first official duty the selection of the next president. Unlike the Electoral College system, where larger population equals more votes, each of the 50 states in the House gets exactly one vote when selecting the president. It is up to the delegation of representatives from each state to decide how their state will cast its one and only vote. Smaller states like Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont, with only one representative, wield as much power as California or New York. The District of Columbia does not get a vote in this process. The first candidate to win the votes of any 26 states is the new president. The 12th Amendment gives the House until the fourth day of March to select a president. The Senate At the same time that the House is selecting the new president, the Senate must select the new vice president. Each of the 100 senators gets one vote, with a simple majority of 51 senators required to select the vice president. Unlike the House, the 12th Amendment places no time limit on the Senates selection of a vice president. If There Is Still a Tie With 50 votes in the House and 100 votes in the Senate, there could still be tie votes for both president and vice president. Under the 12th Amendment, as amended by the 20th Amendment, if the House has failed to select a new president by Jan. 20, the vice president-elect serves as acting president until the deadlock is resolved. In other words, the House keeps voting until the tie is broken. This assumes that the Senate has selected a new vice president. If the Senate has failed to break a 50-50 tie for vice president, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 specifies that the Speaker of the House will serve as acting president until tie votes in both the House and Senate have been broken. What About Ties in a State’s Popular Vote What would happen if a state’s popular presidential vote ever resulted in a tie? While statistically remote, tie votes are possible particularly in smaller states. In the event a state’s popular vote was to result in an exact tie, a recount is required. Should the vote remain a tie even after the recount, state law governs how the tie is to be broken. Similarly, an extremely close or disputed vote could result in a state run-off election or legal action to decide the winner. Under Federal law at 3 U.S.C. section 5, state law governs and would be conclusive in determining the state’s Electoral College vote. If the state has laws to determine controversies or contests as to the selection of its electors, the state must make that determination at least six days prior to the day the electors meet. Past Election Controversies In the controversial 1800 presidential election, an Electoral College tie vote occurred between Thomas Jefferson and his running mate,  Aaron Burr. The tie-breaking vote made Jefferson president, with Burr declared vice president, as the Constitution required at the time. In 1824, none of the four candidates won the required majority vote in the Electoral College. The House elected  John Quincy Adams president despite the fact that Andrew Jackson had won the popular vote and the most electoral votes. In 1837, none of the vice presidential candidates won a majority in the Electoral College. The Senate vote made Richard Mentor Johnson vice president over Francis Granger. Since then, there have been some very close calls. In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel Tilden by a single electoral vote, 185 to 184. And in 2000, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 271 to 266 electoral votes in an election that ended in the Supreme Court.

Project Management Project Manager Job - 1416 Words

In a perfect world, the project manager would simply implement the project plan and the project would be completed. The project would work with others to formulate a schedule, organize a project team, keep track of the progress, and announce what needs to be done next, and then everyone would charge along. (Larson p.339) We do not live in a perfect world and most of the time things do not go according to plans. When situations arise project participants get upset, become angry with each other, technical glitches accrue, and sometimes the job takes longer than excepted. The project manager job is to get the project back running smoothly, serve as a peacemaker, and make appropriate trade off, time cost, and the scope of the†¦show more content†¦(Larson p 340) Good management brings about order and stability by formulating plans and objectives, designing structures and procedures, monitoring results against plans, and taking corrective action when needed. Leadership involves re cognizing and articulating the need to significantly alter the direction and operation of the work together to overcome hurdles produced by the change and to realize new objectives. Strong leadership is not always necessary to successfully complete a project. Well-defined projects that encounter no significant surprises require little leadership. It takes a special person to perform both roles well. (Larson p 340) There are many different sets of people and groups involved in a project. Each of these groups of stakeholders brings different expertise, standards, priorities, and agendas to the project. Stakeholders are any groups that have a stake – or a personal interest – in the performance and actions of an organization. Different stakeholders have different needs, expectations, and levels of interest. (Kelly/Williams p. 56) To be effective, a project manager must understand how stakeholders can affect the project and develop methods for managing the dependency. The n atures of these dependencies are identified are: †¢ The project team is a team that provides new tasks and skill development. The key is keeping the work stimulating and involving. Individuals at this stage also need continued

American Declaration Of Independence And The Frenc Essay Example For Students

American Declaration Of Independence And The Frenc Essay h Declaration Of RigFew political documents have affected the world quite like the American Declaration of Independence or the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The repercussions of each have had a profound effect on world history up to this point. But why did these documents have such an effect? The answer lies in the common philosophical backgrounds of the two. The writings of Rousseau, Locke and Montesquieu all contained ideas that were later used by Thomas Jefferson and the National Assembly to compose the two documents.Rousseaus ideas of a social contract, which states that the general will and the people were sovereign, and if a king abuses the liberty of the people they have a right and a duty to dissolve the current government and create a new one (McKay, 581), were central to both documents. Jefferson had Rousseaus ideas in mind when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. We will write a custom essay on American Declaration Of Independence And The Frenc specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The history of the present King of Great Britain George III is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these statesa prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. ..we therefore.. .solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are independent states (Jefferson, 1-2). The reasons, such as suspension of colonial legislatures, impressment of American sailors and the importation of mercenaries (Jefferson, 2), given for the dissolution of the political connections that the American and British people have held for over 100 years all relate to the Kings tyrannical tendencies and the peoples right to choose a different government. The edict also states that although petitions of grievances were issued, the King turned a deaf ear.The Declaration of the Rights of Man is not only built on the social contract, but also on Rousseaus idea of general will of the people. He defines the general will as being, Sacred and absolute, reflecting the common interests of the people, who have displaced the monarch as the holder of the sovereign powers. (McKay, 581) Passing and enforcing arbitrary laws are considered to be an act of tyranny and a substantial reason, according to Rousseau, to declare the current government void and establish a new one. Article VII clearly states that arbitrary laws and orders cannot exist.(Sherman, 100) The fact that this is distinctly stated implies that arbitrary laws were being passed and enforced under Louis XVI. Article VI states that law is the expression of the general will every citizen has the right to participate personally or through his represenative. (Sherman, 100) Lockes ideas of natural rights, the rights of human beings to the pursuit of life, liberty, and property (McKay, 524), is clearly stated in both declarations. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson used the exact words in the preamble life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in which he uses happiness to mean property.(1) He also cites examples of the arbitrary suspension of liberties by George III such as the right to peaceably assemble, taxation without the consent of the colonists, maintenance of a peacetime standing army, and the right to a trial by jury.(1-2) A reference to natural rights also appear in the preamble of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Article II of the proclamation directly states, The aim of all political associations is the preservation of the natural . .. rights of man (which are).. . liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression. (Sherman, 99-100) Article IV defines liberty as: The freedom to do everything which injures no one else hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assures to the other members of society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .postImageUrl , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:hover , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:visited , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:active { border:0!important; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:active , .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufabeda4a155310c070fe895725dcb90b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Martin Luther King Jr. Essay(Sherman, 100)The rights of freedom from arbitrary imprisonment and the idea of someone accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty (Sherman, 100) were all laid out by the national Assembly and run parallel to Lockes ideas about human rights.Montesquieus ideas of the courts being the foremost protector of liberties (577) is used as a reason for the break with Great Britain. The justices of the admiralty or naval courts that existed in colonial America served at Kings Pleasure rather than Good Behavior, ensuring that the decisions of the courts would be biased in favor of the King. The right to a trial by jury was also suspended for those who broke the laws laid down by the Navigation acts. The colonials expressed these concerns in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of the Rights of Man also hold Montesquieus interpretation of the courts. It provides for the right to a trial and freedom from punishments that are not strictly and obviously necessary.(Sherman 100) It also holds that all men are equal in the eyes of the law. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen have common roots in the arguments of the Enlightenment, and in the Enlightened philosophies Rousseau, Locke and Montesquieu. Rousseaus idea of a social contract, Lockes natural rights, and Montesquieus idea of the courts being the defenders of liberties all came into play when the two documents were written, and in being written, the culmination of the Enlightened thinkers came to their peak.

Speech Critique Sermon free essay sample

Never having been to this church, I was thoroughly impressed with Deacon Bobs sermon. It was obvious he prepared extensively for his performance and it made his message that much more memorable. He explained to us that he was visiting from Trenton, NJ so it was nice to have a different perspective, a fresh take on things. Although you go to church knowing you will be preached to about Jesus and God, It Isnt Just that. There are life lessons to be learned and they can be applied to everyday life and he did a really good Job at teaching us something meaningful wrought his speech, which Isnt easy to do.He used a thesis, posing a question If we truly know what means to be baptized and If we are truly living our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. He began by telling a story about the bible and Jesus baptism, then explained his own experience In baptizing and finally transitioned back to the message, relating everything to the bible. We will write a custom essay sample on Speech Critique: Sermon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This made the sermon extremely easy to follow, always tying things together and restating his thesis from the start of the speech in the conclusion.He ended things on a light tote with a joke which kept the message serious, but at the same time kept your attention with a pinch of humor. He used eye contact, switching focus on one side to the other between points because the church is split into two sides. The layout of this church would be very challenging for me because the podium is facing a wall and there are people on the left and right side of it. Deacon Bob, however, utilized his space by not using the podium at all and slightly moving from the left to the right of the stage throughout the sermon.Also, his gestures made him seem very sure of himself, moving his arms ND hands in sync to his words. Not to mention his voice was very impressive, it would lower when saying something very serious at times but then to emphasize a certain sentence or point he would get really loud. When speaking on a lighter subject or telling his Jokes he spoke in an uplifting manner and had a constant smile on his face which in turn put a smile on everybody elses faces. The observable reaction of the audience was that everyone was listening very attentively. The audience either smiled or laughed when he gave a Joke.And most apparent, was that everyone was nodding In agreement during most of the sermon, lust showing him respect. The climate was a little unsure at first because he was new and began with a pretty standard story. As he continued the standard story transitioned Into a very good point and the climate changed to everyone agreeing and accepting his message with open arms. Some might have thought the sermon was a little drawn out; church did get out ten minutes later than usual. Its possible that people who had somewhere to go either intended message.He could have improved the speech by cutting those extra ten minutes out and by doing so keeping everyone happy. Also, he could have started directly with his thesis and then gone into the story instead of beginning with the story, which probably did not interest everyone right away. I learned that practice truly does make perfect, Deacon Bob has years and years of experience and it showed in his execution of getting his strong message across. I realized that the space you give your speech in can have unexpected obstacles, improvising with the space given and making sure everyone feels included is crucial.Keeping everyone interested is probably most vital and this speech taught me that subtle Jokes can increase interest, while also reinforcing the underlying message. I also realized that you dont have to be someone that your audience already knows and likes in order for them to be open to what youre saying. It, in turn, boosted my confidence in myself as a speaker because Deacon Bob was virtually unknown to the entire audience. In future speeches of mine I will try to display more confidence, because I saw such a strong example I know I can do better.Being passionate when peaking can increase interest in your audience as well and in future speeches I will do my best to choose a topic I can put my heart into, not Just see it as an assignment. Preparation is imperative and it is something I have slacked on in the past, it really improves fluency and credibility because you have less hang ups and Just sound more informed. So in future speeches I will rehearse and practice as much as I can before giving them. This sermon definitely taught me a lot about public speaking and I will most likely think back and refer to it whenever I write a speech in th e future.