History Understanding the Electoral College: From 1776 to 2021 and Beyond
You’ve heard about it since your middle school civics class and every presidential election since—but what exactly is the Electoral College? How and why did it come to be? What are the key issues related to it today? And why do some cling to it while others shun it completely? Join former state senator and long-time member of Colorado’s Electoral College Polly Baca as she answers these and many other crucial questions in this deep dive into the Electoral College. Here’s a rundown of this timely course: Class 1 – The History: Why is there an Electoral College? What is the history of the Electoral College? Why did the Founders see fit to put the Electoral College in the U.S. Constitution? What were they thinking? What were the opposing views? What were the debates at that time? Class 2 – Presidents and the Electoral College: How has the Electoral College impacted the election of U.S. presidents? In which elections did the president get elected because he won the Electoral College but lost the national popular vote? How did that impact American history? Class 3 – Colorado and the Electoral College: Why did Colorado members of the Electoral College sue the state of Colorado? What was the difference between the Colorado and Washington Electoral College cases that were heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020? What did the Court rule and why? What impact did the Court’s ruling have on the 2020 election? Class 4 – The National Popular Vote and the Electoral College: What is the National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact campaign? How does this campaign relate to the Electoral College? What are the arguments for and against the NPV Compact and the Electoral College? What impact would the success of the NPV Compact have on the future of American Presidential Elections? How would reform or amending the Electoral College impact future American Presidential Elections? What would it look like? How can you become involved in this effort?
Four Zoom sessions
Tue., Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, 2021, 6:30–8:30 pm MT ENRICH 0542 / $140 Dr. Polly Baca is the first Coloradan to serve as a member of the Electoral College four times: 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. She is also the first woman elected to chair the Democratic Caucus of the Colorado House (1977), the first woman of color and first Hispanic woman elected to the Colorado State Senate (1978–1986) and the first Hispanic woman to co-chair two National Democratic Conventions (1980 and 1984). Baca served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1975 to 1978 and the Colorado Senate from 1979 to 1986.
Electoral College lecture on page 5 is recommended as a primer for this course.
Short non-credit courses, no exams or grades
15
