Which of the following BEST describes how the Electoral College affects campaign strategy?
A.
Presidential candidates focus on population-rich areas to win the popular vote.
B.
Presidential campaigns focus on swing states that could provide electoral votes. ****
C.
Presidential campaigns are more or less the same as local ones.
D.
Third parties have an inherent advantage.
Yes
B. Presidential campaigns focus on swing states that could provide electoral votes.
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
Because he was outstanding in his field!
The BEST description of how the Electoral College affects campaign strategy is B. Presidential campaigns focus on swing states that could provide electoral votes.
The best answer is B. Presidential campaigns focus on swing states that could provide electoral votes. In order to understand how the Electoral College affects campaign strategy, it is important to first understand how the Electoral College works.
The Electoral College is the body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States. It consists of 538 electors, with each state being allocated a certain number of electors based on their representation in Congress (the number of Senators and Representatives). The candidate who wins the most electoral votes (270 or more) becomes the President.
With this in mind, presidential campaigns strategize to win the electoral votes needed to secure victory. This leads to a focus on swing states, which are states where the outcome is uncertain and could go either way. These states tend to have a balanced mix of Republican and Democratic support and therefore hold a significant impact on the final outcome.
Presidential candidates and their campaigns will allocate resources, time, and run intensive campaigns in these swing states, since winning their electoral votes can make a significant difference in the overall outcome. The focus is on convincing the undecided voters in these states and winning the narrow margin of victory.
Unlike the popular vote, where winning the majority of total votes nationwide is the goal, the Electoral College system incentivizes candidates to strategically target swing states to secure the necessary electoral votes to win the presidency.
Therefore, answer choice B, "Presidential campaigns focus on swing states that could provide electoral votes," is the best description of how the Electoral College affects campaign strategy.