How is the president of the United States elected? Why is this the method used? Is this the best and most efficient way of electing the president of the United States? Questions such as these are well suited for a mathematics discussion that promotes numeracy, because, "notwithstanding the immense value of numeracy for education and vocation,…

What if Stephen Douglas instead of Abraham Lincoln had won the U.S. presidential election of 1860? What if John F. Kennedy had not carried some of the eight states he won by 2 percentage points or fewer in 1960? What if six hundred more people in Florida had voted for Al Gore in 2000? And what if, in that same year, the U.S. House of…

The 2012 U.S. presidential election is the perfect opportunity to present a timely civics lesson on how a U.S. president is elected. More important, it offers opportunities for students to reason mathematically about election issues--for example, about how much time and resources the candidates should invest in particular states. The results of…

The 2008 Democratic presidential primary--one of the most riveting and lengthy primaries in recent U.S. history--was analyzed extensively, from the altered calendar that advanced several states' primary dates to the historic role of gender and race. The primary was particularly fascinating because candidate Barack Obama, then senator from…

The presidential election that frequently features the results of political polling is presented. These polls attempt to estimate the popular vote that each candidate would receive as they could predict who would win the elections.

This article outlines a linear regression activity that engages learners, uses technology, and fosters cooperation. Students generated least-squares linear regression equations using TI-83 Plus[TM] graphing calculators, Microsoft[C] Excel, and paper-and-pencil calculations using derived normal equations to predict the 2004 presidential election.…

Presents activities that allow students to explore alternative voting methods and discover the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Features the statement and proof of Arrow's theorem which requires only basic arithmetic and allows students to engage in high-level mathematical thinking. (ASK)

Looks at the solution to the mathematical-modeling problem asking students to find the smallest percent of the popular vote needed to elect a President. Provides assumptions from which to work the problem. (MDH)

Discusses four historical methods by which the seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned and the ways these methods can be used to reinforce operations involving decimal fractions and different rounding procedures. (MDH)