Tutor profile: Sabrina E.

Est-ce que je peux tutoyer m(on)(a) patron(ne)?

On peut seulement tutoyer un(e) patron(ne) si vous avez l'autorisation explicite. En general, ce n'est pas une bonne idee de commencer a tutoyer quelqu'un si vous n'avez pas sure. (Many apologies for the lack of accent marks - I do know where they go and can talk you through them!)

Why did the founding fathers establish the electoral college and why do some states have more members than others?

The reasoning behind establishing the electoral college was to insulate the highest executive office in the federal government - the President - from sudden, extreme changes in public opinion. Essentially, they didn't trust the "monster" of public sentiment to always choose the most effective leader. Electoral college representation is based on the number of senators and congresspeople that a state has, which is partially based on population. This is why the three-fifths compromise happened, which stated that enslaved persons each counted as 3/5ths of a person for population purposes, giving undue electoral power to slave-holding states and further ensuring the continuation of slavery in the U.S.

What is the difference between a substitute good and a complementary good?

Substitute goods are goods that consumers can trade out, like peanut butter or almond butter. They might not be exact substitutes - consumers may prefer peanut butter to almond butter - but an increase in price of peanut butter may lead to an increase in demand for almond butter. Complementary goods are goods which go together, like peanut butter and jelly. An increase in the price for jelly may reduce the demand for peanut butter, since consumers may prefer to consume these goods together.