[julie leff]

Hich president received less than 50% of thepopular vote but was elected by a majority of the electoral college?

[ebaines]

There have been several elections where the winner received fewer votes than the loser:

1824: John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson, (actually neither candidate won a majority of the Electoral College. Adams was awarded the presidency when the election went to the House of Representatives.)

1876: Rutherford B. Hayes defeats Samuel J. Tilden

1888: Grover Cleveland over Benjamin Harrison

2000: George W. Bush defeats AL Gore

There have also been several instances where there were strong third party candidates which precluded the winner from receiving morethan 50% of the popular vote. Some examples:

In both 1992 and 1996 Bill Clinton (Dem) won with less than 50%, as both times Ross Perot ran as an independent. In 1992 Clinton got about 43% of the popular vote and beat Pres George H.W. Bush (Rep) and Perot (Ind), and in 1992 Clinton got 49% as he beat Bob Dole (Rep) and Perot (Reform Party).

In 1968 Richard Nixon (Rep) had about 49% as he beat Hubert Humphrey (Dem) and George Wallace (Ind).

In 1912 Woodrow Wilson (Dem) won with only about 42% against a field that included Teddy Roosevelt (Progressive), Howard Taft (Republican), and Eugene V Debs (Socialist).

There have been others. In fact, for 4 elections in a row - 1876, 1880, 19884, and 1888 - the winner didn't have more than 50% of the popular vote. If you'd like to see the tallies, here they are:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html