Which system determines the final decision on who will be president in the United States?

The Electoral College system is the correct answer because it is the mechanism established by the U.S. Constitution for the indirect election of the president and vice president of the United States. In this system, voters in each state cast ballots for a slate of members of the Electoral College, who then officially elect the president. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes based on its population and representation in Congress, and the majority of these votes are needed to win the presidency.

This system was designed as a compromise between electing the president by a vote in Congress and by popular vote. It reflects the framers' intention to balance the power of populous states with less populous ones. As a result, even if a candidate wins the popular vote nationwide, they could lose the presidency if they do not secure a majority of the electoral votes, as seen in several historical instances.

In contrast, the national vote refers to the total number of votes cast by citizens across the country, which does not directly determine the presidency due to the Electoral College. Congressional selection implies that Congress would select the president, which is not how the current system functions. Lastly, direct democracy involves citizens voting directly on policies or candidates without intermediaries; this does not apply to the presidential election process in