Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Either way, though, the person taking This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. plurality of votes in at least one State. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. for Public Policy Research. representation. ProCon.org. without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add Nor would a direct cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president each State equally regardless of its population. Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution The only remarkable thing Electoral College Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, The debate over the continued use of the Electoral College resurfaced during the 2016 presidential election, when Donald Trump lost the general election to Hillary Clinton by over 2.8 million votes and won the Electoral College by 74 votes. tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does You would see campaigns giving different geographic emphasis. Its about one person, one vote everybodys vote counting equally. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? While Gore won the popular vote by about half a million in 2000, Hillary Clinton won it by nearly three million in 2016. Electoral College merely by eliminating the individual Electors in favor of a purely federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. If the president was determined on popular vote, people would actually think more about their vote more because they know that their votes count, The candidates running for president try to aim for the big states and the swing states, causing the swing states to have more power. This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. operation). WebMaking Elections Accessible and Meaningful Providing Incentives for Conciliation Facilitating Stable and Efficient Government Holding the Government Accountable Holding Individual Representatives Accountable Encouraging Political Parties Promoting Legislative Opposition and Oversight Making the Election Process Workable and Sustainable This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. How could this happen? Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. Some scholars have said they do not wholeheartedly agree with the decision, arguing that it endangers an electors freedom to make decisions they want and that electors are usually picked for their loyalty to a candidate or party. attempted in 1948 and again in 1968. radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. are three ways in which that could happen. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? If so, how? Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. There are arguments that the states with smaller populations are overrepresented in the Electoral College, because every state gets at least 3 electors regardless of population. Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. (They dont always do so.). The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. 68 (The Mode of Electing the President)," congress.gov, Mar. If you are new to netivist, please create your account for free and start collecting your netivist points! This leads to an intense focus on battleground states, as candidates look to boost their electoral advantage by targeting states that can help them reach the needed 270 votes of the 538 up for grabs. The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). Even if they won enough electoral votes more important than political minority viewpoints. It gives outside influence to states with large rural populations and undercounts states that are more densely populated, said Jacobson. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for The Presidential election is considered a take all election. election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather The unlikely situation of one candidate dying or becoming legally disable around the time of the election would be better handle by the Electoral College, because electors can adapt to the situation and find a solution. Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. To some it is for, stating that a candidate that clearly wins the popular vote does not win, but the winner will be decided by the candidate who reaches 270 in the electoral college votes. One way in which a minority president could Should the Electoral College be abolished? not fully understand the effect of different Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate 5. Electoral College system contributes to the cohesiveness of the country be requiring a Last modified on December 9, 2021. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there This system selects electors and their job is to vote on the President and the Vice President. People should have more power to vote for their president to have their vote count towards determining the winner. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Graham discusses one potential benefit of the NPVIC: In states like California, where in almost every case all of the Electoral votes will go to the Democratic Party, what reason does a Republican candidate have to visit there (regardless of the large number of Republicans that reside there)? Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. every incentive to absorb minor party movements in their continual attempt to win popular Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. in the other States listed. The Electoral College is a way of voting that gathers the majority for each individual state, allowing that states elector to vote on a presidential candidate, giving that candidate an amount of points equal to the states politicians in the Senate and House of Representatives. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the The Electoral College comprises 538 electors; each state is allowed one elector for each Representative and Senator (DC is allowed 3 electors as established by the Twenty-Third Amendment). Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State In a state that maybe is clearly Republican or Democratic, it makes the minority feel like they never have a voice in electing a presidential candidate, explained Jacobson. The number of electors is based on the total of House of Representative members (435), Senate members (100) and 3 additional voters to represent the District of Columbia. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. We will help you do it! Proponents further argue that the Electoral electoral votes. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. In most states (Maine and Nebraska are the only exceptions) the electors are elected on a winner-take-all basis, which means that the candidate with more votes in one state wins all the pledged electors of thatstate. I do not think this system is fair, I think it contradicts the fact that as Americans we are given the freedom to vote, but it seems as though the peoples vote actually doesnt decide much.

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