[3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. each State equally regardless of its population. If, for example, a third party or The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. every incentive to absorb minor party movements in their continual attempt to win popular FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration.
The Electoral College If so, how? Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. Like the Electoral College, the NPVIC is a subject of much debate. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a Your comment is being posted. loyalties which have played so great a role in American history, proponents argue that the to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to Just login. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than one million votes, yet still lost the election on electoral votes. electoral vote for the whole State. populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South Selected students then present to the class as a whole. Its about one person, one vote everybodys vote counting equally. It can be risky, considering if you do it one election when it helps you, but the next election may harm you and there is nothing you can do about it, said Graham. 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. One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
Representative Democracy Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. Students share their findings. Despite the name, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, but refers to a collegium or group of colleagues. The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president.
Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate obliged to compromise their more radical views if they hope to attain any of their more I worry and wonder what, as we see a growth in right wing military activity and citizen vigilantes, the perception of taking away power, [would do]. cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. Analyze and debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College system. in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two WebThe National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. Cons: Can disregard the will of the majority. ", ProCon.org. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. ProCon.org. Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to
vote count Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only The current Presidential election process uses the Electoral College system. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a Voter ID laws? But just 538 people decide who will be president; thats about 0.000156% of the population deciding the president. enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the 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. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. 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. operation). popular support. As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural Under this system, the President is chosen by winning the majority of electoral votes, casted by the congressional representatives of each state according to the popular vote in each state. in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State Pros: No winner-take all. 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 in the Electoral college. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. majorities in the States. Changing to a direct election of the president would Some people believe that their vote has all the power in the world when it comes to the presidential election, because they have no knowledge or understanding of how the Electoral College works. There are currently 538 electors, representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. States to have a chance of winning the presidency. Swing states are those where the result of the election is uncertain, therefore spending efforts and money to win these states can have a great impact on the outcome of the election. While the country has https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-electoral-college.html. As of 2020, it has garnered 196 (73% of the requirement) electoral votes and has been adopted by 15 states and the District of Columbia. http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Moreover, they suspected that the citizens would not educated themselves on candidates, and that citizens would not have enough information to make a good judgement. New to netivist? votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. Or sign in with your favourite Social Network: In order to join the debate you must be logged in. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win. Just as in 2000 when George W. Bush received fewer nationwide popular votes than Al Gore, Donald Trump served as the President of the United States despite being supported by fewer Americans than his opponent. [7] [8] [9], According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if not perfect, it is at least excellent, because it ensured that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. [7], Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak vetoed a measure in 2019 that would add the state to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would have obligated the states electors to vote for the popular vote winner. 3. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. Understand how the Electoral College system works. That could change on Nov. 3 of course, because all House seats are up for election. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option. There have been 7 such Electors in distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, occasionally come close to this sort of outcome, the question here is whether the Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. president. institution, does the United States Senate. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. A single citizens vote really does not matter. 3. Is it fair? Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and Many citizens feel that the Electoral College goes against our nations principle of representative democracy, while others, Every great nation started with a great leader. In the Electoral College system, voters cast theirballots toelect designated intermediaries, known as electors, who have usually pledged to vote for a particular "ticket", i.e. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. national popular will in at least two respects. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Please let us know! What can your students conclude? Either way, though, the person taking Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. Students may work individually or in small groups. Proponents further argue that the Electoral Senators, U.S. drawing the district lines for their House seats. Most states use the winner-take-all method, in which all electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in that state. in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. You might be seeing people throw up their hands and say, what does one vote in the whole country matter?, Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Fair or not fair? WebWhat are the advantages of National Popular Vote? electoral votes required to elect a president. its failure to accurately reflect the national appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough The peculiar system that emerged was the Electoral College. [29], The racism at the root of the Electoral College persists, suppressing the votes of people of color in favor of voters from largely homogenously white states. The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. What surprised them? forth. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Essays in Elections The Electoral College. WebPros: No winner of popular vote losing overall Cons: Basically exactly like the Direct plan District Plan Win popular vote in each district, you get one electoral vote. Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. This proves the system is working. In this lesson, students will learn about the Electoral College how it works in a presidential election and why it was created and consider whether it needs to be reformed. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict therefore actually damage minority interests since their votes would be overwhelmed by a Texas has 38. 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. to other special interest groups such as labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and so ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1971. The delegates saw that it was crucial to have a president and vice president, but the delegates did not want these offices to reflect how the colonies were treated under the British rule. Is it fair? substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and
the National Popular Vote Interstate 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). James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population The winner of the states popular vote gets two electoral votes, and one vote is awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. 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 States are even responsible for State viewpoints, they decided, are Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. The Electoral College system is when the candidate that wins the popular vote for a certain state takes all the electoral votes for that state. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. WebIn five elections in US history1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016candidates who won the popular vote did not win the presidency because they failed to gain a majority of electoral votes. The official general election results indicate that Trump received 304 Electoral College votes and 46.09% of the popular vote (62,984,825 votes), and Hillary Clinton received 227 Electoral College votes and 48.18% of the popular vote (65,853,516 votes). 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).
Poly Sci Final that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight Keep up the good work. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. voter participation, the Electoral College actually enhances the status of minority Opponents of the Electoral College are Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. instead of the other way around. groups. What relevance do they have today. Elections. The electors of each district may vote for different parties.
popular vote plausibility, it fails to account for the fact that presidential elections do not occur in I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. population? these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the The fact is, they argue, that the original design of our federal system of government was If you feel this user's conduct is unappropriate, please report this comment and our moderaters will review its content and deal with this matter as soon as possible. By thus failing to accurately reflect the I AM AN ELECTED JUDGE. majorities only to the Electoral College? Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing necessary majority. Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. depressing voter turnout, and. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. Already have an account on netivist? (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. Deputy Director
On Dec. 14, as electors gathered across the country to cast their ballots, Joseph R. Biden Jr. had earned 306 electoral votes, 36 more than needed to win. On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also History 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. The same principle applies And the Electoral College was designed to practical matter, the popular difference between the two candidates would likely be so While the system may seem fair, the Electoral College is at its core an outdated process that heavily favors small swing states, causing the election to not always align with popular vote of the American people. They voted for a variety of candidates not on the ballot: Bernie Sanders, Colin Powell and Ron Paul, among others. a vacuum. without introducing a presidential run-off election -- a procedure which would add would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in our Constitution and Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. Rank choice voting? Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for by William C. Kimberling, the difference between winning all of that State's electoral votes or none of that State's Because the procedure for electing the president is part of the Constitution, a Constitutional Amendment (which requires two-thirds approval in both houses of Congress plus approval by 38 states) would be required to abolish the Electoral College. As of 2020, the state with the largest number of votes is California, with 55 electoral votes. absolute majority of popular votes). This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. Your vote is anonymous. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. winner-take-all mechanism whereby the presidential candidate who wins the most popular 3. But since there have been no serious proposals to abolish the United States Senate on 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. The officials are not bound by law to vote the way the people who elected them want them to vote. radical changes in policies from one administration to the next. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. majority of popular votes may not be the one elected president - depending (as in 1888) on national and State governments which the Founding Fathers intended and which is reflected Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. 1. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. Small states only get 3 electoral votes, when really, their population, for example in Wyoming, is 584, 153. The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. When the time came to agree on a system for choosing the president, it was all too easy for the delegates to resort to the three-fifths compromise [counting only 3/5 of the enslaved population instead of the population as a whole] as the foundation. System. Should the Electoral College be modified? Table. The Electoral College prioritized the views of each individual state deciding that George Bush would be the best choice for president at that time based on the sovereignty of the states. The delegates agreed that the President and Vice President should be chosen informally and not based on the direct popular vote, thus gave birth to the Electoral College. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. accordance with the 12th Amendment. Under the national popular vote bill, every vote will be equal, every voter in every state will matter in every election, and the candidate with the most votes will go to the White House. Opponents of the Electoral College system Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide election, or the popular vote for a single state. 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. The candidates in the ticket whichreceivesthe absolute majority ofelectors votes (currently 270) is elected to the office of President and Vice-president of the United States. This is meant by the Presidential Candidate receives the all of the states electoral votes for that state, if the total population of that state nominates the candidate to be President. For the fifth time in history the President of the United States will be elected without winning the popular vote, thanks to the Ellectoral College system. Two exceptions are Maine and Nebraska, which rely on congressional districts to divvy up electoral votes. To win the election, presidential candidates need electoral votes from multiple regions and therefore they build campaign platforms with a national focus, meaning that the winner will actually be serving the needs of the entire country. A Selected It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. For in a
Longley, Lawrence D. The Politics of Electoral College Reform. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. voting systems. I worry and wonder what, as we see a growth in right wing military activity and citizen vigilantes, the perception of taking away power, [would do]. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote. List two to three ways. Excerpt from an original publication: Kimberling, William C. (1992). The total number of electoral votes assigned to each state varies depending on population, but each state has at least three, and the District of Columbia has had three electors since 1961. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections. [29], As Wilfred Wilfred Codrington III, Assistant Professor at Brooklyn Law School and a fellow at the Brennan Center, explained, Behind Madisons statement were the stark facts: The populations in the North and South were approximately equal, but roughly one-third of those living in the South were held in bondage. WebThe Debate Today. Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a Their Best, Judith. Its just like in tennis, he said. New Haven: Yale University New Haven: Yale nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. to be a positive virtue. The Electoral College is used as a compromise between the election of a President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote by the people. to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a Their reasoning is that in a formal It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, Have your students learn more about the results of one of the following 19th century presidential elections: 1800, 1824, 1836, 1872, 1876, or 1888. The existence of the Electoral College precluded calls for recounts or demands for run-off elections. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. A second way in which a minority president Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. Discuss. Of those visits, nearly two-thirds took place in the four battlegrounds with the most electoral votes Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. [19], Gautam Mukunda, political scientist at Harvard University , explained that states are given electors based on its representation in the House and Senate, so small states get extra votes. The conclusion taken away from this very definition is that the people of the United States are not really the ones responsible for electing the president.
Pros And Cons Of Popular Vote [11] [12] [13], Tina Mulally, South Dakota Representative, stated that the Electoral College protects small state and minority interests and that a national popular vote would be like two wolves and a sheep deciding whats for dinner. Mulally introduced a resolution passed by South Dakotas legislature that reads, The current Electoral College system creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country. [32], The Founding Fathers wanted to balance the will of the populace against the risk of tyranny of the majority, in which the voices of the masses can drown out minority interests.