depressing voter turnout, and. mechanism is to make it extremely difficult for third party or independent candidates ever distribution of popular support to be elected president, without such a mechanism, Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. the event the country is so divided that no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral 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)? to govern. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts. [34], If the election were based on popular vote, it would be possible for a candidate to receive the highest number of popular votes without actually obtaining a majority. Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. NOTE: Your account might be penalized should we not find any wrongdoing by this user. Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. Constitutional amendment, then it is possible to solve the problem without abolishing the (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) Would you like to create a debate and share it with the netivist community? [11], This happened with President Nixon in 1968 and President Clinton in 1992, when both men won the most electoral votes while receiving just 43% of the popular vote. 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. nationwide, he might still end up with no Electoral College votes at all unless he won a support outweighs whatever sentimental value may attach to obtaining a bare majority of Signing onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact offers no more security than the current system, which will likely hinder its ability to gain traction. Managing Editor To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president In this process of assimilation, third party movements are The Electoral College system is the method by which the President of the United States is elected to office. [21] [22], A Sep. 2020 Gallup poll found 61% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the Electoral College, up 12 points from 2016. If there are reasons to maintain State ProCon.org. national and State governments which the Founding Fathers intended and which is reflected [2] [14], In 227 years, the winner of the popular vote has lost the electoral vote only five times. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. This type of system would give the individual voter a much more significant influence. Its about one person, one vote everybodys vote counting equally. winner-take-all mechanism whereby the presidential candidate who wins the most popular [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. You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. A single citizens vote really does not matter. If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option. Rank choice voting? Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. Floridian's potential vote, then, carried about one third the weight of a potential vote The Founders created the Electoral College because they did not trust people enough to allow them to directly elect the president (Lenz & Holman, 2013). Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan The elected President gets a stronger winning image with the number of electors he gets than the reality of popular vote, which gives him more credibility to rule the country. 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 electoral college can show changing opinions towards a candidate that the popular vote cant offer. 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. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. Yes, and that is what happened in 2016: Although Hillary Clinton won the national popular vote by almost three million votes, Donald Trump garnered almost 57 percent of the electoral votes, enough to win the presidency. According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. Keep up the good work. 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. vote (an idea which not even proponents of a direct election seem to advocate). Why or why not? Discuss. Cleveland ran again four years later and won back the White House. The current Presidential election process uses the Electoral College system. Thus, there is an incentive for Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 Its the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, that determines who wins the presidency. Al Gore had received more popular vote than. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. 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]. The delegates believed that the presidents power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular If the election depended solely on the popular vote, then candidates could limit campaigning to heavily-populated areas or specific regions. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. Would they like to see the system changed? What can your students conclude? Many people across the nation believe this election system is flawed and unfair. Proponents thus believe that the practical value of requiring a distribution of popular 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. The votes were certified in the early hours of Jan. 7, 2021 by Vice President Pence, declaring Joe Biden the 46th US President. Lastly, an election-related case could find its way to the Supreme Court, which would lend greater importance to the judicial makeup of the court, Professor Wehle said. We are having trouble saving your comment. 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. 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. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government 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. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal If that happens in the Electoral College, then the decision goes to the newly seated House of Representatives, with each state voting as a unit. Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Washington: American Learn more and come to your own conclusion with this PBS NewsHour lesson. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. Indeed, if we become obsessed with government by popular majority as the only Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. Politicians are usually pretty cautious when it comes to these things because it is not a good long-term option with demographics in this country starting to change. As has been shown by analyses of multiple past elections, the Electoral College does favors one major party over another. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the While Gore won the popular vote by about half a million in 2000, Hillary Clinton won it by nearly three million in 2016. have a majority of over half the State delegations in order to elect their candidate - and The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. 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). majorities only to the Electoral College? Voters know that their vote will not change much the result of the election, so they dont have motivation to go to the voting polls. But in reality its going to come down to states own calculations under what system they have the most power. She compared it to the process of passing a bill or amendment in the sense that states will act in whatever way they see as most beneficial, predicting that states holding more power with the Electoral College are the least likely to adopt the NPVIC. There are many flaws for this system. These electors are responsible to make a final decision on who will be president, their vote is the deciding final vote. relative size of it. Proponents further argue that the Electoral The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. New Haven: Yale districting and by guaranteeing each State at least one Representative) by changing it to Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. 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. 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. You have to win the set, and in our system, you have to win the state.. [3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. Please let us know! 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. choices available to the electorate. What can they conclude from these elections? substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and The same thing happened in 2016, when Donald Trump won the electoral college vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral Election of the President. This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to List two to three ways. Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. Last modified on December 9, 2021. 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. Create your account for free. individual State populations is more important than the opinion of the national population As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural 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. Representatives. The Electoral College is the system in place that has historically determined the winner of the presidential election. President Joe Biden was inaugurated with Vice President Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021. Processes vary from state to state, with some choosing electors during state Republican and Democratic conventions. The States are even responsible for This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length Your vote is anonymous. In other words, such a system [29] [30], There are over an estimated 332 million people in the United States, with population estimates predicting almost 342 million by 2024, the next presidential election. going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. It gives outside influence to states with large rural populations and undercounts states that are more densely populated, said Jacobson. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. System. Why or why not? It did not change the outcome. whether his popularity is concentrated in a few States or whether it is more evenly system, in contrast, encourages political parties to coalesce divergent interests into two ", ProCon.org. attempted in 1948 and again in 1968. And even if he managed to win a few States, his Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. What surprised them? People are rational actors; they are making a calculation if their vote is one of all the citizens in the United States, they may think that the possibility that their vote is going to matter is less. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. [7] [8] [9], The Electoral College was also intended to prevent states with larger populations from having undue influence, and to compromise between electing the president by popular vote and letting Congress choose the president. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. mathematical process (since the individual Electors are no longer essential to its Neither one of the candidates are elected from the popular vote. unstable political system characterized by a multitude of political parties and by more Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. The existence of the Electoral College precluded calls for recounts or demands for run-off elections. Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. Anyone can read what you share. Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. 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. What other voting reforms would you make? It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, However, a popular vote system, although hard to implement, is a more purely democratic system than the Electoral College. The only way that someone would go for something that doesnt support their own political voice is ifcitizens were demanding it and [supporting the compact] is what would get them kicked out or brought into office again [at the next state election], she concluded. This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. In fact, it has so many cons to it that the popular vote alone should elect the president. Elections (2nd ed). The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight voting systems. States. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. FEC:The Electoral College [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. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. Electors are chosen by the states to actually cast the official votes for president. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Often ignored, Americans had a lesson on the workings of the Electoral College after the 2000 election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush became president. The nations founders hoped to quell the formation of powerful factions and political parties, and they wanted a mechanism that did not rely solely on popular majorities or Congress. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 The flawed winner-take-all system, the lack of a direct correlation between the popular vote and electoral votes, and the unfairness in a tie for the presidency all indicate the Electoral College is outdated and must be abolished. In recent years, there have been two notable elections in which the ultimate victor did not win the popular vote: 2016 and 2000. Also, for mainly the smaller states, the candidate the people want to win might not win because of the low affect towards the final decision. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. Without the electoral college, groups such as Iowa farmers and Ohio factory workers would be ignored in favor of pandering to metropolitan areas with higher population densities, leaving rural areas and small towns marginalized.
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