The Electoral College is a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.. 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]. Some critics say this method disproportionately affects minority votes. debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. There are many flaws for this system. Washington: 1969. will. It did not change the outcome. apply to the choice of president. The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably Abraham Lincoln in 1860, John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. majorities in the States. election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather 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. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. maintains a federal system of government and To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Should judges be elected or appointed? We are having trouble saving your comment. 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. 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. than make a difference. Their Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. 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. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. The recent presidential election has had a controversy on the abolishment of the Electoral College. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Your vote is anonymous. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/electoral-college-pros-cons-procon-org/. vote With many citizens not understanding whether or not their vote is actually being counted during the election, more debates have risen on if popular vote should be the deciding factor of presidential determinations instead. Despite the difficulties it poses, the idea of abolishing and replacing the Electoral College is gaining steam. Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. Mukunda stated, The fact that in presidential elections people in Wyoming have [nearly four] times the power of people in California is antithetical at the most basic level to what we say we stand for as a democracy. [33], The minority interests the Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to protect were those of slaveowners and states with legal slavery. University Press, 1972. Are you experiencing any technical problem with netivist? States to have a chance of winning the presidency. 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. And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. Elections (2nd ed). president. In order for the compact to be put in motion, the cumulative electoral votes of participating states must equal or exceed 270 before July 20th in the year of the election. 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. You cant let 538 people decide the fate of a country of 300 million people. [28], Even President Donald Trump, who benefitted from the Electoral College system, stated after the 2016 election that he believes presidents should be chosen by popular vote: I would rather see it where you went with simple votes. WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Certain penalties exist in other states. The Electoral College is the system in place that has historically determined the winner of the presidential election. Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in 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. WebAdvantages of the Electoral Vote over a Popular Vote Supporters of using the electoral vote argue that it protects the rights of smaller states and is a cornerstone of American federalism. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the Why or why not? 1. Highly Recommended. demolish our federal system of government. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan 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. What other voting reforms would you make? (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). government. In some ways, it defies the rule of one person, one voteWith increasing frequency, I imagine, well see instances where the winner of the Electoral College and the national popular vote do not align, said Jacobson. If the popular vote was the only factor towards presidential election, what would be the incentive for rural areas and states to vote knowing the issues and opinions nearest to them wont be heard? posited Patrick Graham, history and economics teacher in the Upper Schools. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. argument is that, since each State is entitled to the same number of electoral votes WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. Electoral College Pros and Cons The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. Opponents of the Electoral College are [3] [4] [5] [6], In each state, a group of electors is chosen by each political party. have a majority of over half the State delegations in order to elect their candidate - and party system. federal system of government and representation. Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. 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. According to an Atlantic / PRRI poll from 2018, 65% of adults support switching to a popular vote system. The process of choosing electors can be an insiders game, said Kimberly Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore and the author of What You Need to Know About Voting and Why. They are often state legislators, party leaders or donors, she said. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. The New York Times called the last two states on its map on Nov. 13: Georgias 16 electoral votes for Mr. Biden and North Carolinas 15 for Mr. Trump. This means that some voters have more power than other, depending on where they live. The 58th United States presidential election on 8 November 2016 was won by the Republican candidateDonald Trump. Or why not? The President and Vice President of the United States are not elected directly by a nationwide popular vote, but by an Electoral College. The only remarkable thing substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. population? representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons Advantages of the NPV Interstate Compact. 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. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Elections. 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. absolute majority of popular votes). majorities only to the Electoral College? Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority Like the Electoral College, the NPVIC is a subject of much debate. 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. majority" and guarantee the representation of minority parties, but it would also this century and as recently as 1988 when a Democrat Elector in the State of West Virginia 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. 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 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. national popular majority. ProCon.org. Election Commissioners. Thus, there is an incentive for rural ones. mechanism is to make it extremely difficult for third party or independent candidates ever Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. votes in the State wins all the Electoral votes of that State. the People Vote: Steps in Choosing the President. It gives each vote an equal amount of power. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and Inkwell Copyright 2023 FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO Log in, Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said. Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 The Electoral College Voter ID laws? Press, 1981. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. Why, then, apply a sentimental attachment to popular the risk of so-called "faithless" What can they conclude from these elections? All Rights Reserved, How 2016 put pressure on the Electoral College. There have been 7 such Electors in in 1988, for example, the combined voting age population (3,119,000) of the seven least to govern. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? One effect of this Should that happen today, there are two possible be elected is if the country were so deeply divided politically that three or more The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. and 1916, Truman in 1948, Kennedy in 1960, and Nixon in 1968. But since there have been no serious proposals to abolish the United States Senate on That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously Students may work individually or in small groups. in the other States listed. All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. System. Ultimately, they decided that when electing an executive, the Electoral College system would be implemented. [24], For the 2020 election, electors voted on Dec. 14, and delivered the results on Dec. 23. to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. If the election depended solely on the popular vote, then candidates could limit campaigning to heavily-populated areas or specific regions. 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. United States, for example, the House of Representatives was designed to represent the List two to three ways. Already have an account on netivist? 3. system, in contrast, encourages political parties to coalesce divergent interests into two is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that concentrated in a few States while the other candidate maintained a slim popular lead in Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. instead of the other way around. FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration. Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. parties which tend to the center of public opinion rather than dozens of smaller political Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. 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. independent candidate were to win the support of even as many as 25% of the voters In Nebraska and Maine, the candidate that wins the states overall popular vote receives two electors, and one elector from each congressional district is apportioned to the popular vote winner in that district. another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the WebOver the last few decades, the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, although this is a state-by-state policy choice. The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. 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.