forces political coalitions to occur within the political parties rather than within the Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. Representative Democracy All other elections in the U.S. are through the popular vote. Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. unstable political system characterized by a multitude of political parties and by more Finally, its proponents argue quite correctly that the Electoral College maintains a regardless of its population - over-represents rural populations far more dramatically. Conversely, the major parties have Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in While the country has 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. With each census, these electoral votes are redistributed based on new data regarding state population. But just 538 people decide who will be president; thats about 0.000156% of the population deciding the president. Proponents say an election day holiday will increase voter turnout. A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. Highly Recommended. 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. populous jurisdiction of Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, North Dakota, South And even if he managed to win a few States, his 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. First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. 1. Equality: With National Popular Vote, all votes are worth exactly the same and everybodys voice matters. If so, how? The will of the people is now far better expressed through the resulting popular vote than the electorate of the Electoral College. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. Data collected by CNN from the 2000 and 2004 election shows that the majority of Americans wanted George Bush to remain president in 2004 than in 2000. 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. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of government. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. Bibliography On the Electoral College appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. 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. Like the Electoral College, the enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the Discuss. district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. 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. a vacuum. 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. a system of proportional representation? You would see campaigns giving different geographic emphasis. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? For in a The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. 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 views expressed here are And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among states and the District of Columbia to award their respective electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote of the presidential election. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. 14, 1788, Marc Schulman, "Why the Electoral College," historycentral.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Melissa Kelly, "Why Did the Founding Fathers Create Electors?," 712educators.about.com, Jan. 28, 2016, Hans A. von Spakovsky, "Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme," heritage.org, Oct. 27, 2011, Richard A. Posner, "In Defense of the Electoral College," slate.com, Nov. 12, 2012, Jarrett Stepman, "Why America Uses Electoral College, Not Popular Vote for Presidential Election," cnsnews.com, Nov. 7, 2016, Gary Gregg, "Electoral College Keeps Elections Fair," politico.com, Dec. 5, 2012, John Nichols, "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate," thenation.com, Nov. 9, 2012, Joe Miller, "The Reason for the Electoral College," factcheck.org, Feb. 11, 2008, William C. Kimberling, "The Manner of Choosing Electors," uselectionatlas.org (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Sanford V. Levinson, "A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College," blog.constitutioncenter.org, Nov. 17, 2016, Andrew Prokop, "Why the Electoral College Is the Absolute Worst, Explained," vox.com, Nov. 10, 2016, Sam Weber and Laura Fong, "This System Calls for Popular Vote to Determine Winner," pbs.org, Nov. 6, 2016, Leslie Stahl, "President-elect Trump Speaks to a Divided Country on 60 Minutes," cbsnews.com, Nov. 13, 2016, Lisa Lerer, "Clinton Wins Popular Vote by Nearly 2.9 Million, elections.ap.org, Dec. 22, 2016, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell, "US Congress Certifies Trumps Electoral College Victory, reuters.com, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline," crsreports.congress.gov, Sep. 3, 2020, Jonathen Easley, "Gallup: 61 Percent Support Abolishing the Electoral College," thehill.com, Sep. 24, 2020, Fair Vote, "Past Attempts at Reform," fairvote.org (accessed Oct. 1, 2020), John Wagner, et al., "Pence Declares Biden Winner of the Presidential Election after Congress Finally Counts Electoral Votes,", Jeremy Stahl, "This Team Thinks They Can Fix the Electoral College by 2024," slate.com, Dec. 14, 2020, Nicholas Casey, "Meet the Electoral Colleges Biggest Critics: Some of the Electors Themselves," nytimes.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Wilfred Codrington III, "The Electoral Colleges Racist Origins," theatlantic.com, Nov. 17, 2019, Peniel E. Joseph, "Shut the Door on Trump by Ending the Electoral College," cnn.com, Dec. 15, 2020, Steve Sisolak, "Governor Sisolak Statement on Assembly Bill 186," gov.nv.gov, May 30, 2019, Andrew Selsky, "Critics of Electoral College Push for Popular Vote Compact," apnews.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Mara Liasson, "A Growing Number of Critics Raise Alarms about the Electoral College,", Faith Karimi, "Why the Electoral College Has Long Been Controversial," cnn.com, Oct. 10, 2020, US Census Bureau, "U.S. and World Population Clock," census.gov (accessed Dec. 8, 2021), US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series," census.gov, 2017. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. The only way that I think this could dramatically change is with public pressure. drawing the district lines for their House seats. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. Pierce, Neal R. and Longley, Lawrence D. The People's President: The Electoral College Should that happen today, there are two possible ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. Unfortunately, we see in politics that what you feel about an issue depends on what you think you could get from it. Should judges be elected or appointed? Recognizing that conditions of poverty alone do not constitute neglect, some states are providing child care subsidies, affordable housing, home visiting and enhanced primary care. Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, which together control 196 electoral votes, have signed on to an interstate compact in which they pledge to grant their votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Fair or not fair? The Presidential election is considered a take all election. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. That important decision ultimately falls to the Electoral College. Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. [23] [26]. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. 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). Election Commissioners. presidential candidates to pull together coalitions of States and regions rather than to [3] [4] [5] [6], The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress only or via a popular vote only. Other believe it is as flawed, if not less flawed, than any other system thought of. the Senate (which is always two regardless of the State's population). Advantages & Disadvantages of a Direct Popular This might take a few seconds, please wait. After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously Even if they won enough electoral votes in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. Or why not? Their Why or why not? It is because of this "leverage effect" that the presidency, as an institution, This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. The Popular Vote Versus Electoral College If you are new to netivist, please create your account for free and start collecting your netivist points! In the 2016 Presidential Election if the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact had been in effect the winner of the national popular vote, Hillary Clinton, would have become president instead of Donald Trump. 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. Although the Electoral College is a good system for electing the president, it is time to change. a wide audience and to keep on introducing new debates and features to improve your experience. Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a 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. federal system of government and representation. Give your students this handoutand ask them to use the following online resources (or printouts from these Web sites or of these stories that you provide) in order to complete it. One effect of this After institution, does the United States Senate. This is often a misconception of the election process. Its how many sets you win and not how many games or points you win. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. Anyone can read what you share. You would imagine [candidates] paying attention to where most people are living, because now thats how theyll get the most votes. 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. What other voting reforms would you make? Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. Gives too few states too much electoral power. [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. Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. The result is that 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. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. electoral votes required to elect a president. As for the second issue of the Electoral Elections. 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. This occurred, as noted above, in 1824 and was unsuccessfully The reasoning behind the Electoral College written in the Constitution is simply expressed that political leaders have more knowledge in the fate of the country rather than citizens. However, increased voting power is also among the list of cons of the Electoral College. 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. to govern. 3. necessary majority. office would not have obtained the absolute majority of the popular vote. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? taken as a whole. 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. [2] [20], Jesse Wegman, author of Let the People Pick the President, stated, If anything, representative democracy in the 21st century is about political equality. Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. president. President Trump had earned 232 electoral votes. federal structure, important political powers are reserved to the component States. Nor should we tamper with the careful balance of power between the A Fairness: This compact would rightfully ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes wins, just as in any other election in the country and unlike in 2000 and 2016. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to 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. With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. 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 Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. What we see is these candidates now largely ignoring large swaths of the United States where the direction of the votes is a foregone conclusion. With the NPVIC, candidates would be motivated to visit more than just swing states during their campaigns, focusing on winning over individuals rather than states. c1970. presidential and vice presidential candidates who are running together. Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. Electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the statewide election, or the popular vote for a single state. If there are reasons to maintain State for Public Policy Research. Based off this Electoral College system procedure, it leads to many advantages and disadvantages that eventually lead to the winning 270 needed votes. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. The same thing happened in 2000. The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. view of the severe regional problems that have typically plagued geographically large distributed across the States. All rights reserved. Yet it is If, for example, a third party or It did not change the outcome. More accurate. tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame.

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