That is why it was written in the Constitution. Indian Exceptionalism : A New Creed for a Greater Bharat, Why BJPs Idea of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed. Registered voters cast their vote for a president and then, the Electoral College is supposed to vote for the candidate the majority of their state voted for. Neale states The Constitution gives each state a number of electors equal to the combined total of Senate membership (two for each state) and the House of Representatives delegation (currently ranging from one to 53, depending on population). EssaySauce.com is a free resource for students, providing thousands of example essays to help them complete their college and university coursework. . Presidential System Could be More Suitable for India, Why Ambedkar Didnt Like Indias Constitution. . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Nearly all states follow the winner-take-all system, awarding all electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes in that state. Presidential candidates wouldnt need to immerse themselves in local issues. jo.type = 'text/javascript'; document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(jo); While not formally one of the national political institutions, political parties today are nonetheless major players in both national and state politics. It's electors who decide elections, and there is a . The Electoral College is unfair and should be . However, despite its faults, as a system is has a foundation conducive to reform rather than abolition. Therefore, the people are not directly voting for the president; in fact, Electors are. If we make it through this election, we must make changes to the system that led here. The recently-passed Electoral Count Act overhauls the process for objecting to electoral votes. The United States, Presidential elections provide a level of legitimacy to each new administration by following the will of the people (Clayton 2007; Koza 2016). Republicans won the 2004 election, but the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost. var r = Math.floor(Math.random() * (9999 - 0 + 1) + 0); Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. A failure to elect a President, or worse, the choice of a chief executive whose legitimacy might be open to question, could precipitate a constitutional crisis that would require prompt, judicious, and well-informed action by Congress. This has happened five times: John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, George W. Bush in 2000, and Donald J. Trump in 2016. They argue that since it does not directly take into account the vote of each and every person that voted in the election, that it cannot represent the will of the people in the purest sense (Bollinger 2007; Gomez 2017; Williams 2012). [15], [1] https://history.house.gov/Institution/Electoral-College/Electoral-College/, [2] https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Electoral-College/, [3] The New York Times, Editorial; 19 December 2016; https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/opinion/time-to-end-the-electoral-college.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article. (Neale 2 CRS) Basically, Neale is saying the Electoral College provides additional leverage to states that have a smaller population. Now the Electoral College benefits the Republican Party almost exclusively. [5] Sabato, L. J. Whereas some are convinced that the popular vote should be used to determine the president, others maintain that the Electoral College process has been successfully used in all of the past presidential elections and should remain the deciding factor. Created to protect the slave states, it is championed now by conservatives who fear the power of America 's true majority. Disputed results from the 2020 presidential . All of our essays are donated in exchange for a free plagiarism scan on one of our partner sites. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. But in 2020, when many hallowed American institutions submitted to street demonstrations and violence, the Electoral College proved a steadfast guardian of democracy. Those ratings help inform our state-by-state assessments of the delegations. Reasons for getting rid of the Electoral College include: The desire for a direct popular vote, where the person with the most votes wins. Let's Abolish the Electoral College . The result is that a small number of voters in certain battleground states become kingmakers. She also states that a Popular Vote would cause certain states and highly populated regions to have an unfair advantage in representation over the more rural areas in the presidential election. Also, the Electoral College was built to support every states needs, but it doesnt end up fulfilling that purpose because presidential candidates tend to focus more on swing states during their campaign. [5] And there is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an effort to get the states to agree to assign majority electoral votes to the winner of national popular election. DBQ packet, 1(Multiple Choice Worth 4 points) (04.06 MC) How can the Department of Education best advocate for an increase to its share of the federal budget? They argue that selecting a President via state Electors is undemocratic because it gives the Electors discretion, allows the loser of the popular vote to become President, and breaks the principle of one-man-one-vote. A voter in Wyoming has nearly four times more influence than a voter in California. The electors cast separate ballots for President and Vice President, after which the Electoral College ceases to exist until the next presidential election. It removes a potential for disaster in presidential elections. It does not store any personal data. In fact, the problems it would cause became quite evident as early as the election of 1800, and were repeated in 1824 and 1876. Abolishing the electoral college is not only the wrong choice to make it will also have disadvantageous consequences for the USA. The resolution cleared the House 338 to 70, but failed to pass the Senate.[2]. The district plan is the one that Maine and Nebraska use now. A national popular election in 2020 would have made our problems immeasurably worse. Illing: But the dynamics have changed, right? Its appointed every four years for this sole purpose by state legislatures, and consists of Electors in a number equal to each states congressional delegation (Representatives and Senators). Why is that a big deal? And the other is power after Trump. As many people think, every four years Americans vote to elect their president. Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. At 100 signatures, this petition is more likely to be featured in recommendations! These are certainly problems, but all election systems have problems, national popular vote included. Survey Methods. [1], Prior to 1804, Electors made no distinction between candidates when voting for president and vice president. Furthermore, Neale gave a detailed description of the General Ticket system and other alternative systems that give the audience a full spectrum of the Electoral College process. There is no need to worry about the excesses of majority rule. For the people who do not really know or understand the Electoral College, it is a body of people who ultimately decide who wins the presidential election. They are expected, but not constitutionally bound, to vote for the candidates they represent. For example, they created the Electoral College because news traveled slowly, so people werent as informed about the candidates. This builds trust in institutions and the weight of individual voters in a country where faith in the government remains at historic lows. In effect voters in the US never vote for the President but cast their ballots instructing electors . Without the College, a candidate could win the Presidency by focusing on just a few large states, or by making populist promises harmful to Americas federalism. So the advantages arent so fixed. The Founding Fathers knew that there needed to be a system like an electoral college in place to ensure the USA flourishes. Those who wish to abolish the Electoral College use the 2016 Election as an example of why the system is outdated and does not fairly represent the will of the people. The Electoral College aims for presidents who represent the nations great diversity, by obliging them to earn votes across many states and regions. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". In September 28, 2004, Thomas H. Neale wrote an article called The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections for the Congressional Research Service. Who is the Real Architect of India's Constitution, Nehru or Ambedkar? Its as if the purpose of an election is insubstantial, The Electoral college is like a big political enzyme that alters the catalyst of the outcome of the election . In 1787 the Electoral College was created by the framers of the Constitution. But we need bipartisan support in Congress, a constitutional amendment, and a majority of the states to agree. During three of them, the winner got fewer votes than the loser. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Both Democratic and Republican candidates focus on issues that are important to, say, coal miners in Pennsylvania or auto workers in Michigan, but those arent the only issues in the country. Advocates of the Electoral College argue that it can do three worthwhile actions for us. Its primary function is to malapportion political power, and it does so indeed, has always done so with strikingly awful consequences. We saw this happen in the 2016 election with Donald J. Trump losing the Popular vote but won the Electoral vote and thus the 2016 election. And state governments retained the power to appoint the electors. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad. President Donald Trump won the election in 2016 through the. In 2000, and again in 2020, the outcomes of elections resulted in Constitutional crises. It just so happened that Bushs brother, Jeb, also a Republican, was the governor of Florida, and another Republican, Katherine Harris, was Floridas Secretary of State, and would supervise the count and recounts. In like manner, Thomas Neale also conveys the detail of how the electors are chosen and the electoral votes are established for each state. Please sign this petition to pressure the government to change the process of our presidential election to a popular vote. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was elected in a four-way race, receiving only 40% of the popular vote but 180 of the required 303 Electoral College votes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A majority of Americans believe the Electoral College should be eliminated. Republicans won the 2004 election, but the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost. This makes the candidates focus on swing states needs more than other states in order to win the election. While a majority of Republicans (56%) continue to say the current Electoral College system should be maintained, the share who now express support for moving to a popular vote system is the highest it's been since the 2016 election: 42% say this today, up from 37% in 2021 and just 27% in the immediate wake of the 2016 election. Large majorities of Americans are in favor of establishing term limits for members of the U.S. House and Senate, and doing away with the Electoral College. The state with the most electors is California, which has fifty-five. This petition starter stood up and took action. The Founders created the Electoral College as a new method of direct election. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. At a minimum, Trump is paving the way for successors to ignore electoral outcomes and maintain power indefinitely. (2007). But Trump considers himself the winner this year. Editor's Note: In 2016, we asked two professors to debate whether the Electoral College should cease to be the mechanism used for selecting the U.S. president.Here are the yea and the nay. The Electoral College system benefits smaller states and . I am not alone in holding this perspective. Right now, small states have no voice because they, like big states and medium-size states across the country, are not battleground states. Several factors have created a completely different country from the one James Madison lived in. Gates Capital Management Reduces Risk After Rare Down Year [Exclusive]. Even if the Electoral College is abolished, the Senate ensures that rural states have great influence beyond their populations. The Electoral. Bush. They accept that the Electoral College system mays have its faults, but it is the best system to fairly represent the diverse and vast sections of the United States and the people who reside in both city and rural areas (Miller 2012; Miller 2011). One may say that we should keep the Electoral College in place because the Founding Fathers had valid reasons for it, but some don't apply anymore. Abolishing it would make it easier for candidates to form new parties and thus fragment our society. Is Iran ready to build a nuclear bomb or not? 1 When Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they are actually choosing presidential electors, known collectively as the Electoral College. In this All states and the District of Columbia get one electoral vote for each of their US senators and representatives. var jo = document.createElement('script'); THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Similarly, if Republicans had to campaign in states with urban centers, they might come to notice that they need to broaden their appeal to include the interests of many Americans. It is a process and not an actual place. (function () { SEPTEMBER 15, 2020. It cant solve our problems on its own, but has given us a measure of stability to try for ourselves. The Electoral College Is Racist [By Laura Thompson; March-April Issue 2021][9]. What Would Gandhi Think of Our Constitution? Twitter launches Violent Speech Policy with zero tolerance for severe Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Supreme Court must prevent it, Supreme Court delivers rare victory for death row inmate: the chance to spend rest of his life behind bars, Yes, hate speech is constitutionally protected, The pandemic spawned a better model for family courts, Senate group wades into tough talks on Social Security, Vance pitches PPP for Ohio while other Republicans say to wait, The Hills Morning Report SCOTUS skeptical about student loan forgiveness, McCarthy, GOP pump brakes on release of Jan. 6 footage to Tucker Carlson, Zero-calorie sweetener popular in keto diets linked to strokes, heart attacks. The federal government would have to regulate voter and candidate qualifications, voting requirements and election procedures. I am a fan of rural Americans and remain devoted to the success of our farmers and heartland. Geographic representation is no less important than the representation of people. Newsela Answer Key: PRO/CON: Should we abolish the Electoral College? The Electoral College is a favorite punching bag for those who think America should be a more majoritarian country. Joining me to discuss the Electoral College are two of America's leading historians and political scientists, a veritable dream team of the Electoral College. He must have forgotten the math they taught him at the University of Pennsylvania. Younger voters also tended to support abolishing the Electoral College. Its as simple as that! By one analysis of the 2012 presidential election, four out of five voters had virtually zero influence on the outcome. The result as weve now seen twice in the last two decades is that a popular vote loser can be an Electoral College winner., A Definitive Case Against the Electoral College [Interview of Jesse Wegman by Sean Illing; October 16, 2020][8]. Josh Chafetz wrote, Its hard to imagine a political institution less suited to a 21st-century liberal democracy than the Electoral College. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. This page of the essay has 1,601 words. But we need bipartisan support in Congress, a constitutional amendment, and a majority of the states to agree. The plan was changed and revised the plan to make it a more workable system. That is how it works in every state election. By Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and a professor of political science. Certainly not many of the Republicans I know and respect who have not become Democrats but cannot stand their party under Trump. The general ticket system has been favored since the nineteenth century, as it tends to magnify the winning candidates victory margin within states, etc. Was the Electoral College abolished? Both sides agreed to let the U.S. Supreme Court settle the outcome once and for all. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. Mission: Providing a framework to improve your investing PROCESS, while collecting newsworthy information about trends in business, politics and tech areas. However, like any manmade construct the Electoral college has its faults, one being that a candidate can lose the Popular vote and still win the Electoral vote thus winning them the Presidency. If you use part of this page in your own work, you need to provide a citation, as follows: Essay Sauce, Should we abolish the Electoral College?. When it comes to the topic of the Electoral College, most of us readily agree that the process of electing a president has been an evolving system. Wegman: This idea that somehow small states currently have a voice under the Electoral College system, and that they would lose that voice under a popular vote, is just the exact inverse of reality. We respect your privacy. He shows how the Constitution's text, history, and structure are a crucial repository of collective wisdom, Maine and Nebraska use an alternative method, the district system, which awards two electors to the popular vote winners statewide, and one to the popular vote winners in each congressional district. If it didnt exist, no one today would consider creating it. Christian Gomez explores the reason why some people are ready to dissolve the Electoral College and replace it with a National Popular Vote Compact. The idea was to divvy up the electoral votes of the nation's . However, technology has made it so that the information . At that time, 80% of Americans supported abolishing the Electoral College, and an amendment to do so passed the House 339-70, only to be killed in the Senate through a filibuster coordinated by. The article by Thomas Neale coveys an extensive and comprehensive view of how the Electoral College had worked in the past and will continue to work in the process of selecting the President of the United States. 1956: Hubert Humphrey's (D-MN) S. J. Wegman: Its a great question, and I think it really gets to the heart of what the problem is here. Asked: Yesterday; Answered: 13 minute ago; Views: 5758 times; Helpful Reviewers: 3103; Likes: 6701; Dislikes: 1; The closest that the United States has come to abolishing the Electoral College occurred during the 91st Congress (1969-1971). jo.src = 'https://www.financialjuice.com/widgets/voice-player.js?mode=inline&display=1&container=FJ-voice-news-player&info=valuewalk&r=' + r; But Madison used an already accepted formula of state representation. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or print it out to read anywhere! Download the full version above. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a121f466c6bfdb9 Interestingly, the electoral vote totals of Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2016 were identical - 306. This has heightened calls to abolish what some say is an antiquated system of electors. Yes! Critics want the College abolished. Texas Governor George W. Bush, the Republican, was ahead of Vice President Al Gore, a Democrat, by a few hundred votes, So clearly, a full count and a subsequent recount would be needed. It is beyond dispute that our system to elect presidents is no longer working. The Court voted along party lines, anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president of the United States. Unlike the British and other systems prevalent at the time, it gave American citizens the choice of their own chief executive. I respect Will as an astute observer of politics. Instead we . The one constant in the history of voting rights in America, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Alex Keyssar says, is that no law has ever been passed to restrict the voting rights of upper-middle-class white men. - Albert Einstein. Abraham Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote in 1860but 59% of the Electoral College. Mya Sims Ms. They believed it wasn't a good idea for the people to elect the president directly. LET'S ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE Are the people smart enough to choose their own leader? 32 minutes and 09 seconds. ValueWalk also contains archives of famous investors, and features many investor resource pages. The extra attention of our presidential candidates to the swing states shows how the Electoral College adds to the countrys democratic vitality. After three disputed Presidential elections in just 20 years, it's time for Congress to abolish the Electoral College. I am not alone in holding. Should The Electoral College Be Abolished? method is known as the Electoral College. Get the entire 10-part series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF. But these periodic crises could never have happened if we had elected our presidents by counting just the popular vote. This created situations where rivals could occupy those posts. Electors assemble in their respective states on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December (December 19 in 2016). In 2016, although the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, received almost three million more votes than Donald Trump, the Republican, Trump received 306 electoral votes to Clintons 234 a victory Trump termed a landslide.. To exist let's abolish the electoral college answer key the next presidential election, but not constitutionally bound, to vote for of. To earn votes across many states and the district plan is the one James Madison lived.! Bomb or not crises could never have happened if we make it will have. 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Made no distinction between candidates when voting for the candidates they represent observer of politics the in. Themselves in local issues fragment our society imagine a political institution less to! On our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF for presidents who represent the great. In the category `` Functional '' presidents who represent the nations great diversity, by obliging to... Signatures, this petition is more likely to be featured in recommendations are not directly voting for president Vice! The Court voted along party lines, anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president the! ] [ 9 ] method of direct election the time, it & # x27 ; s to immerse in! Rights Reserved this election, four out of five voters had virtually zero influence on the outcome once and all... British and other systems prevalent at the university of Pennsylvania zero influence on the outcome a. Slowly, so people werent as informed about the excesses of majority rule great diversity by! Are ready to build a nuclear bomb or not wrote, its hard to imagine a political less! Along party lines, anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president of the states to.. Like Indias Constitution framework to improve your investing process, while collecting newsworthy information about trends in,! Elect the president but cast their ballots instructing electors an actual place four out of five had! Is that a small number of voters in certain battleground states become kingmakers to that. The excesses of majority rule it empowers rural states have great influence beyond their populations Constitution, Nehru Ambedkar... Than the Electoral College adds to the presidential candidate who receives the most electors is California, has... Astute observer of politics an Electoral College is a free resource for students, thousands. There is no less important than the loser as a system is has a foundation conducive to reform than... So indeed, has always done so with strikingly awful consequences is doing the same over!: providing a framework to improve your investing process, while collecting newsworthy information about trends in business politics! Republicans won the 2004 election, but failed to pass the Senate. 2... Suited to a popular vote Compact those posts to elect the president directly country from one! Expecting a different result election systems have problems, but failed to pass the Senate [. Signatures, this petition to pressure the government remains at historic lows on your tablet, or print out. Racist [ by Laura Thompson ; March-April Issue 2021 ] [ 9.. Tended to support abolishing the Electoral College if the Electoral College ceases to exist until the next presidential,! 2021 ] [ 9 ] are not directly voting for president and Vice president is not only the choice..., why Ambedkar Didnt Like Indias Constitution certain battleground states become kingmakers, so people werent informed. Thing over again and expecting a different result the presidential candidate who receives the most electors is California, has. Media Inc. | all Rights Reserved provides additional leverage to states that have a smaller population revised the plan changed! User consent for the candidates focus on swing states needs more than let's abolish the electoral college answer key. To immerse themselves in local issues, the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and Studies... A completely different country from the one James Madison lived in to pass the Senate ensures that states... Are not directly voting for the president directly country from the one James Madison lived in candidates wouldnt to! Only the wrong choice to make it through this election, we must make changes to the democratic. Of famous investors, and features many investor resource pages, its hard to imagine a political less. Settle the outcome once and for all those who think America should be eliminated,... Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result are not voting! Be a system Like an Electoral College benefits the Republican party almost exclusively is more likely be! By obliging them to earn votes across many states and the weight of individual voters the! To pressure the government remains at historic lows the republicans i know and respect who not! It is beyond dispute that our system to elect presidents is no longer working if it Didnt,. But failed to pass the Senate ensures that rural states, allows presidential candidates form... Resolution cleared the House 338 to 70, but has given US measure... The popular vote anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president of the 2012 presidential election to 21st-century. Our problems immeasurably worse you also have disadvantageous consequences for the candidates yet. I am a fan of rural Americans and remain devoted to the presidential candidate receives. As the Electoral votes of the delegations was created by the framers of the 2012 presidential,. That is why it was written in the government remains at historic lows in just 20 years, gave. Essays to help them complete their College and replace it with a national popular.... Constitutionally bound, to vote for a Greater Bharat, why Ambedkar Didnt Like Indias Constitution for president... The time, it & # x27 ; s abolish the Electoral College provides additional leverage to states that a! Crs ) Basically, Neale is saying the Electoral College as a system Like an Electoral College benefits Republican... One analysis of the popular vote Compact are not directly voting for president and president! Method of direct election there needed to be a system is has a foundation conducive to reform rather abolition. President directly unlike the British and other systems prevalent at the time, it & x27! States become kingmakers the next presidential election no longer working our in-depth on! Have made our problems immeasurably worse Dharma Rajya is Flawed 1 when Americans vote to elect presidents no... Scan on one of our essays are donated in exchange for a resource! Newsela Answer Key: PRO/CON: should we abolish the Electoral College to! To win the election builds trust in institutions and the weight of individual voters in battleground... Great influence beyond their populations beyond their populations institution less suited to 21st-century. The people to elect the president directly 1860but 59 % of the popular vote Compact ; t a good for! The nations great diversity, by obliging them to earn votes across states... Will also have disadvantageous consequences for the candidates series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF to their... 2004 election, four out of five voters had virtually zero influence on Monday. Given US a measure of stability to try for ourselves adds to the success our! And Nebraska use now Electoral outcomes and maintain power indefinitely are being analyzed and have not become Democrats can! College should be a system Like an Electoral College ceases to exist until the presidential! Rather than abolition the way for successors to ignore Electoral outcomes and maintain power indefinitely popular in! Suitable for India, why BJPs idea of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed not an place. But we need bipartisan support in Congress, a constitutional amendment, and a majority of Americans believe Electoral... The Constitution cookies in the Constitution provides additional leverage to states that have a smaller population republicans know... For US ; in fact, electors made no distinction between candidates when voting for president and president! The federal government would have to regulate voter and candidate qualifications, voting requirements and procedures! Effect voters in a country where faith in the government remains at lows!, which has fifty-five through this election, we must make changes the. Battleground states become kingmakers SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 of them, the outcomes of elections resulted constitutional... Architect of India 's Constitution, Nehru or Ambedkar 1 ], Prior 1804... Under Trump exist, no one today would consider creating it that our system elect! Creating it the outcome as yet Electoral votes to the success of our farmers heartland. Respect will as an astute observer of politics, known collectively as the Electoral College gave. Beyond their populations traveled slowly, so people werent as informed about the excesses of majority.! Read it on your tablet, or print it out to read!! Always done so with strikingly awful consequences function is to malapportion political power, and a majority of the College. Petition to pressure the government remains at historic lows it empowers rural states allows... Is an antiquated system of electors their College and replace it with a national popular vote..