Will himself left the party for this actual reason in 2016. Is the Electoral College plan fair? Many people have talked about abolishing the Electoral College like president Donald J. Trump as he said I would rather have a popular election but are not taking action. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. This is unfair because the small states are taking more seats than they should dictating the election. 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. Much like the rest of the Constitution, the Electoral College was a compromise. Right now, small states have no voice because they, like big states and medium-size states across the country, are not battleground states. When selecting the President, we use the Electoral college as a basis for representing the will of the people. The district plan is the one that Maine and Nebraska use now. Gomez explains that the National Popular Vote Compact is supported by many politicians including Senator Joseph A. Griffo, Newt Gingrich, and Billy Hewes of Mississippi. Now, Republicans will have a 222-213 majority once Rep.-elect Jennifer McClellan (D, VA-4) is sworn into the House following her special election win last week. Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. Abolishing the electoral college is not only the wrong choice to make it will also have disadvantageous consequences for the USA. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The funds added 7.7% overall in the second half of 2022, outperforming the 3.4% return for Read More. The proposal was drawn by James Madison, and it drew on ideas first proposed by James Wilson, the chief proponent of a directly elected chief executive. Albert Gore accepted the result, even though he had won the popular vote by 540,000. })(); ValueWalk.com is a highly regarded, non-partisan site the website provides unique coverage on hedge funds, large asset managers, and value investing. With the Electoral College, the value of a vote depends on what state a person lives in. Instead we . House Republican eyeing legislation to prevent Santos from profiting off 10 key figures who will and wont be at CPAC, Hemorrhaging losses, the Feds problems are now the taxpayers, The shepherd boy, the wolf and the threat to Israeli democracy, Feehery: Progressive DC government turning city into a dystopia, These beaches are the best of the best in US, according to Tripadvisor, Top takeaways from student loan forgiveness arguments at the Supreme Court. In response to Donald Trump winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote, numerous individuals have weighed in with letters-to-the-editor, op-eds, blog posts, videos, and the like, and thanks to the revolution in digital communications, these items have reached an exceptionally wide audience. Each state holds an election for the popular vote. Republicans won the 2004 election, but the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost. The Electoral College is also essential to our nations political cohesiveness. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/06/20/duvergers-law-is-dead/, [13] Constitutional Convention quotations are from Madisons Notes; https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1909#Elliot_1314-05_2172, [14] https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#changes, [15] Actually, the Electoral College Was a Pro-Slavery Ploy by Akhil Reed Amar, The New York Times, 6 Apr 2019, Why India Needs the Presidential System [Book]. Start by abolishing the Electoral College. Quote Reply Topic: Let's abolish the Electoral College Posted: 11 February 2008 at 7:20pm: Let's abolish the Electoral College. 152 was a new, unique proposal of reform introduced in the 84th Congress. State electoral vote results are reported to Congress and other designated authorities; they are then counted and declared at a joint session of Congress held on January 6 of the year after the election; Congress may, however, change this date by joint resolution. In this extraordinarily strange election year, debating the Electoral College . Another reason why the Electoral College vote should be abolished is because, the amount of representatives for each state is not evenly split. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. By Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and a professor of political science. 1 It was devised during the framing of the Constitution in order to provide a method of indirect election for the Office of President. It was also a savvy compromise. Should U.S. Supreme Court Justices Have Term Limits? After reading the article by Thomas Neale, the Electoral College is fair and gives each state a more equal voice in the presidential election based on population census. 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. But it is not only essential for selecting a chief executive vetted by the entire country, it is vital for nurturing Americas federalism, separation of powers, executive accountability, diversity, and two-party polity. Past proposals for change by constitutional amendment have included various reform options and direct popular election, which would eliminate the Electoral College system, but no substantive action on this issue, has been taken in Congress for more than 20 years. Considering that Trump won three normally Democratic rustbelt states Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin by razor-thin margins totaling just 80,000 votes, perhaps landslide might not have been the most accurate description of the outcome of that election. . Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. (Neale 4 CRS) Neale observes that the general ticket system is used by forty-eight states and the District of Columbia. The state with the most electors is California, which has fifty-five. EssaySauce.com is a completely free resource for students. 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. The Electoral College was established by the framers of the Constitution as a last-minute deal, a gift to Southern states trying to protect slaveholders power and leverage the three-fifths compromise. Clearly, whoever won Floridas 25 electoral votes would win the election. Its as simple as that! My stance to abolish the Electoral College has drawn some ire. The funds (full-name Excess Cash Flow Value Funds), which invest in an event-driven equity and credit strategy, have produced a 12.6% annualised return over the past 26 years. The complex elements comprising the Electoral College system are responsible for one of the most important processes of the American political and constitutional system: election of the President and Vice President. Republicans won the 2004 election, but the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost. I will concede that the Electoral College might ensure the stability of the two party system. Younger voters also tended to support abolishing the Electoral College. Lets briefly review what happened in 2000 during Bush vs. Gore. Southern states were able to extend the three-fifths compromise, counting slaves in the presidents selection without openly parading the fact. All our essays are uploaded by volunteers. Further, he has enacted in office not the modest policies of a man without a true national mandate but has fueled our partisan warfare. Alexander Keyssar explains its persistence. Performance & security by Cloudflare. At 100 signatures, this petition is more likely to be featured in recommendations! The Electoral College we have today isn't the one in the original Constitution. If 60,000 votes went the other way in Ohio, George W. Bush would have won the national popular vote by 3 million votes, but John Kerry wouldve been elected. 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]. And the other is power after Trump. Tyler Lewis says that one of the problems with the Electoral College is "The distribution of Electoral College votes per state is not equally dispersed.". One reason the Electoral College should be abolished is that one of the candidates could win the popular vote and still end up losing the election. The College is also a brilliant alternative to runoff elections. (2007). The goal of the article was to articulate an in depth look of the Electoral College system. Geographic representation is no less important than the representation of people. 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. The Constitution doesnt bar Electors from choosing candidates other than the ones they pledged to support. The framers biggest fear was the fear of power, and they did their upmost to limit and control the control and limit the power of . Every 4 years our country makes one of the most if not the most important decisions for our future, which is our next president. 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.. Unlike the British and other systems prevalent at the time, it gave American citizens the choice of their own chief executive. One thing is for certain though, it's been almost 200 years since Andrew Jackson proposed the abolition of the Electoral College, and yet it is still in place. The Electoral College is the constitutional enshrined process through which the President of the United States is elected. House Democrat nods to Kellyanne Conway in push to make Hatch Act violations a Student loan forgiveness: Key statements from each justice, Murdoch: Hannity was privately disgusted with Trump after 2020 election, Trumps polling strength causes heartburn for Senate GOP. After three disputed Presidential elections in just 20 years, it's time for Congress to abolish the Electoral College. There is no need to worry about the excesses of majority rule. Students can use our free essays as examples to help them when writing their own work. jo.type = 'text/javascript'; Faithless Electors, those who break their pledge, are rare and have never determined the outcome of a presidential election. The closest Congress has come to amending the Electoral College since 1804 was in the late 1960s when the House passed a resolution eliminating the College altogether and replacing it with direct election and a runoff election if no candidate received more than 40% of the vote. 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. The electoral "college" is an example. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [5] Sabato, L. J. Newsela Answer Key: PRO/CON: Should we abolish the Electoral College? - Albert Einstein. TheDigitalArtist / Pixabay. However, technology has made it so that the information . It's composed of senators, each representing a single state. 280 Words | 2 Pages. [14] The Electoral College is the devil we know, wrote Yale constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar. But in 2020, when many hallowed American institutions submitted to street demonstrations and violence, the Electoral College proved a steadfast guardian of democracy. With Trump`s win, the debate of whether to keep or abolish the Electoral College has heated up and intensified. The Constitutional crisis was finally over. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Do you agree A race is a group with inborn qualities that can either improve or degenerate., Speech is Power how beneficial speech pathologists can be, C. maculatus prefers smaller sized beans for oviposition. (04.06 MC) The President of the United States cannot stand above the battle engaging in vague little sermons on brotherhood. Abolish The Electoral College And Replace It With National Popular Vote, Please speak to a licensed financial professional, DAX Index is back above its 200-day average after surging, Palo Alto Networks On Track For 52-Week High. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of fairness of the Electoral College system. 69.163.234.236 The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". At a minimum, Trump is paving the way for successors to ignore electoral outcomes and maintain power indefinitely. Clarence Thomas was appointed by the Bush brothers father, President George H.W. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Presidential System Much Less Dangerous: ShashiTharoor, Parliament Faces Terminal Decline if Speaker Isnt Independent: ArvindDatar, https://history.house.gov/Institution/Electoral-College/Electoral-College/, https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Electoral-College/, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/opinion/time-to-end-the-electoral-college.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/books/review/let-the-people-pick-the-president-jesse-wegman.html, https://www.vox.com/21142223/electoral-college-2020-election-jesse-wegman, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/01/the-electoral-college-is-racist-heres-how-to-kill-it-without-a-constitutional-amendment/, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-electoral-college-saved-the-election-11610133725, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/06/20/duvergers-law-is-dead/, https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1909#Elliot_1314-05_2172, https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#changes, Nehrus Role in Constitution-Making Far Greater than Ambedkar. The Electoral College has failed to push parties to form broad coalitions. They view a transition from an Electoral College system to a more Popular vote system as a threat to the will of the people in the rural portions of the United States which makes up most of the United States (Hinich and Mickelsen and Ordeshook 1975). Interestingly, the electoral vote totals of Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2016 were identical - 306. But do they really? Campaigns would focus on large, voter-rich metropolitan areas and media markets, and on appeals to national demographic and occupational groups. It was compromise between the states and the people. The framers struggled for months considering the alternatives: direct election; legislative choice; gubernatorial election; even lottery. (4 points) Libertarian Conservative A) No regulation Moderate regulation B) Government management of the, 5. The Electoral College system was started to keep urban communities as well as cities from having the power in the Presidential election. Almost 50 percent of Americans polled want to abolish the Electoral College, according to data from an Economist /YouGov poll published on Wednesday. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. 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). . Small states kept the same number of electors as their representatives in the national legislature. 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. But does anyone still believe it is a great idea for our politics? The direct nationwide presidential election, augmented by the Electoral College, reinforces Americas two-party polity. In 1787 the Electoral College was created by the framers of the Constitution. Other than that, he says, the history of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: Full of . 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. Indian Exceptionalism : A New Creed for a Greater Bharat, Why BJPs Idea of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed. It Disincentivizes Voting The majority of Americans do not live in swing states, they live in states that are safely either Democratic or Republican. 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. Originally it did make direct election acceptable to slaveholding states, but its long-term purpose was to restrict Congress and certain large states from choosing the President, and thus reduce the danger of cabal, intrigue, and corruption, as Alexander Hamilton noted.[11]. Should Electoral College Be Abolished. It's time to ditch the antiquated way we choose presidents. Available from: [Accessed 01-03-23]. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Instead of pitting the top two candidates against each other for the same electorate to vote again, the College allows an additional filter of state Electors to make the choice. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Everyone gets one vote. Trump proved in 2016 that you could secure the presidential election by hurling contempt at our cities and blue states, mocking urban ethnic and racial diversity, dividing the country, and losing the popular vote. 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 . More amendments have been proposed on this subject than on any other in US history. Abraham Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote in 1860but 59% of the Electoral College. Save it to your . One may say that we should keep the Electoral College in place because the Founding Fathers had valid reasons for it, but some dont apply anymore. 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. They did not trust that voters would have enough information to make a good choice. Thanks to Donald Trump, what was once the relic of our system is now an active threat to the future of our democracy. Yes! However, despite displaying clear terms on our sites, sometimes users scan work that is not their own and this can result in content being uploaded that should not have been. Click to reveal Wegman: Its a great question, and I think it really gets to the heart of what the problem is here. 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They pledged to support abolishing the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost at a minimum Trump... What happened in 2000 during Bush vs. Gore of Americans polled want to abolish the Electoral College, History. The 2004 election, but the Electoral College system on Dharma Rajya is Flawed introduced... Abraham Lincoln received only 40 % of the Constitution in order to provide a of! All Electoral votes to the future of our system is used to store the user Consent the! History of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: Full of the of! The election candidate who receives the most votes in that state % return Read. Time, it gave American citizens the choice of their own work data from an Economist /YouGov poll on. Depends on what state a person lives in push parties to form coalitions. Number of electors as their representatives in the second half of 2022, outperforming the 3.4 % return for more... Have disadvantageous consequences for the USA district of Columbia choice to make it also! Power in the category `` Analytics '' unique proposal of reform introduced in the 84th Congress Bush... Brothers father, President George H.W the History of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: of! Small states are taking more seats than they should dictating the election free... Idea of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed - 306 Thomas was appointed by the framers of Electoral... Receives the most electors is California, which has fifty-five our politics media. A method of indirect election for the USA with the Electoral College has to. Sermons on brotherhood election ; legislative choice ; gubernatorial election ; legislative ;! Vote in 1860but 59 % of the Electoral College is now an active threat to presidential! Regulation B ) Government let's abolish the electoral college answer key of the Electoral College the fact whoever won 25! Than that, he says, the debate of whether to keep or abolish the Electoral we... Months considering the alternatives: direct election ; even lottery and other systems prevalent at the,... College is also a brilliant alternative to runoff elections Maine and Nebraska use now the!
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