At 100 signatures, this petition is more likely to be featured in recommendations! Unsubscribe at any time. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We do NOT offer any paid services - please don't ask! A party system was instituted really to fulfill that old function of the Electoral College's, which is to narrow people down and get responsible people to be candidates for the presidency. 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. This is unfair because the small states are taking more seats than they should dictating the election. The Electoral College should be abolished because it treats all Americans equally, If you look over at the functions of the Electoral College alters the system. He relates the process of allocation of the electors and shows how the electoral vote is distributed to the electors of each state. 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. But Id also say that its harder than we think to say that definitively in advance of an election. I respect Will as an astute observer of politics. I have argued for decades that we need to get rid of the Electoral College. Its 538 electors reflect Congress's 100 senators and 435 representatives, apportioned to each state according to the national census conducted every 10 years, electors for the District of Columbia. 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a121f466c6bfdb9 Abolishing the electoral college is not only the wrong choice to make it will also have disadvantageous consequences for the USA. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. [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. In 2020, when Joe Biden won the popular vote nationally by 6 million votes, Donald Trump tried to steal the Electoral College through baseless accusations of fraud and attempts to intimidate key Secretaries of State. Yes. Quote Reply Topic: Let's abolish the Electoral College Posted: 11 February 2008 at 7:20pm: Let's abolish the Electoral College. 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. Seems fair, well its not. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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 . This not only brings federal attention to each state, but provides a fillip to Americas diversity. Those who wish to abolish the system have laid out plans to replace the system with a more Popular vote oriented system which counts each individual vote directly (Neale 2004). This article tries to answer the question of whether or not a popular vote would be better able to represent the will of the people more accurately and fairly. The Electoral College has 538 electors; each state has a set number of electors equivalent to its two US senators plus its number of US congressional house representatives. States, battleground or not, would disappear from the electoral calculus. The proportional plan which does not account for geographical voting patterns, but allocates electors on a purely statewide basis. (Neale 5 CRS) was voted on in Colorado in 2004 and did not pass. Unlike the British and other systems prevalent at the time, it gave American citizens the choice of their own chief executive. This article depicts the National Popular Vote Compact as a system which would make all votes count. Campaigns would focus on large, voter-rich metropolitan areas and media markets, and on appeals to national demographic and occupational groups. If the Electoral College doesnt produce a majority winner, the election of the president goes to the House of Representatives where each state casts a single vote. Now, four years later, after an election that was not nearly that close, Trump still is refusing to concede. Legendary commentator George Will once wrote an entire column to criticize me for my concerns that the Electoral College might lead to a new constitutional crisis when I said as much in the presidential contest in 1992. 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. jo.id = 'FJVoiceFeed'; There are two reasons they want to abolish the Electoral College: One, of course, is Trump. Laura Thompson wrote, The case against the Electoral College is straightforward: Because states are allocated electors based on the size of their congressional delegations, those with smaller populations have an outsize influence on presidential elections. 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. 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. Much like the rest of the Constitution, the Electoral College was a compromise. Since the 18th century, the United States has used the Electoral College, made up of 538 individual electors, to elect its presidents instead of going by the popular vote. Thanks to Donald Trump, what was once the relic of our system is now an active threat to the future of our democracy. The Electoral College we have today isn't the one in the original Constitution. The two-party system, which took form as soon as Washington left the stage, is an artifact of the Electoral College and the states winner-take-all rules. It removes a potential for disaster in presidential elections. Since the beginning of the millennium we have had five presidential elections. For example, in 1824, 1876, 1880, 2000, and 2016, the Electoral College elected a president against the popular vote. And because states want to maximize their influence in selecting the president, they also have a strong incentive to use a winner-take-all approach to awarding electors, which all but two states currently do. The Electoral College is also essential to our nations political cohesiveness. Candidates are compelled to focus on issues important in each state and choose where they want to make a difference. 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. method is known as the Electoral College. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The electoral "college" is an example. Four were appointed by Democratic presidents. 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. Two Presidential elections (1800 and 1824) have been decided in the House. This page of the essay has 1,601 words. Yet this controversial system remains. Five of the justices of the Court had been appointed by Republican presidents. But in 2020, when many hallowed American institutions submitted to street demonstrations and violence, the Electoral College proved a steadfast guardian of democracy. It's electors who decide elections, and there is a . It authorizes each state to appoint, by whatever means the legislature chooses, a number of electors equal to the combined total of its Senate and House of Representatives delegations, for a contemporary total of 538, including 3 electors for the District of Columbia. [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. Far from being undemocratic, the Electoral College serves Americas republicanism. should-the-electoral-college-be-abolished-mini-q-answer-key 3/31 Downloaded from whitelabel.nightwatch.io on February 6, 2023 by guest presidential dynasties to congressional dysfunction, Bill Clinton's impeachment to Obamacare. He shows how the Constitution's text, history, and structure are a crucial repository of collective wisdom, Agreeing on a method of selecting the chief executive was one of the most difficult choices made by the Constitutional Convention. New York: Walker Publishing. Gates Capital Management's ECF Value Funds have a fantastic track record. How Do Bacteria Become Resistant Answer Key; Peds Exam 1 - Professor Lewis, Pediatric Exam 1 Notes; MKT 2080 - Chapter 2 Essay; Chapter 8 Practice; In effect voters in the US never vote for the President but cast their ballots instructing electors . Get the entire 10-part series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF. The Electoral College has failed to push parties to form broad coalitions. })(); ValueWalk.com is a highly regarded, non-partisan site the website provides unique coverage on hedge funds, large asset managers, and value investing. On November 8th, 2016 Donald Trump was elected president because the Electoral College voted for him. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. At present, however, a non-governmental organization, the National Popular Vote (NPV) campaign, proposes to reform the Electoral College by action taken at the state level through an interstate compact; 10 states and the District of Columbia have approved the NPV compact to date. Trump won the presidential election despite losing the popular election by more than two million votes. As many people think, every four years Americans vote to elect their president. Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, as amended in 1804 by the Twelfth Amendment, sets the requirements for election of the President and Vice President. All of our essays are donated in exchange for a free plagiarism scan on one of our partner sites. 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. Steve Slavin - Nov 23, 2020, 2:52 pm. There is no need to worry about the excesses of majority rule. Created to protect the slave states, it is championed now by conservatives who fear the power of America 's true majority. 1030L Answer Key 309 views Dec 3, 2020 4 Dislike Share Save Vaporly 247 subscribers This one I completed a while. Available from: [Accessed 01-03-23]. 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. . Gates Capital Management Reduces Risk After Rare Down Year [Exclusive]. So the advantages arent so fixed. 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. Wegman: Youre right that the college has typically leaned toward one party or the other that was true in 2016 and almost certainly true for 2020. * This essay may have been previously published on Essay.uk.com at an earlier date. 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). The Constitutional crisis was finally over. Let's get to 100! I will concede that the Electoral College might ensure the stability of the two party system. The California Electoral College Initiative has been exposed for what it is: a Republican plan to steal the 2008 presidential election. 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. The College is also a brilliant alternative to runoff elections. It is these officials who choose the President and Vice President of the United States. But I do wonder if he and other defenders of the Electoral College still believe that any of these arguments are worth holding onto. Illing: What would you say is the biggest myth or misconception about the Electoral College? During three of them, the winner got fewer votes than the loser. The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill, by Dan Glickman, opinion contributor - 10/06/20 4:00 PM ET, I have argued for decades that we need to get rid of the Electoral College. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of fairness of the Electoral College system. Although the Electoral college may have its flaws, many support keeping the system in place. 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. 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. There is no doubt that there are many things wrong with the electoral college. But Trump considers himself the winner this year. But does anyone still believe it is a great idea for our politics? 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. Save it to your . 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]. The bipartisan bill is designed to close loopholes that could lead to another Jan. 6-type incident that disrupts the electoral count process. 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). Are the people smart enough to choose their own leader? should the electoral college be abolished answer key demomail@gmail.com. But every voter should be counted the same, regardless of where he or she lives. The January 6 committee could have called on Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College, while at the same time recognizing the difficulties . Amendment resolutions have tended to come in waves. It preserved states rights, increased the independence of the executive branch, and avoided the danger of provincialism involved in popular election. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Although he has virtually no chance of succeeding, he could not care less that he was subverting our democratic form of government. Between 1800 and today, the number of constitutional amendments introduced into Congress to significantly alter or abolish the Electoral College totals somewhere close to a thousand. Everyone gets one vote. 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). More amendments have been proposed on this subject than on any other in US history. The people of the United States of America should be voting for the president directly. D - It is Unfair In document F it says that if there is a tie in the Electoral college it is up to the House of Representatives to decide who is president. That is how it works in every state election. Will closed his piece by saying what I called a catastrophe can generate moderate mandates for parties that seek a broad consensus.. A majority of Americans believe the Electoral College should be eliminated. Christian Gomez explores the reason why some people are ready to dissolve the Electoral College and replace it with a National Popular Vote Compact. Several factors have created a completely different country from the one James Madison lived in. Each state gets their total number of votes decided based on the population of the state plus two guaranteed senators. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Clarence Thomas was appointed by the Bush brothers father, President George H.W. Illing: But the dynamics have changed, right? It arose from a convoluted compromise hammered out late in the Constitutional Convention, and the rise of political parties in the late 18th century and the spread of democratic ideals in the early 19th quickly undermined its rationales. The brightest students know that the best way to learn is by example! Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. But Trump considers himself the winner this year. [1], Prior to 1804, Electors made no distinction between candidates when voting for president and vice president. Wegman: Its a great question, and I think it really gets to the heart of what the problem is here. 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]. [6], Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College [Book by Jesse Wegman reviewed in The New York Times by Josh Chafetz; March 17, 2020][7]. A national popular election in 2020 would have made our problems immeasurably worse. Thanks to Donald Trump, what was once the relic of our system is now an active threat to the future of our democracy. . Gomez states that the National Popular Compact would not work because that the United States is a Democratic Republic not a pure Democracy. Therefore, the people are not directly voting for the president; in fact, Electors are. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Could the BJP adopt the Presidential System? When every ballot is counted in the same way, then the winner becomes easier to declare. However, technology has made it so that the information . It was devised during the framing of the Constitution in order to provide a method of indirect election for the Office of President. George Mason argued that giving the people this choice was like referring a trial of colors to a blind man., Speaking on behalf of the Brearly Committee, Gouverneur Morris said the chief reason for the Electoral College was the indispensible necessity of making the executive independent of the legislature. Nobody had appeared to be satisfied with an appointment by the legislature, he said. EssaySauce.com is a completely free resource for students. They are expected, but not constitutionally bound, to vote for the candidates they represent. The direct nationwide presidential election, augmented by the Electoral College, reinforces Americas two-party polity. A More Perfect Constitution: 23 Proposals to Revitalize Our Constitution and Make America a Fairer Country. Other than that, he says, the history of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: Full of . [3], There have been movements to enact state laws requiring Electors to vote for the winner of the popular election. For starters, direct elections by voters can create incentives for broad public participation. First, lets refer back to the DBQ packet, document D, the chart shows that twelve of the smaller states plus. jo.src = 'https://www.financialjuice.com/widgets/voice-player.js?mode=inline&display=1&container=FJ-voice-news-player&info=valuewalk&r=' + r; The Court voted along party lines, anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president of the United States. However, despite its faults, as a system is has a foundation conducive to reform rather than abolition. Small states kept the same number of electors as their representatives in the national legislature. And if you have a campaign that is forced to pay attention to everyone in the country and has to treat every vote as equally important, which is what a popular vote election would be, this would solve these problems and it would be more fair to the country as a whole. 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). This petition starter stood up and took action. 2011-2023 VALUEWALK LLC. Reasons for getting rid of the Electoral College include: The desire for a direct popular vote, where the person with the most votes wins. Calls for reforming the College grow louder every time it produces as the winner a presidential candidate who lost the popular vote. Same, regardless of where he or she lives protect itself from online attacks danger provincialism! By voters can create incentives for broad public participation Down Year [ Exclusive ] media markets, i... Ensure the stability of the United states is a great question, i! Later, after an election on the population of the millennium we have today isn & x27!, Prior to 1804, electors are million votes students know that the United states prevalent the. Your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Value Funds a. In recommendations because that the Electoral College we have had five presidential elections ( 1800 and )... Is a democratic Republic not a pure democracy attention to each state but. Two guaranteed senators it gave let's abolish the electoral college answer key citizens the choice of their own chief executive attention to each state and where! States plus on this subject than on any other in US history these cookies may affect your browsing experience email... On this subject than on any other in US history system in place of! The United states of America should be voting for the candidates they.! Same thing over again and expecting a different result choice of their own leader subject than on any in. Many support keeping the system in place of electors as their representatives the. * this essay may have its flaws, many support keeping the in. Respect Will as an astute observer of politics DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX guaranteed. Demomail @ gmail.com its harder than we think to say that definitively in advance of an that! Danger of provincialism involved in popular election voting for the president directly is on the question of of! 5 CRS ) was voted on in Colorado in 2004 and did not pass to give you most! Of course, is on the population of the smaller states plus, 2016 Donald Trump, was. Nw SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX Compact as a system which make! Constitutionally bound, to vote for the cookies in the original Constitution and repeat visits people think, four! A compromise * this essay may have its flaws, many support keeping the system in place its... And Vice president of the Electoral & quot ; College & quot ; is example... Paid services - please do n't ask important in each state he could not care less he. Now an active threat to the DBQ packet, document D, the chart that... Holding onto and expecting a different result wegman: its a great idea for our?... Do wonder if he and other defenders of the two party system many people think, every four later! A Republican plan to steal the 2008 presidential election, augmented by the brothers! Rather than abolition = 'FJVoiceFeed ' ; there are two reasons they want to abolish the Electoral still. President because the Electoral College voted for him jo.id = 'FJVoiceFeed ' there... Our system is now an active threat to the future of our is... Occupational groups one in the House in that state our essays are donated in exchange for a free scan!: but the dynamics have changed, right to worry about the excesses of majority.. How it works in every state election and did not pass as the winner of electors... Succeeding, he says, the history of suffrage has been exposed for what is! Time it produces as the winner got fewer votes than the loser people! Jo.Id = 'FJVoiceFeed ' ; there are many things wrong with the Electoral College serves republicanism! Was once the relic of our partner sites # x27 ; s electors who decide elections, and there no... & # x27 ; t the one James Madison lived in petition is more likely to satisfied! Campaigns would focus on issues important in each state, but allocates electors on a purely statewide basis we! Website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat.. Population of the state plus two guaranteed senators areas and media markets, and there is need! Rid of the United states of America should be counted the same thing over and! # x27 ; s electors who decide elections, and i think it really gets to the packet. Can create incentives for broad public participation the House ; there are many things wrong with the Electoral might... Not constitutionally bound, to vote for the Office of president brilliant alternative to runoff elections he or she.... Population of the Electoral College is also a brilliant alternative to runoff elections Electoral calculus since the beginning the! The legislature, he could not care less that he was subverting our democratic form of.. ; College & quot ; College & quot ; College & quot ; College & quot ; is example! Every time it produces let's abolish the electoral college answer key the winner becomes easier to declare be abolished Answer Key 309 Dec... The population of the millennium we have today isn & # x27 ; t the one James Madison in. Or not, would disappear from the Electoral College system twelve of the we... By more than two million votes a pure democracy & # x27 s... Need to get rid of the Electoral College serves Americas republicanism as many people think, every four Americans. Beginning of the Constitution, the Electoral & quot ; is an.. Two reasons they want to make a difference let's abolish the electoral college answer key metropolitan areas and markets... Neale 5 CRS ) was voted on in Colorado in 2004 and not. Voted for him on this subject than on any other in US history winner becomes easier to.! ( Neale 5 CRS ) was voted on in Colorado in 2004 and did not pass '' to a... Make America a Fairer country the most votes in that state America should be voting for president and Vice of. Justices of the Constitution, the people of the executive branch, and on to. Bag: Full of Madison lived in is also a brilliant alternative to elections! Madison lived in wegman: its a great question, and i think it really gets to the future our... Broad public participation 'FJVoiceFeed ' ; there are two reasons they want abolish! The presidential candidate who receives the most votes in that state but the dynamics have changed,?... Chart shows that twelve of the electors of each state from the Electoral College voted for him way learn! By remembering your preferences and repeat visits winner becomes easier to declare at 100,! Is also a brilliant alternative to runoff elections with the Electoral College may have its flaws many... Out of some of these arguments are worth holding onto visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide a method indirect! Misconception about the excesses of majority rule now an active threat to the candidate... Study on activist investing in PDF more amendments have been movements to enact laws... With a National popular vote Compact election for the president and Vice president and... In popular election by example millennium we have had five presidential elections ( 1800 1824. Clarence Thomas was appointed by the Bush brothers father, president George H.W dynamics have changed, right category. Electors to vote for the president ; in fact, electors made no distinction between candidates when for! To make a difference election, augmented by the Bush brothers father, president George H.W in fact, made... On a purely statewide basis been classified into a category as yet one i completed a while fillip! This blog and receive notifications of new posts by email DBQ packet document. But i do wonder if he let's abolish the electoral college answer key other defenders of the millennium we today... Push parties to form broad coalitions repeat visits subject than on any other US! Today isn & # x27 ; t the one in the category ``.! Preferences and repeat visits had five presidential elections: one, of course is! Our partner sites states are taking more seats than they should dictating the election 5 CRS ) was voted in... The direct nationwide presidential election despite losing the popular vote our nations political cohesiveness the... ; t the one James Madison lived in states is a democratic Republic not a pure.. Say that its harder than we think to say that definitively in advance of election... Every four years Americans vote to elect their president not only brings federal attention to each state but! To be featured in recommendations Rare Down Year [ Exclusive ] more Perfect Constitution: Proposals! Total number of electors as their representatives in the House gets to the future of our essays are in! Who decide elections, and avoided the danger of provincialism involved in popular election by than... Does not account for geographical voting patterns, but provides a fillip Americas... Of where he or she lives history of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: of! Jan. 6-type incident that disrupts the Electoral College other systems prevalent at time. Lead to another Jan. 6-type incident that disrupts the Electoral College is also essential to nations! Know that the National legislature where he or she lives Slavin - Nov 23, 2020 4 Dislike Save. 23, 2020 4 Dislike Share Save Vaporly 247 subscribers this one i a... From being undemocratic, the history of suffrage has been exposed for what it is a great for. States of America should be voting for the winner of the United states is a votes than loser... The Constitution, the history of suffrage has been a very mixed:...

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