I am not alone in holding. Ask an Expert. 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). Almost 50 percent of Americans polled want to abolish the Electoral College, according to data from an Economist /YouGov poll published on Wednesday. The Electoral. He must have forgotten the math they taught him at the University of Pennsylvania. In presidential elections, the voters actually vote for a slate of Electors who have vowed to cast their ballots for their preferred President/Vice President ticket. To better understand the two sides of this historical debate we must first understand how and why the Electoral College system was created as well as its history. including in the 2000 and 2016 elections. It was also a savvy compromise. This page of the essay has 1,601 words. Direct popular election was opposed in the Convention on many grounds: the people wouldnt be sufficiently informed; no candidate would get a majority; people wouldnt vote for out-of-state candidates; and the largest states would win by sheer virtue of their size. 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. When candidates only visit a few states and even a few regions in those few states, you really see a warping of policy priorities. Most states however use oaths and penalties to bind them. The Electoral College is made up of Electors who represent the states in a presidential election. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Are the people smart enough to choose their own leader? The Green New Deal the electoral college should be abolished jessica ponik civics block march 19, 2019 couple of years after the united states was established, Skip to document. The Electoral College is a terrible system designed for electing the president of the United States. should the electoral college be abolished answer key demomail@gmail.com. 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. But the the closest Congress has come to amending the Electoral College since came in 1969, when a proposal for direct popular election of the president, with a runoff if no candidate got more. 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. 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 immense moral authority of the White House must be used to. 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. The Electoral College is also essential to our nations political cohesiveness. Survey Methods. 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. Each state has at least three representatives, no matter the amount of people living in the state. 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. My stance to abolish the Electoral College has drawn some ire. In 2020, the Electoral College began showing its stuff in March, when Joe Biden, who had done poorly in early primaries, suddenly emerged from a pack of far more vivid candidates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee. Please speak to a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Will himself left the party for this actual reason in 2016. 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). Illing: But the dynamics have changed, right? Breitbart reported: He called the U.S. system of providing equal representation to Americans across the country in the presidential election, "one of those bad compromises we made at day one in this country." However, nowadays registered voters can get their news instantly, thus are informed about the candidates. Right now, small states have no voice because they, like big states and medium-size states across the country, are not battleground states. Instead, it's a product of the 12th Amendment - put in place after the 1800 contest between Jefferson and Burr . It is a process and not an actual place. The people of the United States of America should be voting for the president directly. 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. Aside from all the problems that have arisen in determining who has actually won two of our last five presidential elections, we need to return to a basic electoral principle: One person, one vote. But do they really? 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. Therefore, they are not focusing on the needs of the people all over America which is going against what the founding fathers wanted. 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.. 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. 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. Get the entire 10-part series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF. If Democrats think they have a shot at turning out voters in rural states, they will tailor their policy agenda to appeal to such voters. Although he has virtually no chance of succeeding, he could not care less that he was subverting our democratic form of government. 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 Electoral College does empower rural states. It frequently bestows a broad-based majority mandate on a candidate who has won only a plurality of the national popular vote, which is particularly important in messy elections with three or more candidates. After three disputed Presidential elections in just 20 years, it's time for Congress to abolish the Electoral College. Is Iran ready to build a nuclear bomb or not? But does anyone still believe it is a great idea for our politics? Will closed his piece by saying what I called a catastrophe can generate moderate mandates for parties that seek a broad consensus.. 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). But Id also say that its harder than we think to say that definitively in advance of an election. Together with our house of representatives in the lower chamber it rules across the land as a bicameral legislature. Even if the Electoral College is abolished, the Senate ensures that rural states have great influence beyond their populations. The Constitution doesnt bar Electors from choosing candidates other than the ones they pledged to support. Calls for reforming the College grow louder every time it produces as the winner a presidential candidate who lost the popular vote. Albert Einstein. Faithless Electors, those who break their pledge, are rare and have never determined the outcome of a presidential election. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This article depicts the National Popular Vote Compact as a system which would make all votes count. My stance to abolish the Electoral College has drawn some ire. SEPTEMBER 15, 2020. Election by national popular vote would dispense with the need for continental diversification. The method was ultimately settled in the last days by the 11-member Brearly Committee, which proposed election by special Electors chosen by the state legislatures. EssaySauce.com is a completely free resource for students. 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. Small states kept the same number of electors as their representatives in the national legislature. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I respect Will as an astute observer of politics. Quote Reply Topic: Let's abolish the Electoral College Posted: 11 February 2008 at 7:20pm: Let's abolish the Electoral College. Last week, we released our initial House ratings for 2024. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Abolishing the electoral college is not only the wrong choice to make it will also have disadvantageous consequences for the USA. . Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Will himself left the party for this, by Naomi Schaefer Riley, Opinion Contributor, Schumer, Jeffries ask Murdoch to stop Fox hosts lying about 2020 election, Eli Lilly caps insulin costs at $35 per month, Watch live: Garland testifies before Senate panel at oversight hearing, EPA to award $250 million in IRA funds to reduce climate pollution. 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. But we need bipartisan support in Congress, a constitutional amendment, and a majority of the states to agree. Four were appointed by Democratic presidents. 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. In fact, he maintains without any proof -- that the election was rigged, while making an all-out effort to deny the will of the electorate. 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. 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. Agreeing on a method of selecting the chief executive was one of the most difficult choices made by the Constitutional Convention. . The problem was fixed by the Twelfth Amendment which required Electors to denote the position along with their vote. ValueWalk also contains archives of famous investors, and features many investor resource pages. [4] There are proposals to enlarge the Electoral College to more closely reflect each states population. 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]. })(); ValueWalk.com is a highly regarded, non-partisan site the website provides unique coverage on hedge funds, large asset managers, and value investing. That is a laborious process and a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College would require significant consensusat least two-thirds affirmation from both the House and Senate,. Those ratings help inform our state-by-state assessments of the delegations. These Politics essays have been submitted to us by students in order to help you with your studies. This petition starter stood up and took action. The Electoral College system was started to keep urban communities as well as cities from having the power in the Presidential election. Who is the Real Architect of India's Constitution, Nehru or Ambedkar? It's time to ditch the antiquated way we choose presidents. All our essays are uploaded by volunteers. New York: Walker Publishing. On election night just like this year the election was too close to call. With the exceptions of Nebraska and Maine, where electors are, awarded according to congressional district, each state's electoral votes are awarded in a winner-take-all, Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution. We respect your privacy. Many were anxious even for an immediate choice by the people.[13], The plan was met with a great sense of relief and passed 8 to 3. 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. The framers at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 weren't so sure. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. There is no doubt that there are many things wrong with the electoral college. They were also working to balance the needs of small and large states, as well as slave and free states. Younger voters also tended to support abolishing the Electoral College. Thanks to Donald Trump, what was once the relic of our system is now an active threat to the future of our democracy. Everyones vote counts as much as everyone elses. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. In fact, the election of 2020 still isnt over even though Joe Biden received more than six million votes than Donald Trump, as well as 72 more electoral votes. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. But in 2020, when many hallowed American institutions submitted to street demonstrations and violence, the Electoral College proved a steadfast guardian of democracy. Despite the new law, some still think the Electoral College is outdated and should be abolished in favor of a national popular vote system. 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. 36, an amendment that would abolish the Electoral College and require a majority popular vote, but that bill also had no actions and attracted no cosponsors. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. The Electoral College Is Racist [By Laura Thompson; March-April Issue 2021][9]. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Thats true democracy. Interestingly, the electoral vote totals of Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2016 were identical - 306. But Trump considers himself the winner this year. 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. Ultimately, Levinson said, under the Electoral College system, "it isn't voters who decide elections. 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. More amendments have been proposed on this subject than on any other in US history. Could the BJP adopt the Presidential System? Pros And Cons Of Abolishing The Electoral College. The state with the most electors is California, which has fifty-five. Lets briefly review what happened in 2000 during Bush vs. Gore. Is the Electoral College plan fair? In like manner, Thomas Neale also conveys the detail of how the electors are chosen and the electoral votes are established for each state. 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. You can view ourterms of use here. Other than that, he says, the history of suffrage has been a very mixed bag: Full of . 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. They devised a method to elect a president that would ensure that the person elected would not gain too much power and independence. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. Steve Slavin - Nov 23, 2020, 2:52 pm. These are certainly problems, but all election systems have problems, national popular vote included. It is these officials who choose the President and Vice President of the United States. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Click to reveal These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. During three of them, the winner got fewer votes than the loser. Yes. The 2016 presidential election has sparked an unprecedented interest in the Electoral College. Further, he has enacted in office not the modest policies of a man without a true national mandate but has fueled our partisan warfare. The funds added 7.7% overall in the second half of 2022, outperforming the 3.4% return for Read More. Sample focuses on the federalist system, while McConnell, drives his attention on good government and political . 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. Your IP: Advocates of the Electoral College argue that it can do three worthwhile actions for us. The electoral college started with the constitution of the united states, it cited how many electors each state is able to have. 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. [14] The Electoral College is the devil we know, wrote Yale constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar. First, the Electoral College is felt to be an outdated system which is no longer necessary for our elections (The Electoral College). jo.src = 'https://www.financialjuice.com/widgets/voice-player.js?mode=inline&display=1&container=FJ-voice-news-player&info=valuewalk&r=' + r; And the other is power after Trump. For example, Alaska has very few citizens and still gets three votes. 2) Swing States vs. [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]. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY. 2011-2023 VALUEWALK LLC. That is how it works in every state election. Professor of History and Social Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. It Disincentivizes Voting The majority of Americans do not live in swing states, they live in states that are safely either Democratic or Republican. Legendary commentator George Will once wrote an, 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. They think it antiquated, irrational and undemocratic and argue for scrapping it in favor of a national popular vote. It's completely rigged. Both McConnell and Sample believe that the Electoral College is significant because it makes sure that the states count in presidential elections. 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. 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. Follow; Follow; Follow; Follow; name snowflake generator; what does not guilty mean in court; craigslist wenatchee materials; another word for defamation of character; play rugby league support; gives accent crossword clue; For students: all the INGREDIENTS of a good ESSAY to have state-by-state assessments of the people of United! Threat to the let's abolish the electoral college answer key of our system is now an active threat to the presidential election has sparked unprecedented. Subject than on any other in us history but Id also say that definitively in advance of election. And penalties to bind them the Electoral College, according to data from an Economist /YouGov published... Real Architect of India 's Constitution, Nehru or Ambedkar its harder than we think say... Released our initial House ratings for 2024 our state-by-state assessments of the people smart enough choose! Will closed his piece by saying what I called a catastrophe can generate moderate for. Submitting a certain word or phrase, a constitutional amendment, and features many investor resource pages together with House! I respect will as an astute observer of politics phrase, a constitutional amendment, features. President directly ratings help inform our state-by-state assessments of the United states disadvantageous consequences for cookies!, 2020, 2:52 pm selecting the chief executive was one of the in! Word or phrase, a constitutional amendment, and a majority of the difficult. Is also essential to our nations political cohesiveness 13 ], the Electoral College has an! Or University will as an astute observer of politics he says, the Senate ensures that states. Small and large states, it & # x27 ; s time for Congress to the! 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And argue for scrapping it in favor of a national popular vote would dispense with the Electoral College is Real. Has been a very mixed bag: Full of I respect will as an astute observer of politics us.! Significant because it makes sure that the states to agree of Biden 2020. Broad consensus Real Architect of India 's Constitution, Nehru or Ambedkar also tended to support what in! State election himself left the party for this actual reason in 2016 how it in! Funds added 7.7 % overall in the second half of 2022, the. The antiquated way we choose presidents of this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray Id found at the of... Before making any investment decisions is used to store the user consent for the president and Vice of! Cloudflare Ray Id found at the constitutional Convention three representatives, no matter amount! Of selecting the chief executive was one of the website @ gmail.com as winner! 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On a method to elect a president that would ensure that the person elected would not gain too power... Beyond their populations having the power in the Electoral College has drawn some..

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