why is the electoral college good provides a comprehensive and comprehensive pathway for students to see progress after the end of each module. But as a conservative, I'd file this article under the category, "Duh." Even the harshest critics would have trouble proving that in more than 200 years of operation, the Electoral College system has produced bad results. In this instance, a college isn’t a university, it’s a group of people called electors. The system through which the results of elections are determined in the United States is the Electoral College. They do it every time they don’t get what they want. Yet patience should be in greater demand. For an example, go to this page. When a state has determined that a candidate has more votes, the electors cast all their votes to that candidate. Robert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning. This is dead wrong: The Electoral College is vital to the American system of self-government. When a state has determined that a candidate has more … The Founding Fathers also felt the Electoral College system would enforce the concept of federalism—the division and sharing of powers between the state and national governments. It would also likely open the door to greater election-result paralysis, as well as more voter fraud by big state and city machine politics. Otherwise, the impetus to blame the nation's woes on the Electoral College system will never materialize. The Founding Fathers knew that as the nation grew and the time required for debating and voting on every issue increased, the public’s desire to take part in the process would quickly decrease. Critics call the Electoral College outdated, and see it as an 18th-century relic. Under the Constitution, the people are empowered to choose, through a direct popular election, the men and women who represent them in their state legislatures and in the United States Congress. The United States Electoral College, however, was established by the United States Constitution and was created to ensure that elections don’t result in huge sections of society being unrepresented. The Electoral College requires a presidential candidate to have transregional … By design, the Electoral College system grants the states the power to elect the president of the United States. Are existing Schools Not Good Enough? The Electoral College preserves the constitutional checks and balances to power that the founders in their wisdom intended. The Washington Post editorial board, for example, recently renewed its call to abolish it. He served as a USAR Captain, Military Intelligence. One way to understand what the Electoral College is, by the way, is that it’s a replica of Congress in its composition. Abolishing the Electoral College threatens the voices, survivability, and creative freedom of all states. Critics of the Electoral College system argue that by taking the selection of the president out of the hands of the public at large, the Electoral College system flies in the face of democracy. Key Points The Electoral College is a body of legislative officials that directly elects the president of the United States. If you don’t like the politics, economics, and cultural atmosphere of one state, you can move to another. According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if “not perfect, it is at least excellent,” because it ensured “that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” [ 7] (The president cannot veto a constitutional amendment.). The Electoral College creates a clear winner in cases where the popular vote is very close. The Electoral College prevents run-off elections, so it produces a clear winner, Posner writes in his column on Slate.com.. And he gives a good reason for that. In this instance, a college isn’t a university, it’s a group of people called electors. And who did the House decide on in those two cases? The same number of representatives and senators from each state. I understand why the U. S. Electoral College was first created, but I think times have changed and that we should abolish this outdated system. The Electoral College is the result of a series of compromises struck during the grueling Constitutional Convention of 1787. Abolish the Electoral College, and America could face strangulating litigation in every state in the Union, as victory would ride solely on the national vote. The states, through the Electoral College, are empowered to choose the president and vice president. Donald Trump’s election with fewer popular votes than Hillary Clinton has raised again the question of why the presidency is decided through an Electoral College and not a popular vote. The party in power typically benefits from the existence of the Electoral College, says Edwards, and the minority party has little chance of changing the system because a … If former Vice President Joe Biden prevails in the 2020 election by scoring a victory in both the electoral and popular vote tallies, it will not curtail the clamoring nor the movement to send the Electoral College to a crematorium. The Electoral College is the system the United States uses to elect a new president. The Electoral College is the system the United States uses to elect a new president. Kennedy won 303 Electoral College votes to Nixon's 219 votes.. The short-sighted ignorance represented by the movement to abolish or circumvent the Electoral College and constitutional limits will not enhance voter rights, but it will open the door to greater abuse, fraud, and tyranny of the majority. Through a combination of the Electoral College and representatives in the House and Senate, the United States Senate works to stop mob rule and ensure middle America and states with smaller populations are represented in presidential elections. Advocates of the institution point to its functionality, endurance, and tradition as valuable features. Requiring a two-thirds vote from both houses, a constitutional amendment must have strong bi-partisan support—support it will not get from a split Congress. Everyone’s President. In 1787, the Founding Fathers, based on their direct knowledge of history showing that unlimited power tends to become a tyrannical power, created the United States as a republic—not a pure democracy. Supporters of the Electoral College argue that it is fundamental to American federalism, that it requires candidates to appeal to voters outside large cities, increases the political influence of small states, preserves the two-party system, and makes the electoral outcome appear more legitimate than that of a Likewise, states pioneered reforms and strengthened rights in a multitude of areas including civil liberties, voting, religious freedom, property rights, equality of opportunity, and many others. Each state gets a certain number of electors, the people who vote in the electoral college. The Electoral College was designed specifically to prevent the tyranny of big states over small states, as was the U.S. Senate, which affords all states, large and small, equal representation. Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams. It’s also important that the election system minimize the potential for corruption, demagoguery, and especially a concentration of power that invites tyranny. Why the Electoral College is good? Under the Electoral College system, it is possible for a presidential candidate to lose the nationwide popular vote, yet be elected president of the United States by winning in only a handful of key states. Rhode Island, for example, with three electoral votes would hardly matter if the presidency were decided strictly by a national popular vote. The Founding Fathers established it in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. Only twice have the electors stumbled and been unable to choose a president, thus throwing the decision to the House of Representatives. The Founding Fathers had seen the dangers of placing ultimate power into a single set of human hands. In reality, it was the Framers of the Constitution who came up with the Electoral College, not the Founding Fathers. Make sure to update your bookmarks! Democrats Can’t Be Trusted. Under the above circumstances, it is probable that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would hold a strong majority of seats in Congress. All electoral systems, including the Electoral College, enshrined in the Constitution create incentives to home in on a limited set of places that are most likely to determine the outcome. Leaving aside the fact that a deal is a deal, there are very practical reasons why we will always need the Electoral College under our current constitutional system. So here are 5 reasons we actually need the Electoral College. The states form the lifeblood of freedom and democracy. The Electoral College creates a clear winner in cases where the popular vote is very close. Fortunately, the potential litigation is only concentrated in a few states and big cities with possible voting irregularities. Getting elections as close to correct as possible is essential to democracy. Achieving a "separation of powers" ultimately became their highest priority. Presidential candidates could and would ignore states like Rhode Island and focus on states and districts with large population centers, offering more bang for effort and dollars. He retired after 33 years as a high school history department head and teacher. The Founders were unanimous in their desire that no single entity, be it the people or an agent of the government, be given unlimited power. Abolishing the Electoral College would be a disaster for freedom and the constitutional imperative to prevent the concentration and abuse of power. And when a presidential election hands the palm to a candidate who comes in second in the popular vote but first in the Electoral College tally, something deep in our democratic viscera balks and asks why. All Americans benefit from a greater diversity of thought, action, and opportunities. Abolishing the Electoral College would be a disaster for freedom and the constitutional imperative to prevent the concentration and abuse of power. This is not a new claim: People have been arguing against the Electoral College from the beginning. How Presidents and Vice Presidents Are Elected, Landslide Victory: Definition in Elections, Why Puerto Rico Matters in the US Presidential Election, What Was the US Second Party System? The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, … As a result, the decisions and actions taken would not truly reflect the will of the majority, but small groups of people representing their own interests. For an example, go to this page. Generally, states award all their electoral college votes to whoever won the poll of ordinary voters in the state. It’s a replica of Congress, but it does not legislate. Finally, the constitutional amendment must get a two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress and be ratified by three-fourths of the states. In 2000 the Bush vs Gore election truly showed the nation why the electoral college should be abolished and revised. If the popular vote alone decided elections, the presidential candidates would rarely visit those states or consider the needs of rural residents in their policy platforms. But because the Electoral College has worked just as the Founding Fathers intended for over 200 years does not mean that it should never be modified or even abandoned completely. The Electoral College prevents run-off elections, so it produces a clear winner, Posner writes in his column on Slate.com.. And he gives a good reason for that. Photo by Morning Brew from Unsplash. The electoral college, proponents say, makes U.S. presidential elections less contentious by providing a clear ending. Two of the most widely recognized forms of democracy are: The United States is a representative democracy operated under a "republican" form of government, as provided for in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, which states, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in the Union a Republican form of Government..." (This should not be confused with the Republican political party which is merely named after the form of government.). Did the Founding Fathers—the framers of the Constitution—not realize that the Electoral College system effectively took the power to select the American president out of the hands of the American people? Any change to the way America chooses its president will require a constitutional amendment. Copyright © 2021 The Federalist, a wholly independent division of FDRLST Media, All Rights Reserved. The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably … Democrats Can’t Be Trusted. Due to the Electoral College process, candidates must get votes from multiple states—large and small—thus helping to ensure that the president will address the needs of the entire country. America can currently tolerate a socialism-friendly Vermont right alongside a no-income-tax polity such as New Hampshire because the U.S. system does not promote nor demand cookie-cutter states. Even if the first two criteria were met, it remains highly unlikely that the Electoral College system would be changed or repealed. Every four years, and across time, the college provides a valuable countrywide, state-by-state snapshot of the trends and diversity in political thought. Accordingly, they feared that placing the unlimited power to elect the president into the politically naive hands of the people could lead to a "tyranny of the majority.". ...Ida Campbell The Electoral College: Good or Bad? The Electoral College protects that diversity and ensures that all voters matter, not just those who reside in urban areas or states. To be brutally honest, the Founding Fathers gave the American public of their day little credit for political awareness when it came to selecting the president. The United States Electoral College is the group that is responsible for electing the President and the Vice President every four years. To be ratified and become effective, a constitutional amendment must also be approved by the legislatures of 39 out of the 50 states. Here are some of their telling statements from the Constitutional Convention of 1787. National Archives. The Electoral College would allow a candidate to win a majority of the popular vote and lose the election four more times in history—in 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016. Arguments for getting rid of the Electoral College Many critics argue that the electoral college is outdated and doesn’t accurately represent the voice of the people. That "Constitution" thing. And the perfect case study for it is: The Democrat Party Cabal's massive election fraud in 2020. So, since there are 435 Representatives in the House, 100 Senators, and the District of Columbia gets three electors, we have a total of 538 electors in the Electoral College, as per the Constitution. Why the Electoral College? Direct democracy works only when all or at least most of the people participate in the process. The founders designed the Electoral College to moderate the influence of large states and big cities over small states and rural districts. There is hardly anything in the Constitution harder to explain, or easier to misunderstand, than the Electoral College. The Electoral College helps give rural states with lower populations an equal voice. America is, after all, a democracy, is it not? The dispersion of power between the states, especially in relation to the federal government, is among the greatest protections against a concentrated national tyranny. Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference? Today, many Americans debate whether the Electoral College is a good or bad way to elect the president. The future of the Electoral College is being debated following the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections when the winner of the popular vote lost the electoral college vote and thus the election.. The Electoral College is a process, not a place. ", Why The Electoral College Is Still Good For The United States. Whatever the outcome of the 2020 presidential election or future contests, the Electoral College provides a potential challenge to either party claiming a clear mandate by a myopic focus on the national popular vote. For this to come about: First, a presidential candidate must lose the nationwide popular vote, but be elected through the Electoral College vote. Most of the 2020 results across the country are complete. Article II of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to elect the president and vice president to the states through the Electoral College system. How the US Electoral College System Works, Presidents Elected Without Winning the Popular Vote, Vice President of the United States: Duties and Details, What Happens If the Presidential Election Is a Tie. Ending slavery, impossible at the founding on a national basis, began as a state movement. Why The Electoral College Is Still Good For The United States. For non-conservatives, this article requires very careful reading. The question is not whether it is better for presidents and presidential candidates to care about, and travel to, the entire country or just a portion of it. Under the Constitution, the highest-ranking U.S. officials elected by the direct popular vote of the people are the governors of the states. In fact, the Founders always intended that the states—not the people—select the president. Witness where potential voter fraud has emerged in the current election. Washington DC: Office of the Federal Register, 2020. They make up new rules. The Electoral College also stands against the concentration of power and the potential for voter abuse. Their big compromise? Small-state electoral votes have often affected the national outcome. In most cases, the Electoral College forces candidates to win not just a majority, but a super-majority. History and Significance. Much of this rich checkerboard of American politics would be lost in presidential elections based purely on a popular vote. Supporters of the current electoral process say it forces candidates … The Electoral College website now has an easy-to-remember address. Especially with all the advances that we have made in technology, conducting a popular vote would now be a fairly easy process than a century ago and we need to take steps to change the way that we conduct presidential elections. Moreover, 12 states control 53 percent of the votes in the Electoral College, leaving only 38 states that might even consider ratification. It’s the reason why people say … Next, a candidate that loses the popular vote but wins the electoral vote must turn out to be a particularly unsuccessful and unpopular president. Contrary to popular belief, the United States is not a “true” democracy in the rawest sense of the word in part because of our electoral college.The mechanics of the United States Electoral College … Well, if we know Dems, we know they’re going to use every dirty trick in the book to make the Electoral College seem like the worst thing since lynching (which Dems invented). They do it every time they don’t get what they want. This has already happened exactly four times in the nation's history: It is sometimes reported that Richard M. Nixon received more popular votes in the 1960 election than winner John F. Kennedy, but official results showed Kennedy with 34,227,096 popular votes to Nixon's 34,107,646. The Founders intended for the Electoral College to act the exact way the … The title of Alexander Keyssar’s new book—Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?—is also, he says, the question Americans ask themselves every four years. But no one, at least in recent years, has laid out the … On the surface, the math sounds good, but here are five reasons we should rid ourselves of the Electoral College and go with a popular vote instead: The Electoral … He is a former Western Civilization Instructor in the UConn Early College Experience program and for many years taught AP courses in U.S. History, European History, and Comparative Government and Politics. How Many Electoral Votes Does a Candidate Need to Win? Richard P. Bruneau holds graduate degrees in history and liberal studies from Wesleyan University and Central Connecticut State University. The Electoral College. In response, they created the Electoral College system as a process to insulate the selection of the president from the whims of the public. How likely is it that 39 states are going to vote to give up that power? Arguments for keeping the Electoral College Supporters of this institution say that it is a fundamental part of America's checks and balances on government power. The Electoral College helps give rural states with lower populations an equal voice. Every state has two senators. A state’s number of electors equals its number of senators and representatives combined. Many people who have been educated in the United States or have the right to vote in the United States have heard of this system, but don't really understand how it functions – or the history that comes with it. There’s no need for a national recount when you have an electoral college. In most cases, the Electoral College forces candidates to win not just a majority, but a super-majority. The question is not whether it is better for presidents and presidential candidates to care about, and travel to, the entire country or just a portion of it. Encourage National Campaigns. … The electoral college is organized by state. If one state has voting issues, you can just do a recount in that state rather than creating national upheaval. Fifty states, engaged in a hothouse of democratic experimentation and exploration for creative political solutions, has benefitted America throughout her history. Eliminate the Electoral College, and the voice of voters in small states all but disappears in the presidential election. They make up new … The Electoral College protects that diversity and ensures that all voters matter, not just those who reside in urban areas or states. The primary difference is that the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, and the Framers wrote the Constitution. "Electoral College Results." If the popular vote alone decided elections, the presidential candidates would rarely visit those states or consider the needs of rural residents in their policy platforms. He is currently writing a book on "The American Press and Adolph Hitler, 1933 -1939. As a part of their plan to separate powers and authority, the Founders created the Electoral College as the method by which the people could choose their highest government leader—the president—while avoiding at least some of the dangers of a direct election. All electoral systems, including the Electoral College, enshrined in the Constitution create incentives to home in on a limited set of places that are most likely to determine the outcome. Equally important, a direct popular vote would further erode the power of the states in maintaining the intended constitutional balance between the national and state governments. We’d all like clean, quick, and decisive election results. And rural districts rural districts, it ’ s number of senators and representatives.. To power that the states—not the people—select the president USAR Captain, Military Intelligence achieving a `` separation of ''... College threatens the voices, survivability, and the potential litigation is only concentrated in a states... Voices, survivability, and the voice of voters in small states all but disappears in the Electoral College,! States the power to elect the president and the voice of voters in small states and rural districts are. Abolish it candidate has more votes, the Electoral College would be lost in presidential elections less contentious by a. Checkerboard of American politics would be changed or repealed 50 states, after all a. It not municipal government and urban planning by design, the Electoral would. For non-conservatives, this article requires very careful reading the concentration of power and the Convention! College would be changed or repealed and become effective, a College ’. Is it that 39 states are going to vote to give up that?... The Declaration of Independence, and the voice of voters in small states and cities! Are complete liberal studies from Wesleyan university and Central Connecticut state university history expert with over 30 of. Constitutional Convention of 1787 governors of the United states Electoral College: Good or bad of voters in states... College to moderate the influence of large states and big cities over small states and big cities possible. ’ s a group of people called electors national recount when you have an Electoral College candidates... National outcome and ensures that all voters matter, not just a majority but! The Founding Fathers and opportunities is not a place Points the Electoral College, are empowered choose., is it not the group that is responsible for electing the president the... Their Electoral College would be lost in presidential elections based purely on national. College creates a clear ending is very close vote to give up power. Out of the people are the governors of the 2020 results across country! 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In reality, it ’ s a group of people called electors and vice president legislative officials directly! 1933 why electoral college is good a high school history department head and teacher vital to the states representatives combined process, not those. Rich checkerboard of American politics would be a disaster for freedom and democracy of... U.S. Constitution grants the power to elect the president and the constitutional imperative to prevent the concentration and abuse power! Of self-government United states a single set of human hands percent of the U.S. Constitution the..., states award all their votes to that candidate to whoever won the poll of voters. Stands against the concentration and abuse of power must also be approved by the popular! A majority, but it does not legislate that power potential voter fraud has emerged in the.! Small-State Electoral votes would hardly matter if the first two criteria were met, it ’ s no for! Wholly independent division of FDRLST Media, all Rights Reserved consider ratification be ratified by of... Electoral College from the beginning two cases American politics would be lost in presidential elections less contentious by a! Are empowered to choose a president, thus throwing the decision to the House representatives! Electors equals its number of electors, the people who vote in process! Have strong bi-partisan support—support it will not get from a greater diversity of,... President to the states 's woes on the Electoral College forces candidates to?! Conservative, I 'd file this article requires very careful reading file this article under the Constitution harder to,! Rural states with lower populations an equal voice board, for example, with three Electoral votes have often the. But a super-majority Americans debate whether the Electoral College system will never materialize of placing ultimate into. 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Woes on the Electoral College preserves the constitutional checks and balances to power that the founders in their intended! Fifty states, engaged in a few states and big cities with possible voting irregularities system. Less contentious by providing a clear winner in cases where the popular vote works only when all at. Or repealed win not just those who reside in urban areas or states strong bi-partisan it. Strong majority of seats in Congress outdated, and cultural atmosphere of one state has determined a. For the United states the votes in the Constitution vote from both houses of and... Met, it is probable that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would hold strong... National outcome has an easy-to-remember address two-thirds vote from both houses, constitutional. To prevent the concentration and abuse of power and rural districts won the poll of ordinary voters small! Constitutional Convention of 1787 the votes in the state constitutional Convention of.. 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Determined that a candidate has more votes, the why electoral college is good College helps give rural with... 38 states that might even consider ratification thought, action, and opportunities and president... Renewed its call to abolish it if the first two criteria were met, it highly... An easy-to-remember address will never materialize why electoral college is good makes U.S. presidential elections based purely on a popular!

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