The Electoral College system has proven a success for some, yet a disappointment for others. Many Americans are beginning to feel that this system is unfair and unjust, sometimes to the majority of the population. This previous election has proven just how many people are against this system. This system is so complex and complicated that it has a tendency to turn away voters because it makes them feel as if their votes do not count. It also causes the country to become more divided, thus causing a variety of problems to rise.…
In the article, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About the Electoral College, Steve Neumann of the Monmouth Magazine interviews Chris DeRosa, chair of the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University, about the Electoral College. DeRosa tells why the Electoral College was created and is asked what he believes are the advantages and disadvantages of this system. DeRosa starts by giving a very brief description of what the Electoral College does, casting votes for presidential elections, and how one receives electoral votes. He also explains that there are occasionally faithless electors who do not vote for who they are pledged to. However, these electors have never affected the outcome of an election.…
For the fifth time in U.S. history, and the second time this century, a presidential candidate has won the White House through the Electoral votes, while apparently losing the popular vote. It just so happened that Hilary won the popular votes having 65,435,318 and Trump having 62,788,630 total popular votes. While, Hilary had 232 votes in the Electoral College, Trump, who had a total of 306 votes, is the president elect of the United States. In order to understand the above subject as it relates to the 2016 elections, it is highly important to do a breakdown of the different branches that make up the final outcome of the elections held in the United States of America.…
The confusion surrounding the Electoral College stems from the ongoing arguments between those who wish to abolish, reform, or keep the system of voting. Yet, many people do not understand the system itself, this adds to the unresolved conflict. When the public wants more influence over presidential elections, would most Americans be equipped enough to make a well-informed decision? In 1787, the founding fathers did not believe so, that is why they created the Electoral College. Currently, citizens of the U.S. have the means to access lots of information on many different topics.…
The Electoral College is a flawed system in which decides America’s presidential fate. According to Google, the Electoral College “consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.” In many elections in the past, Presidential candidates who did not win a majority of the popular vote, or even a plurality, were elected president because of the electoral college. Take Bush vs. Al Gore for example.…
It was named the Electoral college. The Electoral College was created for a few reasons. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. At the time, the founding fathers were worried of a tyrant like ruler who could manipulate public opinion in a direct election. They didn't trust citizens and wanted to leave it to a group of trusted politicians.…
In a presidential election, voters cast ballots for the candidate they prefer, though these votes only select their state’s electors. Electors, who are slated to vote for the popular-elected candidate, then vote in a second election to select the actual president. An electoral college system adds a layer of separation between the popular majority and the power of the federal government’s executive branch, while also giving the ability to misrepresent the popular vote. The electoral college is not democratic because the way of calculating the number of electors over represents the population in small states.…
The Electoral College should be abolished because: smaller states are over represented, it is undemocratic, and it violates political equality. The Electoral College should be archaic. Essentially, there happens to be no need for it. It was established on basis of that people did not know what or who they were voting for and voted just because they could. Now-a-days, people transpire to be further educated and are able to establish the right decision on who the president should be.…
Dear State Senator, the electoral college is an obsolete system of election. Although the electoral college was an idea set by the founding fathers in the constitution, this form of election is not effective any longer. People have the right to vote, but this form of election is not directly voting for a representative. The electoral college essentially makes the people vote for electors who then have the opportunity to vote for whom ever they would like. The electoral system is an archaic system that needs to be exchanged for the popular vote because the people do not vote for an actual representative, the system has failed before, and the system has the opportunity to have an even greater mishap.…
While the U.S. prides itself on being one of the world’s oldest and fairest democracies, the reality is that the American political system is full of anachronisms that have been excised in other democracies. For example, the antiquated American system of first-past-the-post voting, which prevents third parties from gaining any headway against the Republicans or Democrats, has been rectified with proportional voting systems in countries like Sweden and the Netherlands. Similarly, our system of the electoral college, where the president is determined not by the votes of American citizens, but by appointed electors, has no analogue in any other democracy in the developed world. This is to our detriment, because the electoral college is an outmoded institution that needs to be abolished. Beyond the fact that it deprives the American people of their voting rights, the electoral college has been used to deny the people’s choice for president on several occasions, most recently in the past election, when Donald Trump won…
Especially with the current availability of social media, people lack the ability to verify if the information they are seeing is factual at times due to the sheer amount of information shared and viewed. In my opinion people who are making the decisions for states are politically informed and involved and vote based on their knowledge of the government. “Proposals to abolish the Electoral College, though frequently put forward, have failed largely because the alternatives to it appear more problematic than is the College itself.” (Kimberling) Therefore, without an alternative method in place, it seems the Electoral College will have to remain in…
The Electoral College was a system outlined in the United States’ constitution by the founding fathers, as the method in which they believe the president should be elected. But with the progression of time the views on the necessity of the Electoral College has become a controversy, as now two factions exist with one faction believing that the Electoral College is an illegitimate method for the election of a president. Though this faction exists and believes the Electoral College is an unfair system that gives a disproportionate voice to different United States’ citizens, but is it truly unfair and unjust. As the Electoral College is a part of the United States constitution where it can be found in Article II, Section I along with a few clarifications…
When most people think about voting, they usually think you show up to the poll, cast your vote, then immediately go towards the candidate. Instead, the process is very different and includes something called the Electoral College. Not an actual college, but a way the states can discuss with each other to cast the vote. Personally, I don’t agree with the Electoral College being a part of the United States voting system, as the system seems unfair and should be changed for the better; this is causing people to not cast in their votes at all. Take the scenario of, being with a group full of people, and having to decide whether you want a class pet of a snake or guinea pig.…
We as a nation, we should be able to decide the president and vice-president for our country. The Electoral College is a way for the Government to control the way politics are decided. People should decide the president, because people know the truth. The electoral college takes away our right to vote, and it is sound a little bit weird but it is the reality, some of the reason is because most of the time the popular vote it does not count in the reality, the smaller states favored the Electoral college because of the number of electors that they have and also, in the reality our votes do not count.…
Because of this claim and the complications brought forth by a complex system, many people call for the abolishment of the electoral college. A dismissal like this is a terrible idea because the electoral college is an institution in which our country is based. To understand why the electoral college is important, one must look at the facts to see why it is our only option. Although the electoral college has its flaws, it is important to understand the consequences of switching to the popular vote, the preservation of Federalism and how it proves the electoral college is not outdated, and perhaps most importantly how it has led to the development of the Democrat and Republican parties that strive for broad appeal. Before delving into each of these topics, it is very important to understand further how the electoral college works and why it is such a highly criticized…