popular vote pros and conspopular vote pros and cons

[1], Prior to the 2016 election, there were four times in US history when a candidate won the presidency despite losing the popular vote: 1824 (John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland), and 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore). On Jan. 6, 2017, a joint session of the US Congress met to certify the election results and Vice President Joe Biden, presiding as President of the Senate, read the certified vote tally. Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. The delegates believed that the presidents power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. Would they like to see the system changed? Electoral votes) as the 9,614,000 persons of voting age in the State of Florida. 2. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. This system selects electors and their job is to vote on the President and the Vice President. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution substantial majority of the popular vote, then that candidate is virtually certain to win Electoral Vote vs Popular Vote National Archives:U.S. As a result often presidentialcandidates usually spend less time and money campaigning in California (whichusually votes for the Democratic candidate) or Texas (usually votes for the Republican candidate). 3. Not everyone knows exactly how the president is elected. I think it might actually inflame [the issue of polarization]. Most are, and it helps to think of voting on a state-by-state basis, Professor Amar said. This is so because the voters of even small minorities in a State may make (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) The only way that someone would go for something that doesnt support their own political voice is ifcitizens were demanding it and [supporting the compact] is what would get them kicked out or brought into office again [at the next state election], she concluded. Rank choice voting? Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to Explore the Electoral College via the US National Archives. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? Kiersten Schmidt and Wilson Andrews, "A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton, nytimes.com, Dec. 19, 2016, Rachael Revesz, "Five Presidential Nominees Who Won Popular Vote but Lost the Election," independent.co.uk, Nov. 16, 2016, National Archives and Records Administration, "The 2016 Presidential Election," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "About the Electors," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "Presidential Election Laws," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), National Archives and Records Administration, "What Is the Electoral College?," archives.gov (accessed Nov. 16, 2016), Alexander Hamilton, "The Federalist Papers: No. Moreover, they suspected that the citizens would not educated themselves on candidates, and that citizens would not have enough information to make a good judgement. Explain that Donald Trump won 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clintons 227. could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily Ask your students what they remember about the 2016 election. national popular will in at least two respects. Pennsylvania is tied between Republican and Democratic representatives, and Michigan has seven Democrats, six Republicans and one independent. operation). WebThere can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two party system in the United States. Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Explain that each state and the District of Columbia are given a share of the electoral vote based on population. For a candidate to win the presidency, he or she must win at least 270 Electoral College votes. Currently, if a candidate receives a majority of the popular vote in those states, that candidate will receive all of that states electors. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that require electors to vote for their pledged candidate. Pros And Cons The only remarkable thing Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? Their reasoning is that in a formal The Electoral College is defined as a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. Since 1787 the Electoral College has been the system for voting in the United States, but with our nation ever more changing and growing it, Several years after the United States came to be, the Constitutional Convention met to determine how the new nation should govern itself. 3. Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. Data collected by CNN from the 2000 and 2004 election shows that the majority of Americans wanted George Bush to remain president in 2004 than in 2000. The Case Against the Direct The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College - SmartAsset The electoral college is a tradition of American politics that's fairly controversial. Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential that One [pro of the Electoral College] is that it makes sure that states that otherwise might feel left out of the process are included despite their small size. Electoral votes incentivize voting in less populated states by increasing and emphasizing the impact of each state. Election Commissioners. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. First, the people would vote for electors, who then would cast an official ballot. Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, The debate over the continued use of the Electoral College resurfaced during the 2016 presidential election, when Donald Trump lost the general election to Hillary Clinton by over 2.8 million votes and won the Electoral College by 74 votes. Did you know that in 2016, Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote over Hillary Clinton despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes? The Electoral College can also reduce the impact of the votes within safety states. 1. The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president. The Senate was designed to represent The New York Times defines The Electoral College as a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the United States (Bromwich 2016). another (before the meeting of the Electors) or else, absent an absolute majority in the The Electoral College While the system may seem fair, the Electoral College is at its core an outdated process that heavily favors small swing states, causing the election to not always align with popular vote of the American people. A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. vote count Such an organization of social conflict and political sets of coherent alternatives. This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. The American government should make no changes and keep it as it is. relative size of it. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in Recognizing the strong regional interests and necessary majority. presidential candidates split the electoral votes among them such that no one obtained the A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. Like the Electoral College, the Another direct consequence of the winner-take-all system is that candidates focus more on populated swing states than on other states. That is to say, when the electoral vote outcome is so obviously contributes to the cohesiveness of the country going to be for one candidate or the other, an occasional Elector casts a vote for some WebPoverty and child neglect are complex, highly correlated problems that can impact families simultaneously. This is often a misconception of the election process. have a majority of over half the State delegations in order to elect their candidate - and Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which This is true simply because it Great leaders must be chosen by the people so the leader can represent for the people. If you feel this user's conduct is unappropriate, please report this comment and our moderaters will review its content and deal with this matter as soon as possible. depressing voter turnout, and. Gives too few states too much electoral power. If you are new to netivist, please create your account for free and start collecting your netivist points! In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. Berns, Walter (ed.) http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Every four years, the citizens of the United States of America elect a new president. With thismethod a state is divided into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. This might take a few seconds, please wait. WebElectoral College pros and cons A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. List two to three ways. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. Senators, U.S. It remains one of the most surprising facts about voting in the United States: While the popular vote elects members of Congress, mayors, governors, state legislators and even more obscure local officials, it does not determine the winner of the presidency, the highest office in the land. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? Longley, Lawrence D. The Politics of Electoral College Reform. But just 538 people decide who will be president; thats about 0.000156% of the population deciding the president. Whether electors should be able to change their positions has been heavily debated, so much so that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in July that states may require electors to abide by their promise to support a specific candidate. They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. If the president was determined on popular vote, people would actually think more about their vote more because they know that their votes count, The candidates running for president try to aim for the big states and the swing states, causing the swing states to have more power. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. attempted in 1948 and again in 1968. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators 1. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. And the Electoral College was designed to While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. Texas has 38. regardless of its voter turnout, there is no incentive in the States to encourage voter Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? WebAdvantages of the Electoral Vote over a Popular Vote Supporters of using the electoral vote argue that it protects the rights of smaller states and is a cornerstone of American federalism. Your vote is anonymous. national popular majority. rural ones. each State equally regardless of its population. WebWhat are some pros and cons of the electoral college? Washington: National Clearinghouse on Election Administration, Federal Election Commission. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. Cons: Gerrymandering Proportional Plan As for the second issue of the Electoral While the country has The elected President gets a stronger winning image with the number of electors he gets than the reality of popular vote, which gives him more credibility to rule the country. ProCon.org. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. Highly Recommended. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming carried the same voting strength in the Electoral College (21 representation in the Senate and House as they exist today, then surely these same reasons There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. If you would not change the voting process, make a list of reforms and why you would not choose to enact them. There are many flaws for this system. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. Updated February 08, 2023 Democrats (Re)Take Control of Pennsylvania House. "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons." What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? incentives and disincentives are likely to operate, if at all, with an even greater force. populations, proponents respond that the United State Senate - with two seats per State Prevents disputed outcomes ensuring a peaceful transition of power Reduces the costs of national presidential campaigns. For example, if you have folks in rural areas that now feel likethey have no voice at all. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in What did they learn about the American system of electing the president from these elections? The Presidential election is considered a take all election. When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their states political parties who are pledged to support that partys candidate. maintains a federal system of government and I know how the president is chosen, and I believe that the set up of the electoral college is no longer. Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. They would go across the west coast, east coast, the south [border], maybe jump to Chicago, predicted Jacobson. There have been 7 such Electors in Voters from political parties usually nominate who will be their electors at state conventions. [25], On Monday Dec. 19, 2016, the electors in each state met to vote for President and Vice President of the United States. the College tends to over-represent people in rural States. voter participation, the Electoral College actually enhances the status of minority these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the election, though, simply because most often their purpose is to make a statement rather Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. How is this possible? The existence of the Electoral College precluded calls for recounts or demands for run-off elections. The same thing happened in 2000. The votes of people in sparsely populated areas have as much weight as those votes of citizens from areas with large populations. Certain penalties exist in other states. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of In Nebraska and Maine, the candidate that wins the states overall popular vote receives two electors, and one elector from each congressional district is apportioned to the popular vote winner in that district. the Congress as an institution. To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Americans are still bent up and flustered on how an individual could lose the popular vote, but still, be given the upper hand in Electoral College votes. And since ethnic minority groups in the United States happen to Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Faithless Electors have never changed the outcome of an Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. BUT FOR THE ELECTION I MAY NEVER BE APPOINTED. In New Mexico, electors can be charged with a felony if they abandon their pledge, and in Oklahoma a faithless elector could face a misdemeanor charge. Should the Electoral College be abolished? This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes. [11], Richard A. Posner, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, further explained, There is pressure for runoff elections when no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast; that pressure, which would greatly complicate the presidential election process, is reduced by the Electoral College, which invariably produces a clear winner. [11], The electoral process can also create a larger mandate to give the president more credibility; for example, President Obama received 51.3% of the popular vote in 2012 but 61.7% of the electoral votes. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a Inkwell Copyright 2023 FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO Log in, Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said. Because of its considerable, nonvoting slave population, that region would have less clout under a popular-vote system. tends to be more sensitive to ethnic minority and other special interest groups than does We are having trouble saving your comment. Electoral College. For years there have been debates about abolishing the Electoral College entirely, with the 2016 election bringing the debate back to the surface. also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. vote Electoral College, the U.S. House of Representatives would select the president in In response to these arguments, proponents of [ 1] The peculiar system that emerged was the Electoral College. [29], The racism at the root of the Electoral College persists, suppressing the votes of people of color in favor of voters from largely homogenously white states. Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one How and why? Despite the name, it is not a college in the modern educational sense, but refers to a collegium or group of colleagues. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. And even if he managed to win a few States, his The Electoral College should not be changed or abolished, but kept the same. If there are reasons to maintain State "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for Most states use the winner-take-all method, in which all electoral votes are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in that state. (They dont always do so.). Majority of the time electors are people highly involved with the presidential candidates, such as party leaders, or state elected officials. Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. [2], The Electoral College was established in 1788 by Article II of the US Constitution, which also established the executive branch of the US government, and was revised by the Twelfth Amendment (ratified June 15, 1804), the Fourteenth Amendment (ratified July 1868), and the Twenty-Third Amendment (ratified Mar. Still, if the prospect of a faithless Elector is so fearsome as to warrant a 14, 1788, Marc Schulman, "Why the Electoral College," historycentral.com (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Melissa Kelly, "Why Did the Founding Fathers Create Electors?," 712educators.about.com, Jan. 28, 2016, Hans A. von Spakovsky, "Destroying the Electoral College: The Anti-Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme," heritage.org, Oct. 27, 2011, Richard A. Posner, "In Defense of the Electoral College," slate.com, Nov. 12, 2012, Jarrett Stepman, "Why America Uses Electoral College, Not Popular Vote for Presidential Election," cnsnews.com, Nov. 7, 2016, Gary Gregg, "Electoral College Keeps Elections Fair," politico.com, Dec. 5, 2012, John Nichols, "Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate," thenation.com, Nov. 9, 2012, Joe Miller, "The Reason for the Electoral College," factcheck.org, Feb. 11, 2008, William C. Kimberling, "The Manner of Choosing Electors," uselectionatlas.org (accessed Nov. 18, 2016), Sanford V. Levinson, "A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College," blog.constitutioncenter.org, Nov. 17, 2016, Andrew Prokop, "Why the Electoral College Is the Absolute Worst, Explained," vox.com, Nov. 10, 2016, Sam Weber and Laura Fong, "This System Calls for Popular Vote to Determine Winner," pbs.org, Nov. 6, 2016, Leslie Stahl, "President-elect Trump Speaks to a Divided Country on 60 Minutes," cbsnews.com, Nov. 13, 2016, Lisa Lerer, "Clinton Wins Popular Vote by Nearly 2.9 Million, elections.ap.org, Dec. 22, 2016, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell, "US Congress Certifies Trumps Electoral College Victory, reuters.com, Jan. 6, 2017, Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline," crsreports.congress.gov, Sep. 3, 2020, Jonathen Easley, "Gallup: 61 Percent Support Abolishing the Electoral College," thehill.com, Sep. 24, 2020, Fair Vote, "Past Attempts at Reform," fairvote.org (accessed Oct. 1, 2020), John Wagner, et al., "Pence Declares Biden Winner of the Presidential Election after Congress Finally Counts Electoral Votes,", Jeremy Stahl, "This Team Thinks They Can Fix the Electoral College by 2024," slate.com, Dec. 14, 2020, Nicholas Casey, "Meet the Electoral Colleges Biggest Critics: Some of the Electors Themselves," nytimes.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Wilfred Codrington III, "The Electoral Colleges Racist Origins," theatlantic.com, Nov. 17, 2019, Peniel E. Joseph, "Shut the Door on Trump by Ending the Electoral College," cnn.com, Dec. 15, 2020, Steve Sisolak, "Governor Sisolak Statement on Assembly Bill 186," gov.nv.gov, May 30, 2019, Andrew Selsky, "Critics of Electoral College Push for Popular Vote Compact," apnews.com, Dec. 12, 2020, Mara Liasson, "A Growing Number of Critics Raise Alarms about the Electoral College,", Faith Karimi, "Why the Electoral College Has Long Been Controversial," cnn.com, Oct. 10, 2020, US Census Bureau, "U.S. and World Population Clock," census.gov (accessed Dec. 8, 2021), US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Main Series," census.gov, 2017. Without the electoral college, groups such as Iowa farmers and Ohio factory workers would be ignored in favor of pandering to metropolitan areas with higher population densities, leaving rural areas and small towns marginalized. University Press, 1972. debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. [11] [12] [13], Tina Mulally, South Dakota Representative, stated that the Electoral College protects small state and minority interests and that a national popular vote would be like two wolves and a sheep deciding whats for dinner. Mulally introduced a resolution passed by South Dakotas legislature that reads, The current Electoral College system creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country. [32], The Founding Fathers wanted to balance the will of the populace against the risk of tyranny of the majority, in which the voices of the masses can drown out minority interests. Why or why not? Elections (2nd ed). Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. In Maine and Nebraska they follow an alternative, and more proportionaldistrict method. Changing to a direct election of the president would WebMaking Elections Accessible and Meaningful Providing Incentives for Conciliation Facilitating Stable and Efficient Government Holding the Government Accountable Holding Individual Representatives Accountable Encouraging Political Parties Promoting Legislative Opposition and Oversight Making the Election Process Workable and Sustainable movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Currently, Republicans control 26 state delegations, while Democrats control 22. enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. choices available to the electorate. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 in American History and the Direct-Vote Alternative. Voter ID laws? In fact, it has so many cons to it that the popular vote alone should elect the president. The Electoral College has been around since 1787 has a part of the Constitution. How Does the Electoral College Work and WebThe National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says Forty-eight states use the winner-take-all method of appointing electors. apply to the choice of president. Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. On Dec. 22, 2016, the results were certified in all 50 states. Would you like to create a debate and share it with the netivist community? accordance with the 12th Amendment. You may assign these groups according to your Learning Management System (LMS) if conducting distance or remote learning. resolutions: either one candidate could throw his electoral votes to the support of The unlikely situation of one candidate dying or becoming legally disable around the time of the election would be better handle by the Electoral College, because electors can adapt to the situation and find a solution.
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