What is the good and bad about the Electoral College?
“More people live in D.C. than in Wyoming, the least populous state in the union; but they both get three electoral votes.” (Plus, unlike Wyoming, D.C. gets no voting representation in Congress.) The biggest problem with the Electoral College is that it encourages vote suppression, says DeRosa.
What are the pros and cons of the Electoral College?
- The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. ...
- The Electoral College is also the reflection of the federal character of the United States. ...
- The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation.
What are the advantages of the Electoral College?
What are the advantages of the Electoral College?
- Pros.
- It protects minority interests.
- It facilitates a two-party system.
- It directs more power to the states.
- Cons.
- The person a majority of Americans favor may not win.
- It's complicated and dissuades people from voting.
What are the problems with the Electoral College?
The final Constitution involved clear separation in allocated powers, but required practical cooperation in carrying out governing functions. People opposed to changing or abolishing the Electoral College express concern about dangers of tinkering with this mechanism. The Electoral College reflects this network approach.
What are the benefits of the Electoral College quizlet?
1) The Electoral College gives states power in our federal system. 2) The Electoral College encourages more person-to-person campaigning by candidates, as they spend time in both the big cities and smaller cities in battleground states.
What is the purpose of the Electoral College in simple terms?
The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538 Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States.
What does the Electoral College vote do?
The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The candidate who gets 270 votes or more wins.
Why is the Electoral College important quizlet?
The Electoral College was created for two reasons. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. The second as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states.
What is a major criticism of the Electoral College?
Three criticisms of the College are made: It is “undemocratic;” It permits the election of a candidate who does not win the most votes; and. Its winner-takes-all approach cancels the votes of the losing candidates in each state.
What is the Electoral College an example of?
The United States Electoral College is an example of a system in which an executive president is indirectly elected, with electors representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The votes of the public determine electors, who formally choose the president through the electoral college.
Has the Electoral College ever voted against the majority?
Through the 2020 election, there have been a total of 165 instances of faithlessness. They have never swung an election, and nearly all have voted for third party candidates or non-candidates, as opposed to switching their support to a major opposing candidate.
What is the difference between the Electoral College and popular vote?
When citizens cast their ballots for president in the popular vote, they elect a slate of electors. Electors then cast the votes that decide who becomes president of the United States. Usually, electoral votes align with the popular vote in an election.
Does the Electoral College have to follow the popular vote?
There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their States. Some States, however, require electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote.
Why should we abolish the Electoral College quizlet?
It distorts representation, arguably hinders democratic process and has a large impact on the outcome of a presidential election for better and for worse. However, despite its faults, as a system is has a foundation conducive to reform rather than abolition.
Why is the electoral college important?
The Electoral College makes elections more stable, and less likely to trigger contentious recounts. Every state has different procedural rules for the administration of elections, including how recounts are triggered and conducted and how provisional ballots are counted.
How does the electoral college work?
By allocating electoral votes by the total number of representatives in a given state, the Electoral College allows more states to have an impact on the choice of the President.
How does the electoral college increase the legitimacy of elections?
The Electoral College increases the legitimacy and certainty of elections by magnifying the margin of victory, thereby diminishing the value of contentious recounts and providing a demonstrable election outcome and a mandate to govern.
How does the electoral college prevent presidential candidates from winning an election?
The Electoral College prevents presidential candidates from winning an election by focusing solely on high-population urban centers and dense media markets, forcing them to seek the support of a larger cross-section of the American electorate. This addresses the Founders’ fears of a “tyranny of the majority,” which has the potential to marginalize sizeable portions of the population, particularly in rural and more remote areas of the country.
What would happen if the popular vote system was a plurality requirement?
In contrast, a popular vote system with just a plurality requirement could lead to the election of presidential candidates by unprecedented, small margins. These smaller victory margins, combined with the overall decrease in popular support for a single candidate, could trigger chaotic and contested elections.
Should cities like New York City and Los Angeles have a say in who becomes president?
These states may be smaller, but their values still matter—they should have a say in who becomes President. By forcing presidential candidates to address all Americans during their campaigns, not just those in large cities, the Electoral College has the added benefit of eschewing radical candidates for more moderate ones.
What is the primary duty of the electoral college?
One of the primary duties of the Electoral College is that it does an excellent job of protecting the best interests of the minority in each election.
What is the disadvantage of the electoral college?
This disadvantage means some communities don’t get to discuss relevant issues with the candidates for the White House.
What are the critics of the electoral college saying?
Critics of the Electoral College would say that the elections of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are evidence that this impact is no longer present in U.S. politics. There will always be a concern about the tyranny of the majority in the United States, but the popular vote from electors or everyone is still a reflection of a desire to do what most people want.
How many electors can a state have?
This structure means the minimum number of electors that a state can have is three , but there is also no maximum cap. It is also the only time that the District of Columbia gets to act as a state since the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution allocates three electors to it as well.
Why are there 51 presidential contests?
5. It allows each community to send a message to the national government. There are 51 unique Presidential contests that occur because of the Electoral College today. That means each state (including Washington, D.C.) can send a message that represents the majority of their community to the rest of the nation.
What would happen if the presidential election was determined by the popular vote?
If the Presidential elections were determined by the popular vote only, then the accuracy of household counts would no longer play a role in determining who might make it into the White House.
When did the electoral college winner not receive the same endorsement?
After two elections where the Electoral College winner didn’t receive the same endorsement from the popular vote since 2000, there are several advantages and disadvantages to consider when keeping it.
Why is the electoral college important?
The electoral college helps keep the two-party system strong. It makes it very hard for a third party to break through at the national level and increases the risk that a third party could spoil a candidate’s chance of winning, which in turn discourages people from voting for third-party candidates. Some analysts credit the two-party system ...
Why do some analysts support the electoral college?
One reason that some analysts support the electoral college is that it encourages candidates to pay attention to small states and not just get out the vote in big, populous states and cities. The electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer.
What is electoral college?
The electoral college means that swing states – which aren’t necessarily the most representative of the country as a whole – get most of the attention. And even within swing states, certain counties are more competitive than others. That means voters in those counties are courted particularly hard.
What would happen if the presidential election was no electoral college?
If only the popular vote mattered, candidates might concentrate their energies on densely populated metro areas like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Depending on your perspective, that might sound like a change for the worse. It would mean candidates would have little reason to consider, say, the state of farming in Iowa or the opiate crisis in New Hampshire.
Why is the election so indirect?
Why is it indirect? Well, because of the electoral college. Some say the electoral college is key to maintaining what’s good about U.S. politics, while others want to abolish the institution in favor of a more direct system. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the electoral college in the context of modern American politics.
Do you need a recount in an electoral college?
There’s no need for a national recount when you have an electoral college. If one state has voting issues, you can just do a recount in that state rather than creating national upheaval. And to win, a candidate must garner the support of voters in a variety of regions. That means whoever wins the presidency must build a truly national coalition.
Does every vote matter in the electoral college?
In the electoral college, it’s true that not every vote matters. A Democrat in California who gets stuck in traffic and doesn’t make it to the polls probably shouldn’t beat themselves up. The same can’t be said for a voter in Florida, Ohio or another swing state.
What is electoral college?
1. Electoral College Is A Mechanism For Stable Elections
What is the effect of electoral college on voter turnout?
By electoral college, voter turnout rate becomes less as every elector consists of one vote and must cast their vote.
How many votes do you need to win the presidential election?
But with the electoral college, you need not only get a majority but also secure at least 270 out of 538 electors to win.
How many electors can a candidate win with a direct vote?
But with Electoral College, every state has equal importance, and no candidate can win without securing at least 270 out of 538 electors.
How many electors are there in the US?
As this country has fifty states, each state has several electors as per their population which adds up to 538 electors.
How many electoral votes are needed to elect a president?
At least 270 electoral votes are required to elect a president. It is important to take note that the number of electors in each state is based on their population and representation. In case you have been wondering about the importance of the Electoral College in elections.
How does every state get to choose electors?
Every state gets to choose electors based on their number of representatives in Congress. This means that they get a fair representation as every vote counts the same. Also, there is no possibility of unrepresented states as each has an elector.
What is the argument for the electoral college?
A key argument made by proponents of the Electoral College is that small states and rural areas are protected — candidates are forced to gain support from a wide variety of places. With a popular vote, candidates could just focus on big cities or states, ignoring many other regions of the population.
What is the common defense for the electoral college?
A common defense for the Electoral College is that it protects the rights of the states. The “rights of states” includes not only people’s rights but also the power of state governments. Basically the national government shouldn’t be able to flick state governments aside whenever it wants.
How many votes does Illinois have?
Illinois has 20 votes in the electoral college — there’s a slate of 20 Democratic electors and another slate of 20 Republican electors who are pledged to their respective parties, but they can vote however they want, even for the opposite party (but that’s very unlikely).
How many votes did Donald Trump lose in the 2016 election?
Introduction: If you paid any attention to the 2016 Presidential election, you may or may not remember that then-candidate Donald Trump won the electoral college 306 to 232 but lost the popular vote by 2.8 million votes. This has sparked intense debate over the value and necessity of the electoral college.
Why did the founding fathers worry about the electorate?
The Founding Fathers worried that because, in their time, the public was uneducated, they could be swayed by radical and dangerous candidates. If the vote was left to an educated electorate, they could stop an irresponsible or dangerous leader from taking power. Thus, the people would have a say in which electors would vote, but ultimately the electors were the ones in charge.
Why do Wyoming votes count for more than California votes?
Thus, people’s votes in Wyoming — and small states in general — actually count for more than people’s votes in California and other big states because of the “plus 2” rule. This is why it’s possible to win the electoral college without winning the popular vote.
How many democratic elections are there in November?
If you don’t know how the Electoral College works, here’s a refresher. In electing the president, there’s 51 democratic elections nationwide on election day in November — one in each state plus Washington D.C. Then, the electoral college votes on who will be President in December.
How does the electoral college work?
In a simple democratic election with two candidates, every voter has the same probability of affecting the result of the election. In the United States, the electoral college ensures that this is not the case. Instead, the chance that your vote matters is dependent on which state you live in, and the political composition ...
What are the arguments for the electoral college?
Arguments about the merits of the electoral college often turn to how it affects certain categories of voters. Proponents of the electoral college sometimes argue that voters in cities should have less power than voters in rural areas. Opponents of the system argue that it privileges white voters over minorities.
What percentage of Hispanics are disadvantaged by electoral college?
Those disadvantaged by the electoral college are Hispanics (21.8%) and those who fall into other racial categories (19.0%). The disadvantage to Hispanic voters is likely due to the high percentage of Hispanics in non-swing states of Texas and California. This could change if Texas were to become a swing state, as some predict .
What states have the least voting power?
Voters in Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania had 500x as much power as the median voter. Voters with the least power lived in the solidly Republican states of Wyoming and Oklahoma, with 1/30th the power of the median voter, and 1/30,000th the power of voters in New Hampshire and Colorado.
Do Republicans benefit from the electoral college?
Although Republican presidential candidates have benefited from the electoral college in recent years—2 of their last 3 election winners lost the popular vote—there is nothing about the electoral college that specifically favors Republicans. Its effects are largely random, and can be expected to change over time.
Does the electoral college reduce urban voting power?
Breaking out the civilian voting-age population by census tract density tests the hypothesis that the electoral college reduces the voting power of urban voters. Here I am using the density cutoffs used by Jed Kolko here, as well as an additional cutoff for suburban tracts used by David Montgomery's Congressional Density Index. This reveals that only 21.9% of voters in urban areas are high-powered voters. So it is true—at least for the moment—that the electoral college puts urban voters at a disadvantage.
Why is the electoral college important?
1. Helps Prevent a Recount#N#By using the Electoral College you are ensuring that the results of the election are certain, for the most part. Recounts of millions of votes can take a very long time and cost a large amount of money. The Electoral College greatly helps to prevent this.
What is the biggest issue with the electoral college?
The biggest issue that critics have with the Electoral College is that it gives the impression that the people’s votes truly do not matter. Your vote doesn’t go towards some huge number that is being tallied for each vote. Instead, it simply goes towards a single vote that an elector gives. 3.
How many votes are needed to win the electoral college?
The Electoral College is made up of 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and 3 electors from the District of Columbia. All in total there are 538 electoral votes to be cast. In order to win office, a candidate must receive the majority, or 270 of these votes.
How often does the electoral college elect a president?
The Electoral College is the way that we elect a new president and vice president every four year.
Which empire used a system similar to the Electoral College during the middle ages?
The Holy Roman Empire used a system similar to the Electoral College during the middle ages.
Which state has the most electoral votes?
California has the most electoral votes out of all states with 55. Second highest is Texas with 34, followed by New York who gets 31. In 1872 the majority of elector vote where given to Ulysses S. Grant, even though he was dead. There have been many times that the winner of the popular vote did not become president.
Why was the electoral college important?
The goal of the Electoral College was to improve equality in voting on a national level. This would prevent one large, populous state from overly swaying a national election.
What are the pros and cons of the electoral college?
1. The majority gets to express their opinion. Candidates for President must become aware of local issues to win votes. That means they must pay attention to the needs of local communities.
What would happen if the electoral college was not obtained?
If a majority of the Electoral College is not obtained, then anyone receiving an electoral vote could be named President. 4. It encourages people not to vote. Because many states operate on a winner-takes-all foundation, voters often stay home if they feel like their vote will not count.
How often does the electoral college change?
The Electoral College distributes electoral votes based on population locations throughout the country. It changes every 10 years and is based on the number of representatives in government that state currently elects. The minimum number of electoral votes is 3. There is no maximum.
When was the last time a third party won electoral votes?
In the United States, the last time a third-party candidate won electoral votes from election results was 1960. By having two major party candidates compete for these votes, the actual process of voting is simplified.
How many votes did Hillary Clinton get in 2016?
It gives the minority a chance to rule at the expense of the majority. In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton received over 3 million more votes than Donald Trump. The majority of the population voted in a specific way, but the structure of the Electoral College denied that result.
