...called the Electoral College. The process of the electoral college is complex and has many components to how it works. The only power the people have over the electoral college is the ability to appoint our electors through the popular vote; however, the electors have free reign, without needing consent from the people, over who is in charge every four years. Within the Electoral College is a rich history, pros and cons, how electors are chosen, how the difference of the popular vote cause Serbian states to be swing states, and why past elections have brought up questions about if the electoral college should be amended. The original philosophy behind the electoral college is what has caused the rich history of the electoral college. Everything began in 1789 when the idea of the electoral college came to elect our very first president. The Electoral College is a system of selecting the next president by electors who vote based on the popular vote of America (U.S. Electoral College). Alexander Hamilton created the original form of the...
Words: 2064 - Pages: 9
...as though voting is a waste of time especially in this election, where both candidates are corrupt and unfit. Also, I feel as though the electoral college should be abolished. Voting is a waste of time because it is the electoral college who ultimately chooses the president and not the American people.Many people don’t understand the logistics of the electoral college and just how much they impact the lives of Americans. In...
Words: 912 - Pages: 4
...The electoral college and the election go hand in hand. The electoral college is put into place to elect the president and vice president during the election process. There is debate on whether the voting system should change to a popular vote, a first past the post vote or continue with the electoral college process. The electoral college is a barrier to direct democracy.The electoral college delegates are actually the ones who elect the president. When Americans vote in the presidential election, they are in fact voting for who they want the presidential electors to vote for. Each state has a certain amount of electoral votes based the population of the state, and the votes are equal to the number of senators, and member of the House of Representatives in a state. An example of this is from the website...
Words: 1074 - Pages: 5
...The Electoral College: How Our System of Elections Needs to be Changed Richard Brookman Metropolitan State University of Denver Author Note This paper was prepared for ENG 1020, Section 031, taught by Professor Clark. Abstract Article two, section one of the Constitution details the creation and operation of the Electoral College. Each representative of each state, both senators and representatives, cast a vote for the President based on the wants of their constituents. This is the basis for the Electoral College; however our forefathers had little insight into the problems that can arise from crafting a quick solution to the problem of electing the commander-in-chief. Over the past 200 years, many changes have been made to the Electoral College when a problem has risen to give us the Electoral College of today. The people of the United States have seen what the Electoral College has become and want the election process to change into a popular vote system. The popular vote system isn’t the answer. Only a combination of the two systems will help to give fair representation to all of the states, while keeping the essence of majority rule that the people desire. This system includes a single vote for districts that are won by popular vote, getting rid of the human form of electors, and using today’s technology to make it easier to maneuver through the complexities of the voting process. The Electoral College: How Our System of Elections Needs...
Words: 4853 - Pages: 20
...In your initial post of at least 200-250 words, briefly summarize how the Electoral College works. Explain some of the main pros and cons in the debate about whether to keep or abolish the current Electoral College process. Also explain one proposal to change how the system works without formally abolishing it. Evaluate the various arguments and the proposal. Include at least two perspectives in your assessment: According the New York Times (2008) Electoral College 101, in America how the system works in electing our commander and chief, is generally the Electoral College was created by the founding fathers and most that doubt direct democracy because they didn’t believe that the President and Vice President should be elected directly by the people and congress. The Electoral College includes 538 electors from 50 states, and the state capital calls the electors. The electors according to the constitution are responsible for electing the President and Vice President of the United States. A majority is required of 270 to win of the 538 electoral votes is needed to elect our President. The majority of the time the electors cast their votes for candidates receiving the majority votes in that particular state. Electoral votes are primarily based on the number of senators and representatives. Article II of our constitution sets guidelines on how our President should be elected and how often it states” the president “"shall hold office during the term of four years." The season...
Words: 651 - Pages: 3
...elite “most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station.” The second reason; as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states. The Electoral College is also part of compromises made at the convention to satisfy the small states. The slave holding states did not want a direct election for president because slaves were not counted as population until 1783 then at only 5/8 of a person. A direct election for president did not sit well with most delegates from the slave states, which had large populations but far fewer eligible voters. Under the system of the Electoral College each state had the same number of electoral votes as they have representative in Congress, thus no state could have less then 3...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...I believe that the electoral college is an integral part of the United States election process and that it is the fairest way to determine the victor in the presidential race. I believe the electoral college is integral to the election process because I value the fundamental ideals of American republicanism, especially that all people are equal and the fairness that our system of government has established. Though I believe that the electoral college is a necessary part of the United States’ election process, there are others who believe that it is unfair, yet they too value equality and fairness. When I first learned that there was an argument against the electoral college system, I was stunned; however, after a deeper investigation of the...
Words: 1806 - Pages: 8
...Electoral college represents indirect popular elections. This system is an example of Federalism. Both the States and the Federal Gov't are involved in process: States are electing a federal president. Each state has certain number of electoral votes, which depends on population. As long as a candidate gets just over 50% of the popular vote in the state or just more popular votes than others candidates, he wins 100% on the electoral votes. There are 538 electoral votes. According to the rules of the electoral college, every state, no matter how few people lives here gets 3 votes to start with. The rest is distributed according to the population. At this point, electoral college protects small states from the big states. It gives them voting...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
...Omar Sharif Should the Electoral College be abolished? The invention and approval of the electoral college by the Constitutional Committee in 1787 resulted in an electoral system whereby the election of the president, every 4 years, is determined by members of the electoral college and not the popular vote. Each state receives a number of electoral college votes (number of state congress members) and this is amended every 10 years to reflect changes in state populations. However, there is a growing movement to abolish and replace the current Presidential electoral system with a more democratic system that more accurately reflects the popular vote. Firstly, to understand why the electoral college became the chosen system, it is important to understand the issues faced by the Constitutional committee. James Madison wrote at the time "There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. 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 Negroes. The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to the fewest objections." Therefore, whilst many members acknowledged that a nationwide popular vote would be ideal, state conflict over the rights of slaves, which divided the nation, was the ultimate deciding factor in the choice of electoral system. However, there were other highly influential...
Words: 1903 - Pages: 8
...Elector | The Electoral College | Should it be done away with? | Presidential election seasons tend to be an exciting and volatile time within the United States. This is made ever more true by the existence of the Electoral College. When brought up in everyday conversation, the phrase Electoral College gets danced around and avoided. That is because it is such a difficult concept to get a grasp on. Not many people exactly know how our election system works due to the cryptic language that it normally is defined with. It is safe to assume that the uneducated voter believes that whichever candidate wins the most votes nationwide is the winner, and that is sound logic. However in the case of the Electoral College, that sound logic doesn’t hold true; one of the commonly disputed deficiencies of the electoral system. Are these criticisms justified or are they merely just complaints? Another important question to ask is why this system was put into place by our Founding Fathers; there must be a logical explanation, right? In order to begin to understand the system that is currently in place, it is best to look at why it was seen as a necessary measure and some of the history surrounding it. Our Founding Fathers thought it was important that the States and the citizens residing in them should have a say in the appointment of our nation’s leader. The last thing they wanted was to have Congress deciding who would become president. They feared this for several...
Words: 2483 - Pages: 10
...Chapter 6 Electoral College Assignment Explain the electoral college and its purpose as presented in the videos posted in the "Lecture and Video" tab. Do you think the electoral college is effective? Why? Yes I do believe the Electoral College is effective. I think the Electoral College is one of the most elegant systems in our republic. The key word here is republic and not democracy. We are not a true democracy in the sense that we are ruled by the will of the majority, but rather we are a constitutional republic that employs democratic methods. We have systems that check and balance power between the 3 branches of government, between states and the federal government and balance between majority rule and the rights of the minority. The people who are against the Electoral College are popularists. Meaning one vote per voter and the majority wins. This I believe ignores the right of the minority. If you want to abolish the Electoral College because it misrepresents votes, than why not abolish 2 senators for each state? Wyoming has as many senators as California has. The Senate has tremendous power in the legislature as the upper house. It can start legislation or it is the final deliberating body before a piece of legislation goes to the president’s desk. But it does not equally represent all the people, it represents the states. Also, even the congress has votes that require more than 50% to pass laws. Why? If a majority agrees, majority should win...
Words: 1590 - Pages: 7
...Christian Llerena BUS 200 Dr. Lasher 3/19/12 The Electoral College is defined as “a body of electors chosen by the voters of each state to elect the President and Vice President of the United States”. The Electoral College system has been a staple in the United States since the ratification of The Constitution, however there is much debate on whether it should remain or be done away with completely. In this essay, I will give a brief history on the Electoral College, how it works, and why it was created in the first place. Despite the shortcomings and limitations of the Electoral College I believe that it should not be abolished because it contributes to the cohesiveness of the country, it maintains a federal system of government, and it maintains the interests of minority groups. To begin with, I will discuss how the Electoral College works. The Electoral College operates by having each state allocate a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) along with the number of its U.S. Representatives (varies from state to state depending on its population). Next, after all their caucuses and primaries, each party nominates their candidates for president and vice president. After that, the people from each state vote for a party’s slate of electors. Whichever party slate gains the most popular votes becomes the slate of electors for that state. Then, the electors meet in their respective state’s capitol and cast their votes for president and vice...
Words: 2029 - Pages: 9
...chosen by the Electoral College, a group of 538 electors. These electors are distributed amongst the states based on the number of senators and representatives it has in Congress. A candidate must then try to gain a majority of electoral votes from these states to win the election. For many years, the Electoral College has been debated. Some argue the Electoral College is unneeded, while others believe it is necessary. The Electoral College is a necessary system because it ensures the selection of a qualified president, contributes...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...Electoral College Debate Introduction As said by Juan Williams, a journalist for FOX News, “In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore got more votes than George W. Bush, but still lost the election. The Supreme Court's ruling in Florida gave Bush that pivotal state, and doomed Gore to lose the Electoral College. That odd scenario - where the candidate with the most votes loses - has happened three times in U.S. history.” Although forty-five U.S. presidents have been elected and this scenario has only happened three times, it still leads to scrutiny, questions, and arguments about the effectiveness of the Electoral College. These disputes have gone on for quite a while as to which method of choosing the president is the best option. The electoral...
Words: 1269 - Pages: 6
...Twain is often credited with saying, “If voting made and difference, they wouldn’t let us do it”. The Electoral College is the current system for electing the president of the United States. The History Channel states, Americans do not actually directly vote for the president of the United States, when Americans vote, they are actually voting for the candidate for which their state's electors are expected to vote for. States are given the number of electors that they have representatives in congress. The number of electors that a state receives is determined proportionately, but a state must have a minimum of three electors with a total number of electors at 538. William C. Kimberly, Deputy Director FEC National Clearinghouse on Election...
Words: 1339 - Pages: 6
