...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
...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
...The purpose and equity of the U.S. Electoral College is under debate, however, there are many advantages to this system that conclude a compelling argument for why it should be kept in our society. This information is based upon the article “The Pros and Cons of the Electoral College”. Foremost, it becomes less demanding to run a campaign. Without one having to fuss about the states they are sure to win on, it creates a cheaper way for citizens to run for president, contributing more variety of parties and candidates for the election. Furthermore, if an error had occurred in calculating one of the state’s votes, it is simple to determine its position in the ballot. Often, this provides for a clean decision to be made after the election. Ultimately,...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
...Should the Electoral College be abolished? Most Americans know very little about the Electoral College, unless it’s an election year in which an increased number of Americans gain a general understanding of the system. Among Americans who have an understanding of the Electoral College system there is often debate as to whether or not America should still use the system that dates back to our founding fathers. These debates unearth topics such as how the Electoral College is the best compromise for our country, or how the system is outdated and was only created so the founding fathers could perpetuate slavery. Although the Electoral College is not a perfect system, it should not be abolished. What is the Electoral College? “The Electoral College...
Words: 905 - Pages: 4
...while many others favored a Congressional appointment. Therefore, the Electoral College was established as a compromise between the two. (Federal Register) The Electoral College contains 538 electors who vote to determine the President, as well as Vice-President, of the United States. This consists of 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and 3 electors for the District of Columbia that was granted by the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution. Typically,...
Words: 440 - Pages: 2
...With its nostalgic feel and almost perfect outcomes the Electoral College still has its flaws. From its lack of representation to unproportioned voting power within certain states to making it almost impossible for third party candidates to get their name on ballots. Even though these are some serious imperfections they are evened out by some of the college’s principles. But with its aging process and advancements in technology the election process is in dire need of change. I believe that the Electoral College was a brilliant idea back then but times have changed. The founding fathers were not wrong for creating it but with how this country has evolved since then makes this system obsolete. According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if "not perfect, it is at least excellent," because it ensured "that the office of...
Words: 598 - Pages: 3
...Electoral College is it really the best option? Most People would argue that the Electoral College is a good thing and that it “saves us from ourselves” but what good has it really done ? Sure , it's nice to think that if our nation were to try and elect someone totally unqualified for the office that the Electoral College would step in and fix our mistake but when has that ever been the case. The only examples i can give of the Electoral College doing anything is them electing people that the popular vote goes against. The most recent example is the Trump vs Clinton election. Hillary should have won the election based off of popular vote but she didn’t. Somehow trump won the presidency. Now i’m not complaining I wanted trump to win but...
Words: 341 - Pages: 2
...new President has to be elected. As a result, there are several presidential campaigns and debates. Millions of Americans go out to cast their votes in hope of choosing the best suite President. Unfortunately, not all the votes have a significant importance and not all the electoral votes are valued the same. Smaller states have more power than bigger states despite the fact of the big population differences. Despite the fact that the candidate has to have at least 270 electoral votes, the electoral vote creates more flaws by having the winner take all policy. There have been several cases in which the leading candidate has taken all the electoral votes regardless of the amount of votes received by the opposing candidate....
Words: 626 - Pages: 3
...In the recent election, one candidate ran and lost the popular vote but still won because of the electoral college sparking once again a long debate subject. The electoral college has always been an extremely controversial topic. Some people think it is an unnecessary, old, and an evil that must be dealt with. However, even though the electoral college has its flaws, it is a valuable asset to our country. The electoral college has multiple pluses that completely surpass its failings. Firstly, one plus of the electoral college is keeps representation in smaller states. Small states, such as Rhode Island, have significantly less population than a populus one such as California. The electoral college allows for smaller states to still be relevant...
Words: 358 - Pages: 2
...The amendment in the constitution that is outdated is the 12th amendment. This amendment defines the process of the presidential election, but has long passed its usefulness. There are quite a few reasons to eliminate the electoral college. On more than a few occasions, like the current 2016 election, the president has won the electoral college vote, but they did not win the popular vote. This makes the American people believe that their vote is useless in this country. The next reason is that there are many states that are pretty guaranteed to go red or blue; ergo, the candidates will not spend much time in those states as they have no need to waste their time. A republican candidate would not attempt to spend a lot of time in California because...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...The Electoral College is the association that elects both the President and the Vice President once every four years. The reason for this institution is so that the power of this country never lies in the hands of one person or one small group of people, it all plays into the checks and balances that was established by the forefathers of America. The Electoral College was brought in to play in order that there be a compromise between the vote of Congress and the vote of the people. There are advantages and disadvantages that come along with the Electoral College being in place. First there are several advantages. The first is the fact that a President can never be elected simply by targeting a certain group of people or gaining popularity. Early on in the campaign working towards popularity may help get a candidate to the next round, but the Electoral College helps keep the selection more than just a popularity vote. The Electoral College is in place to make sure that the election does not become a...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...direct election are chosen depends upon the electoral system used. An example of a directly elected body would be the European Parliament. I like this plan because it shows a true popular vote and what people would actually want. It would show what the true majority wanted, though it would be overrun by the large cities full of people. Large cities would dominate the elections and those cities would get the president that they wanted, while the smaller states would never get what they wanted. There are many faults with this plan. The problem with only counting one on one votes is that rural areas would be all but invisible in a Presidential Election. All you'd have to do is sell yourself to LA, New York, Chicago, Houston, and the election would be over before it began. But what about the rest of the country? The sparsely populated Middle America is responsible for the food we eat, the gas in our cars, and so on. It's important that they have a real voice in the...
Words: 599 - Pages: 3
...The president is not elected by a popular vote of the United States, but is elected the Electoral College. The framers of the Constitution did not want to put the election of the president directly in the hands of the people of the United States, so they created the Electoral College. The Electoral College is broken down by state, essentially creating 50 separate elections for the president. Using this method of election for the president, could make it possible that a candidate to be elected without earning a popular vote. The Electoral College is an outdated system that was first established to protect smaller states, but now favors larger states throughout the country. The founders of the United States had different opinions on the way...
Words: 530 - Pages: 3
...The Electoral College is a group of people appointed by each state who formally elect the president and vice president of the United States. The number of electors is equal to the total number of voting members in the US Congress: 435 representatives, 100 senators and 3 electors from the District of Columbia for a total of 538 electors. Both the democratic and republican candidate try to gain as many electors as they can in every state so that they have more than 270 elector votes, which is just over half of 538 and win the presidential election. Although in Nebraska and Maine, the electoral votes are assigned by proportional representation. This means one candidate can win 2 electoral votes, while the other votes are distributed making it...
Words: 412 - Pages: 2
...The Electoral college is a body, in the U.S, that represents each state individually, who cast votes on the election for president and vice president. The electoral is a process not a place, that the founding fathers formed into the constitution for a compromise between all states for president. The college consist of 538 electors and only 270 votes for a president to win the election, which means out of four million people, 270 people pick the president. This might sound like a huge gap, but most representatives vote with the people. When all popular votes from citizens are collected, the representatives choose the electors. With a meeting for voting for the vice president and president, and counting of the electoral votes by congress....
Words: 353 - Pages: 2
