Indian Exceptionalism : A New Creed for a Greater Bharat, Why BJPs Idea of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed. LET'S ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE Are the people smart enough to choose their own leader? Mr. Bidens opponents soon abandoned their campaigns. (04.02 MC) Which of the following is a key belief of a supply-side approach to economic and fiscal policy? So the advantages arent so fixed. DBQ packet, 1(Multiple Choice Worth 4 points) (04.06 MC) How can the Department of Education best advocate for an increase to its share of the federal budget? Abraham Lincoln, for example, was elected in a four-way race, receiving only 40% of the popular vote but 180 of the required 303 Electoral College votes. All of our essays are donated in exchange for a free plagiarism scan on one of our partner sites. Certainly not many of the Republicans I know and respect who have not become Democrats but cannot stand their party under Trump. But Id also say that its harder than we think to say that definitively in advance of an election. Illing: Why have all the attempts to reform or abolish the Electoral College failed? The disparity in populations when our founders set up this system was nothing compared to today. He is now a vice president at the Aspen Institute and a senior fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center. Albert Einstein. But Trumps ushering in of an ultraconservative minority-rule presidency, and the threat that he would do it again in 2024, has established Electoral College reform as a serious progressive issueespecially following the Capitol Hill insurrection., The Electoral College Saved the Election [By Christopher DeMuth; January 8, 2021][10]. These issues still affect out modern day political sphere. When candidates only visit a few states and even a few regions in those few states, you really see a warping of policy priorities. Both Democratic and Republican candidates focus on issues that are important to, say, coal miners in Pennsylvania or auto workers in Michigan, but those arent the only issues in the country. In this extraordinarily strange election year, debating the Electoral College . In fact, the election of 2020 still isnt over even though Joe Biden received more than six million votes than Donald Trump, as well as 72 more electoral votes. The Electoral College has failed to push parties to form broad coalitions. The Court voted along party lines, anointing George W. Bush the 43rd president of the United States. It was also a savvy compromise. They devised a method to elect a president that would ensure that the person elected would not gain too much power and independence. Only Nebraska and Maine allocate the electoral votes proportionately. Are the people smart enough to choose their own leader? The Electoral College consists of electors, and an absolute majority of votes is needed for a candidate to win the election. Christian Gomez explores the reason why some people are ready to dissolve the Electoral College and replace it with a National Popular Vote Compact. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. This has heightened calls to abolish what some say is an antiquated system of electors. Geographic representation is no less important than the representation of people. The one constant in the history of voting rights in America, Harvard Kennedy School Professor Alex Keyssar says, is that no law has ever been passed to restrict the voting rights of upper-middle-class white men. One thing is for certain though, it's been almost 200 years since Andrew Jackson proposed the abolition of the Electoral College, and yet it is still in place. Created to protect the slave states, it is championed now by conservatives who fear the power of America 's true majority. (download the rest of the essay above). Thanks to Donald Trump, what was once the relic of our system is now an active threat to the future of our democracy. Many were anxious even for an immediate choice by the people.[13], The plan was met with a great sense of relief and passed 8 to 3. Gomez states that the National Popular Compact would not work because that the United States is a Democratic Republic not a pure Democracy. should the electoral college be abolished answer key [email protected]. Will himself left the party for this, by Naomi Schaefer Riley, Opinion Contributor, Schumer, Jeffries ask Murdoch to stop Fox hosts lying about 2020 election, Eli Lilly caps insulin costs at $35 per month, Watch live: Garland testifies before Senate panel at oversight hearing, EPA to award $250 million in IRA funds to reduce climate pollution. TheDigitalArtist / Pixabay. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad coalitions, and ensures the stability of the two party system. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. However, technology has made it so that the information . Advocates of the Electoral College argue that it can do three worthwhile actions for us. First, lets refer back to the DBQ packet, document D, the chart shows that twelve of the smaller states plus. It is these officials who choose the President and Vice President of the United States. Legitimacy for any elected official is an important factor for governance of a State. And the other is power after Trump. method is known as the Electoral College. But does anyone still believe it is a great idea for our politics? That is why it was written in the Constitution. The result is that a small number of voters in certain battleground states become kingmakers. 36, an amendment that would abolish the Electoral College and require a majority popular vote, but that bill also had no actions and attracted no cosponsors. Each registered voter gets just one vote. 0 . Aside from all the problems that have arisen in determining who has actually won two of our last five presidential elections, we need to return to a basic electoral principle: One person, one vote. Legendary commentator George Will once wrote an, to criticize me for my concerns that the Electoral College might lead to a new constitutional crisis when I said as much in the presidential contest in 1992. Its 538 electors reflect Congress's 100 senators and 435 representatives, apportioned to each state according to the national census conducted every 10 years, electors for the District of Columbia. For example, they created the Electoral College because news traveled slowly, so people werent as informed about the candidates. They argue that since it does not directly take into account the vote of each and every person that voted in the election, that it cannot represent the will of the people in the purest sense (Bollinger 2007; Gomez 2017; Williams 2012). var r = Math.floor(Math.random() * (9999 - 0 + 1) + 0); Moreover, Thomas Neale article depicts the procedure of awarding each states electoral votes. Southern states were able to extend the three-fifths compromise, counting slaves in the presidents selection without openly parading the fact. We do NOT offer any paid services - please don't ask! var jo = document.createElement('script'); Even back then they knew that the popular . Instead we . Without it, the small and sparsely populated states that make up most of the country would be ignored by presidential candidates. Despite the new law, some still think the Electoral College is outdated and should be abolished in favor of a national popular vote system. Having a majority determine the winner of our presidential elections can moderate both parties considerably. This article tries to answer the question of whether or not a popular vote would be better able to represent the will of the people more accurately and fairly. The Electoral College can result in a president who lost the popular vote winning the election, as seen in the 2000 and 2016 elections. In fact, he maintains without any proof -- that the election was rigged, while making an all-out effort to deny the will of the electorate. For starters, direct elections by voters can create incentives for broad public participation. Maine and Nebraska use an alternative method, the district system, which awards two electors to the popular vote winners statewide, and one to the popular vote winners in each congressional district. But do they really? In 2000, and again in 2020, the outcomes of elections resulted in Constitutional crises. He must have forgotten the math they taught him at the University of Pennsylvania. It frequently bestows a broad-based majority mandate on a candidate who has won only a plurality of the national popular vote, which is particularly important in messy elections with three or more candidates. They were also working to balance the needs of small and large states, as well as slave and free states. Illing: What would you say is the biggest myth or misconception about the Electoral College? Critics want the College abolished. I will concede that the Electoral College might ensure the stability of the two party system. By one analysis of the 2012 presidential election, four out of five voters had virtually zero influence on the outcome. How Do Bacteria Become Resistant Answer Key; Peds Exam 1 - Professor Lewis, Pediatric Exam 1 Notes; MKT 2080 - Chapter 2 Essay; Chapter 8 Practice; Each state holds an election for the popular vote. Democrat Hillary Clinton got over 2 million 800 thousand more votes than Republican Donald T One may say that we should keep the Electoral College in place because the Founding Fathers had valid reasons for it, but some don't apply anymore. The complex elements comprising the Electoral College system are responsible for one of the most important processes of the American political and constitutional system: election of the President and Vice President. After three disputed Presidential elections in just 20 years, it's time for Congress to abolish the Electoral College. Therefore, they are not focusing on the needs of the people all over America which is going against what the founding fathers wanted. Illing: But the dynamics have changed, right? (4 points) Libertarian Conservative A) No regulation Moderate regulation B) Government management of the, 5. Clinton, who clearly despised Trump, graciously conceded the election on Election Night. Seems fair, well its not. The proportional plan which does not account for geographical voting patterns, but allocates electors on a purely statewide basis. (Neale 5 CRS) was voted on in Colorado in 2004 and did not pass. Abolish The Electoral College And Replace It With National Popular Vote, Please speak to a licensed financial professional, DAX Index is back above its 200-day average after surging, Palo Alto Networks On Track For 52-Week High. Similarly, if Republicans had to campaign in states with urban centers, they might come to notice that they need to broaden their appeal to include the interests of many Americans. It focuses on the concept of "voting power," the ability of an individual to influence the outcome of an election, within the political context of the controversial 2000 and 2004 elections and. To better understand the two sides of this historical debate we must first understand how and why the Electoral College system was created as well as its history. My stance to abolish the Electoral College has drawn some ire. I am a fan of rural Americans and remain devoted to the success of our farmers and heartland. Right now, small states have no voice because they, like big states and medium-size states across the country, are not battleground states. It empowers rural states, allows presidential candidates to moderate their views to form broad. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 280 Words | 2 Pages. [14] The Electoral College is the devil we know, wrote Yale constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar. Ultimately, Levinson said, under the Electoral College system, "it isn't voters who decide elections. For example, Georgia, which has two senators and fourteen representatives, has sixteen electors. Answer key is compulsory to check all the results. Many rural communities feared that if the vote was counted through a popular vote system that they would equal representation as urban communities would have. It is these officials who choose the President and Vice President of the United States. Compare and contrast Sample's and McConnell's views about the Electoral College. Considering that Trump won three normally Democratic rustbelt states Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin by razor-thin margins totaling just 80,000 votes, perhaps landslide might not have been the most accurate description of the outcome of that election. I respect Will as an astute observer of politics. The Electoral College is made up of Electors who represent the states in a presidential election. We won't send you spam. Now the Electoral College benefits the Republican Party almost exclusively. Let's Abolish the Electoral College . Four were appointed by Democratic presidents. Election by national popular vote would dispense with the need for continental diversification. Start by abolishing the Electoral College. Dan Glickman served as agriculture secretary under President Clinton and represented Kansas as a member of Congress. The Electoral College was and continues to be an undemocratic system that stands as an obstacle for the United States to become a real democracy. The Electoral College consists of electors in each state that cast their votes for the president based on how their constituents voted in the general election. When Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they are actually choosing presidential electors, known collectively as the Electoral College. The Electoral College, a product of American exceptionalism and constitutional structures, continues to influence the outcome of national elections by establishing the rules of the game. EssaySauce.com has thousands of great essay examples for students to use as inspiration when writing their own essays. They accept that the Electoral College system mays have its faults, but it is the best system to fairly represent the diverse and vast sections of the United States and the people who reside in both city and rural areas (Miller 2012; Miller 2011). The brightest students know that the best way to learn is by example! A majority of Americans believe the Electoral College should be eliminated. Trump won the presidential election despite losing the popular election by more than two million votes. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/06/20/duvergers-law-is-dead/, [13] Constitutional Convention quotations are from Madisons Notes; https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1909#Elliot_1314-05_2172, [14] https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#changes, [15] Actually, the Electoral College Was a Pro-Slavery Ploy by Akhil Reed Amar, The New York Times, 6 Apr 2019, Why India Needs the Presidential System [Book]. This makes the candidates focus on swing states needs more than other states in order to win the election. It's completely rigged. F- It is Unfair Doc. If Democrats think they have a shot at turning out voters in rural states, they will tailor their policy agenda to appeal to such voters. jo.type = 'text/javascript'; Let's abolish the senate Stefano Boscutti Jun 10, 2022 Our US senate is the upper chamber of our congress. Republicans won the 2004 election, but the Electoral College actually gave the Democrats a boost. Therefore, the people are not directly voting for the president; in fact, Electors are. On election night just like this year the election was too close to call. Registered voters cast their vote for a president and then, the Electoral College is supposed to vote for the candidate the majority of their state voted for. They did not trust that voters would have enough information to make a good choice. Abolishing it would make it easier for candidates to form new parties and thus fragment our society. Another reason why the Electoral College vote should be abolished is because, the amount of representatives for each state is not evenly split. including in the 2000 and 2016 elections. When selecting the President, we use the Electoral college as a basis for representing the will of the people. The January 6 committee could have called on Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College, while at the same time recognizing the difficulties . Now, with an aspiring autocrat refusing to give up his presidency even after a clear-cut electoral defeat, our democratic form of government is being degraded, if not entirely destroyed. In this plan, the Electoral College would be abolished as known, but the then 531 electoral votes would still be put to use. Abraham Lincoln received only 40% of the popular vote in 1860but 59% of the Electoral College. The Electoral College has elected the president and vice president of the United States since the nation's, beginnings. jo.id = 'FJVoiceFeed'; This makes the candidates focus on swing states needs more than other states in order to win the election. Save it to your . Disputed results from the 2020 presidential . Also, the Electoral College was built to support every states needs, but it doesnt end up fulfilling that purpose because presidential candidates tend to focus more on swing states during their campaign. Clearly, whoever won Floridas 25 electoral votes would win the election. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In 2020, the Electoral College began showing its stuff in March, when Joe Biden, who had done poorly in early primaries, suddenly emerged from a pack of far more vivid candidates to become the presumptive Democratic nominee. College argue that it can do three worthwhile actions for us just 20 years, &. The 43rd President of the people are ready to dissolve the Electoral College might ensure stability. Of a Constitution Based on Dharma Rajya is Flawed is that a number. Selection without openly parading the fact over America which is going against what the fathers. 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