The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. 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. There are two main disadvantages of the electoral college. Middle and high schoolers study the constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies lesson. The electoral college, the right to vote, and our federalism. Yet, three times in americas history, a president has been elected that did not receive the popular vote. Disadvantages and advantages of electoral college connectus. Pros and cons of the electoral college there has been one faithless elector in each of the following elections.
How to be productive at home from a remote work veteran. Electoral college vs direct, popular elections the prodigal. The electoral college serves the interests of all people. Get an answer for what are some pros and cons of keeping the electoral college. The system tends to represent more the diversity of the country. James levine admonished that the electoral college would soon pro duce a wrong. An interesting point to this discussion is that many of the pros are argued by some to be disadvantages, and many of the cons are believed to be the advantages of the system by others. Pros and cons of the electoral college by corey bishop on. The electoral college makes american politics more inclusive, moderate, and stable than if we directly elected the president of the united states. Outlining common arguments for and against our electoral system. Brought to life by article two, section ii of the u. Note then discusses the electoral colleges institutional advantages and disadvantages. Read the pros and cons of the debate a debate on the electoral college. Jonathan turley discussed why he believes the electoral college system is outdated and should be replaced.
Is this the best method of electing the president of the united states. The electoral college is a defender of the equal rights of states and the rights of citizens of the states. If the president was elected only on the popular vote, the focus would be on big populated cities, therefore ignoring rural areas. Congressional committee to examine the electoral college and determine whether or not the system should remain or be replaced with alternative procedures. The electoral college makes sure that states with smaller populations still have a say in who becomes president. Ahh, the electoral college a source of much boredom, confusion, and frustration for americans, especially among young voters. It is composed of 538 staterepresentative electors to match the 435 house representatives, 100 senators, plus three for district of columbia. It allows individuals to vote for the candidates they wish and then to have electorates cast ballots based on the voting trends of their region. Theres been a growing movement aimed at eliminating the electoral college entirely, and converting the country to a popular vote standard. Districtpopular plan would combine elements of the district system and. Consider the information youve learned about the electoral college, including the pros and cons to the system.
In this essay, i respond to these criticisms of the electoral college. A term im sure most americans have heard at least once or twice, but very few actually understand all that it does or the reasons that. The electoral college is undemocratic because it is not based on the popular vote. Numerous movements have aimed to go from an electoral college to a popular election, but the system remains. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. What are the pros and cons of the electoral college. Reforming the electoral college with the districtpopular plan. The establishment of the electoral college system truly has both pros and cons, which you should be aware of so you will know where you stand. Volume 4, issue 3 should the electoral college count.
The electoral college nc essential standards for american. Doc us electoral college pros and cons michael blugh. The primary purpose of this section is to show that the ecs representational unreliability is a direct consequence of our undersized house of representatives. Electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan. Jacobson, the authors represented pro bono publico the 1980. This electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan is suitable for 7th 12th grade. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This and other things have driven the issue forward and brought up again a call to amend the constitution to replace the electoral college with a direct, popular vote. The fundamental concern with the electoral college is its representational unreliability. How the electoral college influences campaigns and policy. The advantages of the electoral college may outweigh the.
It provides a clean, widely accepted ending to the election most of the time. The electoral college system, long a source of controversy, came under especially heavy criticism after the 2016 presidential election when republican donald trump lost the nationwide popular vote to democrat hillary clinton by over 2. Brody, michael 20 circumventing the electoral college. Read the following pros and cons of the electoral college. Electoral college in order to gain a better understanding of how americans elect the president. A big reason thirdparty candidates dont fare well in america is that theyre usually not really competitive for winning electors. One good and most recent example of this was in 2000, when al gore won the popular vote, but george w. Pros and cons of the electoral college vision launch media. This made her the fifth candidate to have that distinction, following al gores loss in 2000. I saw this video by the well liked by reddit youtuber cgp grey, he makes pretty good points on how the electoral college is flawed and what not. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there. The electoral college isnt even a place, its the process that elects the president of the united states.
The united states does not elect its presidents by a popular vote, but instead uses an electoral college process to select its leader, which may not. Because of this, this essay aims to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the electoral college, suggesting that the former might. If no candidate receives a majority, house of representatives elects president. A what are the pros and cons of the electoral college. This skews significance only on sparse and small populated. Here are some of the pros and cons of the electoral college. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by proponents of electoral college reform, as a wrong. The trouble with the electoral college cities, metro areas, elections and the united states duration. Barnett, the george eastman professor of management science and one of the conference organizers, proposed a weighted vote system, which allows smaller states to retain their electoral clout. Lastly, circle the numbers of the specific arguments that you find the most convincing on the side that you agree with. The pros and cons of the electoral college youtube. The electors from every state combine to form the electoral college. Part iv highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the winner. Then decide if you think that the electoral college should remain or be abolished.
Pros and cons of the electoral college essay sample. Even the selection of a president and the vice president has its pros and cons. The electoral college preserves the voice of states with lower populations and more rural areas, occupy theory noted. The electoral college is the electors from each state and it comes together every four years to select the president and the vice president of america. Every election year sparks debate over our electoral systems legitimacy, even though few fully understand how the electoral college works or why it exists. A look into the electoral college here are some of the more major pros and cons to the current practice. In 2016, hillary clinton won the popular vote while losing in the electoral college. What are some pros and cons of keeping the electoral. Hamilton acknowledged that presidential elections were to be con. Conference weighs electoral college pros and cons mit news. At first you may think that the electoral college is a school somewhere where people learn about politics, but that isnt the case. An elector is simply a person who elects someone else. Pros and cons 7 compelling advantages and disadvantages of the electoral college. Constitution and structured by the 12th and 23rd amendments, the electoral college operates as a main apparatus for appointing both the president and vice president.
Pros and cons of electoral college by breana noble thursday, 02 jul 2015 11. Report video issue javascript must be enabled in order to access cspan videos. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of the electoral college. Several mit professors discussed ways of combining features of both a popular vote and the electoral college. The term college refers to a decisionmaking group such as the college of cardinals, which elects the pope for comprehensive discussions of the development and operations of the electoral college systemits pros and cons and possible reformssee league of women voters of the united states, who should elect the president. The electoral college is also the reflection of the federal character of the united states. The thoughtful and controversial scheme for mendingnot endingthe electoral college by fellow britannica blogger james pontuso caused me reflect on the institutions characteristic strengths and weaknesses.
Electoral college pros and cons by joshua stover on prezi. Presidential elections system suggests a certain approach to choosing campaign strategies by u. After watching clips and reading articles focused on. If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college. One benefit is that candidates dont only go to populous stateswhich would disenfranchise voters from rural and small states, each vote in a small state has. Electoral college is a complicated and undemocratic system as viewed by some. Thinking about the political impacts of the electoral college. According to article ii, section 1, clause 2 of the. Some say the electoral college is key to maintaining whats good about u. S census bureau in march 2005, statistics indicate that 29 percent of immigrant headed households use at least one major welfare program, compared with 18 percent for the native households.
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