popular vote pros and cons

Cons: Can disregard the will of the majority. Electoral College and National Popular Vote Pros and Cons A Selected In the United States there is a two party system consisting of the Republicans and the Democrats. In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and There is too much politicizing in the courts now, and that is a shame. Even if they won enough electoral votes A special commission named by the House chose Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden, after 20 electoral votes in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina were disputed. And the Electoral College was designed to [1], Prior to the 2016 election, there were four times in US history when a candidate won the presidency despite losing the popular vote: 1824 (John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland), and 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore). If the election depended solely on the popular vote, then candidates could limit campaigning to heavily-populated areas or specific regions. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The Senate was designed to represent below. Highly Recommended. 1. Electoral Vote vs Popular Vote Pro and Con: Electoral College All rights reserved. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts. [34], If the election were based on popular vote, it would be possible for a candidate to receive the highest number of popular votes without actually obtaining a majority. You know, you get 100 million votes and somebody else gets 90 million votes and you win. Just as in 2000 when George W. Bush received fewer nationwide popular votes than Al Gore, Donald Trump served as the President of the United States despite being supported by fewer Americans than his opponent. federal system of government and representation. The states with the lowest number of votes are Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming, all holding 3 electoral votes. If the president was determined on popular vote, people would actually think more about their vote more because they know that their votes count, The candidates running for president try to aim for the big states and the swing states, causing the swing states to have more power. in the Electoral college. Electoral College Pros and Cons This is the winner takes all rule. [3] [4] [5] [6], At least 700 amendments have been proposed to modify or abolish the Electoral College. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of (They dont always do so.). More accurate. 2. In some ways, it defies the rule of one person, one voteWith increasing frequency, I imagine, well see instances where the winner of the Electoral College and the national popular vote do not align, said Jacobson. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. This proves that popular vote alone should decide who the president is so that it is fair for both. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Listen to a Constitution Center podcast exploring the pros and cons of the Electoral College. extremely close, then the election defaults to that candidate with the best distribution While the NPVIC would take away the disproportionate focus on small swing states, it would likely see candidates now instead leaving out states with smaller populations. The result of a direct popular election for president, then, would likely be frayed and The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. System. Indeed, they point out that the Electoral College system is designed to The Electoral College is a way of voting that gathers the majority for each individual state, allowing that states elector to vote on a presidential candidate, giving that candidate an amount of points equal to the states politicians in the Senate and House of Representatives. And the price is ], ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "The Electoral College Top 3 Pros and Cons. First, have students meet in small groups to discuss and debate. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. President Joe Biden was inaugurated with Vice President Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, 2021. national popular will, the argument goes, the Electoral College reinforces a two party [7] [8] [9], According to Alexander Hamilton, the Electoral College is if not perfect, it is at least excellent, because it ensured that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. [7], Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak vetoed a measure in 2019 that would add the state to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would have obligated the states electors to vote for the popular vote winner. direct popular election, there would be every incentive for a multitude of minor parties On election day, voters choosing a presidential candidate are actually casting a vote for an elector. popular will. One example being the elections of 2000 and 2004 where George W. Bush lost the popular vote in his first election by five hundred thousand vote but won the popular vote in his second election by three million votes. American Enterprise Institute This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. Some hope to reduce the Electoral Colleges importance without an amendment. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but Trump won the Electoral College. PBS NewsHour Classroom in that case, they would hardly be considered a minor party. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? To abolish the Electoral College in favor of a nationwide popular election for president [10], Using electors instead of the popular vote was intended to safeguard the presidential election against uninformed or uneducated voters by putting the final decision in the hands of electors who were most likely to possess the information necessary to make the best decision in a time when news was not widely disseminated. Human Services Updated February 21, 2023 Mukunda stated, The fact that in presidential elections people in Wyoming have [nearly four] times the power of people in California is antithetical at the most basic level to what we say we stand for as a democracy. [33], The minority interests the Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to protect were those of slaveowners and states with legal slavery. Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? drawing the district lines for their House seats. Is it fair? vote count Robinson stated, It depends on the outcome [of the election]. Discuss. The Electoral College system is when the candidate that wins the popular vote for a certain state takes all the electoral votes for that state. [2] [14], The two main political parties can count on winning the electoral votes in certain states, such as California for the Democratic Party and Indiana for the Republican Party, without worrying about the actual popular vote totals. majorities only to the Electoral College? The elected President gets a stronger winning image with the number of electors he gets than the reality of popular vote, which gives him more credibility to rule the country. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for contributes to the cohesiveness of the country to be a positive virtue. In a direct popular election, a candidate could theoretically win without having broad support throughout the country. If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option. Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. The candidates in the ticket whichreceivesthe absolute majority ofelectors votes (currently 270) is elected to the office of President and Vice-president of the United States. Please let us know! And the American citizens who live in territories like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not represented by any electors. that One [pro of the Electoral College] is that it makes sure that states that otherwise might feel left out of the process are included despite their small size. Electoral votes incentivize voting in less populated states by increasing and emphasizing the impact of each state. States according to the size of their population. Thus we end up with two large, pragmatic political The winner of the states popular vote gets two electoral votes, and one vote is awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. Pros Texas has 38. To win the election, presidential candidates need electoral votes from multiple regions and therefore they build campaign platforms with a national focus, meaning that the winner will actually be serving the needs of the entire country. Popular vote is an actual count of individual votes from all states in America while the Electoral College is a measure of the House of Representatives and Senators choosing directly who the president should be (Kimberling, 1992). each State equally regardless of its population. [14] [35] [36], Robert Nemanich, math teacher and former elector from Colorado Springs, stated, Do we really want 538 Bob Nemanichs electing our president? Make a list and offer support for each reform. But what about the issues of the people living in the ignored states? College contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two This is an example of increased voting power that raises the importance of voters even in less populous states. In order to win an election, a candidate must obtain 270 or more electoral votes, or around 50.2% of all votes. Why or why not? The Electoral College elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. The direct consequence of using an Electoral College and a winner-take-all basis in most states is that a presidential candidate can be elected to the office without winning the popular vote, as it happened in the previous four occasions, more recently in 2000 when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. [11], Richard A. Posner, judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, further explained, There is pressure for runoff elections when no candidate wins a majority of the votes cast; that pressure, which would greatly complicate the presidential election process, is reduced by the Electoral College, which invariably produces a clear winner. [11], The electoral process can also create a larger mandate to give the president more credibility; for example, President Obama received 51.3% of the popular vote in 2012 but 61.7% of the electoral votes. Lexington Books, 1973. Election of the President. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Washington: Brookings Institution, president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. by William C. Kimberling, operation). Congress broke the tie, and Jefferson became president and Burr became vice president. A direct popular election of the president would likely have the opposite effect. Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1983. Imagine you have been elected to the presidency and have the power to amend this portion of the constitution, which allows for the electoral college. attempted in 1948 and again in 1968. [23] [26]. (Until the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, the candidate with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president.). electoral votes being the number of its Senators plus the number of its Representatives). forces political coalitions to occur within the political parties rather than within the They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. in the other States listed. In New Mexico, electors can be charged with a felony if they abandon their pledge, and in Oklahoma a faithless elector could face a misdemeanor charge. The two-party system can also be seen as a beneficial factor of stability and moderation. This proves the system is working. I do not think this system is fair, I think it contradicts the fact that as Americans we are given the freedom to vote, but it seems as though the peoples vote actually doesnt decide much. they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. Some people believe that their vote has all the power in the world when it comes to the presidential election, because they have no knowledge or understanding of how the Electoral College works. And the collective opinion of the This piece was originally published in Inkwells2020 Election Print Issue. Opponents say would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. College's role in reinforcing a two party system, proponents, as we shall see, find this Gallup reports 61 percent of Americans support abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote. As for the first issue, that the Electoral College over-represents rural The substitution of electors obviated this difficulty and seemed on the whole to be liable to fewest objections. [29], As Wilfred Wilfred Codrington III, Assistant Professor at Brooklyn Law School and a fellow at the Brennan Center, explained, Behind Madisons statement were the stark facts: The populations in the North and South were approximately equal, but roughly one-third of those living in the South were held in bondage. Voter ID laws? relative size of it. Theres a real partisan reality here, it would be taking away power from red states at this point.. The system had some unusual results from the start, as evident in the election of 1800, a tie in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of electoral votes. The nations founders hoped to quell the formation of powerful factions and political parties, and they wanted a mechanism that did not rely solely on popular majorities or Congress. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a National Conference of State Legislatures This system selects electors and their job is to vote on the President and the Vice President. substantially to the time, cost, and effort already devoted to selecting a president and Should the Electoral College be abolished? Fair or not fair? [18], A Nov. 6, 2016 episode of PBS NewsHour revealed that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have made more than 90% of their campaign stops in just 11 so-called battleground states. forth. The local laws would take effect only once the compact has enough states to total 270 electoral votes. movements, the practical effect of the Electoral College (along with the single-member Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. Electors for each State is determined by the number of members it has in the House (which the Electoral College point out that is was never intended to reflect the national popular Should we not correct the minor distortions in the House (caused by would strike at the very heart of the federal structure laid out in our Constitution and Fairness: This compact would rightfully ensure that the candidate who receives the most votes wins, just as in any other election in the country and unlike in 2000 and 2016. Our moderators will now review this comment and act accordingly. WebThe Debate Today. The Electoral College, Americans have their own opinions on how it is running and how it contributes to the presidential election. Your comment is being posted. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. (Voters in one of those states, Colorado, on Nov. 3 backed membership in the compact after opponents of the measure collected enough signatures to put the law on the ballot as a referendum.) these grounds, why should such an argument be used to abolish the lesser case of the represent each State's choice for the presidency (with the number of each State's that in very close popular elections, it is possible that the candidate who wins a slight Elections, LLC 2019 All Rights Reserved, http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/electoral_college.html, the possibility of electing a minority New York: Harper & Row, 1971. The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. Congrats you just reached a new level on Netivist. National Conference of State Legislatures National Archives:U.S. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. no one received over 50% of the national popular total. Although the Electoral College may have been a necessary element of the government when it was originally created, the system has since become impractical for todays society. The second advantage is that the all votes would be equally weighed (Richards). Pros and Cons of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. College point out, quite correctly, its failure to accurately reflect the And even if he managed to win a few States, his But since there have been no serious proposals to abolish the United States Senate on 1. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1985. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. 3. population? electoral votes. enough States to win the needed majority of the Electoral College. One route would be a constitutional amendment, which would require two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and ratification by the states, or a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Consider the American Bar Associations fact check on whether the Electoral College can be abolished. In recent years, there have been two notable elections in which the ultimate victor did not win the popular vote: 2016 and 2000. to force the decision into the U.S. House of Representatives, they would still have to Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. For in a could take office is if, as in 1888, one candidate's popular support were heavily If you feel this user's conduct is unappropriate, please report this comment and our moderaters will review its content and deal with this matter as soon as possible. Nor would a direct The Constitution should not be amended to abolish the Electoral College. Proponents also point out that, far from diminishing minority interests by depressing Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. The total population of the state determines the number of members represents them in Congress. The States are even responsible for I know how the president is chosen, and I believe that the set up of the electoral college is no longer. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? State viewpoints, they decided, are [ 1] their own. Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). Electoral College Pros and Cons Pros: Gives the smaller states an equal voice. Representatives, its failure to accurately reflect the national Advantages and Disadvantages of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Although its not detailed in the Constitution, each state delegation would vote on which candidate to support as a group, with the plurality carrying the day, said Akhil Reed Amar, a professor of law and political science at Yale University. 29, 1961). The fact is, they argue, that the original design of our federal system of government was SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. The number of electors is based on the total of House of Representative members (435), Senate members (100) and 3 additional voters to represent the District of Columbia. Gives too few states too much electoral power. After students have completed their handouts, have them debate the pros and cons of the Electoral College. This would accomplish "government by popular Either way, though, the person taking WebAdvantages of the Electoral Vote over a Popular Vote Supporters of using the electoral vote argue that it protects the rights of smaller states and is a cornerstone of American federalism. James Madison stated, There was one difficulty however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. of Presidential Elections 1789-1968. disturbed by the possibility of electing a minority president (one without the accordance with the 12th Amendment. Electors, the possible role of the Electoral College in This leads to an intense focus on battleground states, as candidates look to boost their electoral advantage by targeting states that can help them reach the needed 270 votes of the 538 up for grabs. Poly Sci Final The Electoral College is the voting system the United States has adopted to choose the president, the individual who runs the country. work in a rational series of defaults: if, in the first instance, a candidate receives a Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. Electoral College system contributes to the cohesiveness of the country be requiring a The Electoral College has also awarded the presidency to candidates with a plurality of the popular vote (under 50 percent) in a number of cases, notably Abraham Lincoln in 1860, John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. Selected students then present to the class as a whole. Such an organization of social conflict and political Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. Lets have a look at the many issues on this topic. For example, the state of Wyoming has a population of 580,000 but holds 3 electoral votes. A presidential candidate needs at least 26 votes to win. However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. Participation is discouraged, except in the swing states. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. However, that support diverges widely based on political parties, with support from 89 percent of Democrats and only 23 percent of Republicans. Some scholars have said they do not wholeheartedly agree with the decision, arguing that it endangers an electors freedom to make decisions they want and that electors are usually picked for their loyalty to a candidate or party. Proponents further argue that the Electoral Occasionally, citizens believe that we should no longer have an electoral college since it does not allow Americans to have a voice during the election, but the electoral college helps the election process go smooth, gives power to the states, and makes it easier for candidates to campaign. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. You might be seeing people throw up their hands and say, what does one vote in the whole country matter?, Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Should judges be elected or appointed? How and why? of popular votes (as evidenced by obtaining the absolute majority of electoral votes); in Minority groups can have a greater influence on the election, by increasing the participation and helping one candidate to win the popular vote and all the electors in one particular state. Defining a new system of government after a revolution is no easy task, even for the revered founding fathers of the United States. Longley, Lawrence D. The Politics of Electoral College Reform. distributed across the States. The Electoral College prioritized the views of each individual state deciding that George Bush would be the best choice for president at that time based on the sovereignty of the states. Far from being unusual, this sort ", ProCon.org. ProCon.org. You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties. president. system, discourages third party or independent candidates, and thereby tends to restrict While the country has States to have a chance of winning the presidency. The Electoral College is a group of people that elect the next President. If you already created your netivist account, please log in using the button below. Sayre, Wallace Stanley, Voting for President. [3] [4] [5] [6], The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress only or via a popular vote only. 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 the Negroes. What other voting reforms would you make? The Electoral College is a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.. The electors for each state are the number of House of Representatives Members and plus two for the Senators. Pros and Cons unclear how a direct election of the president could resolve such a deep national conflict votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of The group as a whole should help that student to prepare his or her argument. electoral votes required to elect a president. Should that happen today, there are two possible WebWhat Are The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College. is if a third party or candidate, however small, drew enough votes from the top two that cast his votes for Lloyd Bensen for president and Michael Dukakis for vice president exacerbate regional differences. It is hard to imagine what counter-incentive would be created by eliminating the Electoral Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? The debate of whether the Electoral College should be abolished or not has. Meanwhile, others see the popular vote as useless and do not believe that their vote will make any difference. Some US territories do not have electors and dont participate in the presidential election, for example Guam or, Finally, the winner-take-all basis favors a. There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and To do so would fundamentally alter the nature of our government Elections (2nd ed). choices available to the electorate. for Public Policy Research. vote count Electoral College pros and cons: should the USA use popular vote to elect the President? Only use this feature if you are certain this user has infringed netivist's Terms of Service. apply to the choice of president. Yet this is less of a problem than it seems since, as a Representative Democracy This unifying mechanism does not, however, come without a small price. Popular Vote

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