Electoral College
The Electoral College has been an important aspect of American democracy for many years.
The founders created a system to ensure that large states do not control small states
Presidential elections, equal control between state legislatures and Congress, etc.
A constitutional democracy will have checks and balances. This article is about choosing
The origin, purpose and structure of the College. Furthermore, the pros and cons are discussed
abolition. Finally, the article describes how and why people serve as voters.
The Origin, Purpose and Structure of the Electoral College
The founders established the Electoral College for various purposes. That
Electoral bodies have been used since 1787 (Burgan, 2007). electoral college established
When the government doesn’t trust the people to elect their president and senators. entity
It’s the cooperation of big and small states in the Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia. Many of them worry that the presidency will be governed by the states
Like Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, so they’re in
Each state votes in the Electoral College based on the members of the House of Representatives and their numbers
Senator (West, 2020). The former benefits small states because each state has two senators,
Regardless of its size. The latter, by contrast, favor large states because the overall
Representatives in the House of Representatives focused on the overall population.
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Americans Vote for Vice President and President
The convention is held a few weeks after the election. Number of voters in each state
Revenue from the federal government depends on the number of delegates and
Each state in the U.S. Congress has senators. To win the presidency, a candidate must come at least
270 votes from a total of 538 voters, with one vote each for MPs and three votes for MPs
District of Columbia
Arguments for and against the Electoral College
Opponents claim the Electoral College does not take into account the referendum.
Another controversy sparks as Donald Trump narrowly wins Electoral College
74 votes, but trailed by more than 3 million in the referendum. he became the fifth president
Didn’t win the popular vote as Hillary Clinton led but lost
Trump (Ross, 2019). This discrepancy between the referendum and the Electoral College has
sparked a heated debate about the electoral system. Appoint a President who has lost popularity
Voting reduces the credibility of the electoral system. The reason for the party is not easy to understand
The side with the fewer votes shall be declared the winner.
Supporters of the Electoral College argue that the system gives rural states a voice.
Admittedly, the Electoral College is more focused on sparsely populated areas. it should
Provide more representation for these geographies. However, every voter
It matters in elections to be treated equally no matter where you are. some may argue
The presidential election is the most suitable option for electing the president.
How and Why People Serve as Voters
State legislatures are responsible for selecting voters, though they accomplish this
It varies from state to state. The most common way to select voters is through state parties
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practice. Voters are selected by each party’s state assembly, which holds:
A vote is held on the candidates put forward by each party. Committee of States parties appointed
Voters in presidential elections. Political parties like to select voters by rewarding those who do
Contribute to and support their campaigns. Voters can be elected
A representative or official of the party in the state or a citizen who has a personal relationship with the party’s candidate
or professional.
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refer to
Burgan, M. (2007). Electoral College. Compass book.
T Ross (2019). Why we need the Electoral College. Portal Edition.
SMS (2020). Time to abolish the Electoral College. Brookings Institution. https://www.
brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Big-Ideas_West_Electoral-College. PDF.