Nov 14, 2016 the electoral college has come up quite a bit this week, as tends to happen during every presidential election in america. Challenging our nations malapportioned, undemocratic. The electoral college is an undemocratic mess whowhatwhy. Dec 22, 2007 another responder writes that i think the electoral college can be salvaged by eliminating the winner take all system. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winner take all nonsense, is simply indefensible. The electoral college is one of the most unique and undemocratic. Oct 18, 2016 the electoral college has 538 members, and each state has the same number of electors as it does house and senate seats. Its known as the winnertakeall system, where all electors go with the candidate who wins the popular vote regardless of how close the vote is. It once again leaves us with the tyranny of the minority. How the terrible, skewed, anachronistic electoral college. A democracy serves the people but the winner take all only voices the. What i am not okay with is the silly winnertakesall system that most states use. Can anyone explain why the electoral college is undemocratic.
Very often they are skewed by geography, ethnicity, race, or other factors. Nov 14, 2016 electoral college is no way to show off democracy. Its a solution to the problem of tyranny and corruption and unrespon. Why is the winnertakeall system undemocratic answers. M any people whine that using the electoral college instead of the popular vote and majority rule is undemocratic. The electoral college in its original form was admirable. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and thats good matt christiansen.
Nov 08, 2016 the electoral college is an antidemocratic institution. Comparatively, individuals in wyoming have nearly four times the power in the electoral college as californians. The electoral college is antidemocraticand thats a good. Despite its intentions, the electoral college does not. Its a winnertakeall system used by 48 states that critics hope to have ultimately ruled unconstitutional. Nov 30, 2016 clearly, these people do not understand that the electoral college is the most undemocratic part of our democracy. Weve never been and were unlikely to become one anytime soon. Fixing elections and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. They say the electoral college system, as opposed to a simple majority vote, distorts the oneperson, onevote principle of. Democrats have been ready to ditch it for at least. This is unfair, undemocratic, and downright racist.
The electoral college makes american politics more inclusive, moderate, and stable than if we directly elected the president of the. In fact, people do not even technically vote for a candidate, they vote for electors who are pledged but not required to vote for a candidate when the electoral college convenes. Civil rights activists are challenging the legality of four states winnertakeall method of allocating u. Nov 03, 2016 what is the winner takes all rule in the presidential election.
There are many good reasons to get rid of the electoral college, but the. Clearly, these people do not understand that the electoral college is the most undemocratic part of our democracy. It is archaic and does not really protect smaller rural states from the unruly masses found in large cities. The winner is picked not by the laws of elections but by the serendipity of the casino. We do not do all things by majority rules, for the majority is nearly almost the tyranny of the minority. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system of the electoral college is under democrats. Some have claimed that the electoral college is one of the most dangerous institutions in american politics. Some democratic presidential hopefuls want to eliminate the electoral college. Fundamental problems with the electoral college 2 of last 5 elections were won by. In any close presidential vote, it is also a traditionnow verging on a requirementthat we have a brief debate over the electoral college. Democracy is not an end goal, its a solution to a problem. In the current electoral college system, the presidency is awarded to the. Nov 19, 2016 in defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and thats good matt christiansen.
It also looks like shes going to win the popular vote by well over half a million. Is winner take all electoral college voting in trouble. The electoral college is unfairly weighted towards the smaller states as well. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winnertakeall. Nov 09, 2015 why the electoral college ruins democracy adam ruins everything. Dont abandon the electoral college its good for our democracy. Fixing elections shows our whole 18thcentury winner take all political system. Sep 20, 2016 in fact, through how the electoral college is made up, how the winner take all system is unfair to even the candidates, how swing states basically make up who wins, and through the process of gerrymandering, these things are actually what decides who sits in the oval office and not the vote of the people. The charge is made that the electoral college is blatantly distrustful and alarmingly paternalistic towards the american populace, not to mention being flatout undemocratic. For all the reverence paid to the popular vote in presidential elections, the. The winnertakeall electoral college system used by 48.
Explain why some people say that the winner take all. Electoral college is undemocratic des moines register. Now, for the second time in a generation, the electoral college has. Major alternatives, other than direct popular vote, are analyzed. The electoral college is an antidemocratic institution. They are unfair to republicans and democrats alike, and. What i do resent is that the electoral college, except for maine and nebraska, is a statebystate winnertakeall, rather than being divided up proportionally. Why the electoral college ruins democracy adam ruins everything. By ditching this system for a simple popular vote, every citizens vote will count equally, candidates can pay visits to more than just the battleground states, and it would be virtually impossible to end in a tie. The 1892 ruling, in fact, upheld a decision by the michigan legislature to switch from a winnertakeall to a districtbydistrict system. In defense of the electoral college national affairs. All in all, its time for the electoral college to go. The electoral college is not democratic vanity fair.
The winner take all system of the electoral college is undemocratic because it is does not voice the majority of people. Blacker, has said repeatedly that there is no command that the states choose their presidential electors in one way only. Winnertakeall electoral practice faces voterrights. Winnertakeall electoral practice faces voterrights challenge. How electoral college cheats democracy consortiumnews. Unconstitutional and unfair to voters in 48 states. Why isnt the electoral college considered undemocratic. In the 626page book npv supporters have authored, the voting rights act is. The equal protection argument against winner take all in. The book then evaluates the current operation of the winner take all electoral college and explains whycontrary to the mantra of many of its defendersit is essentially different from the electoral college conceived by the american founders. Hillary clinton blamed the electoral college for her stunning defeat in the 2016 presidential election in her latest memoirs, what happened. Why the electoral college ruins democracy adam ruins. The sneaky plan to subvert the electoral college for the next election duration. Advocates of the system say that this uneven power forces politicians to pay attention to smaller states, which would otherwise be ignored.
Observer as well as a forthcoming book about the electoral college. Dec 02, 2016 what i do resent is that the electoral college, except for maine and nebraska, is a statebystate winner take all, rather than being divided up proportionally. As of right now it looks like hillary clinton is going to lose the electoral college by a margin of 306 to 232. A trouble prone and undemocratic system the electoral college is an institution that may have served a purpose 200 years ago when the founding fathers needed a system that would be met with approval by both large and small states. Another responder writes that i think the electoral college can be salvaged by eliminating the winner take all system. Electoral college change from winnertakeall system gains. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system. The electoral college is the way the state elect a president who is not supposed to represent the people. Oct 20, 2009 an example would be in a state like california. The electoral college serves the interests of all people. Opinion end winnertakeall in the electoral college the. Opinion end winnertakeall in the electoral college. This winnertakeall system, unlike the electoral college, is not mandated by the constitution. Hence the chorus of denunciation the electoral college is undemocratic.
A democracy serves the people but the winner take all only voices the electoral voters. Constitution, but later enacted by 48 states, without changing anything in the constitution, using the builtin method that the. The electoral college is profoundly undemocratic by design. Its initial purpose was dubious at best and the spirit in which it was created was almost immediately subverted by the very men who created and defended it. Any vote for the losing candidate doesnt count at the federal levela bipartisan issue. Popular vote plan npv has sought to abolish the electoral college with. The electoral college has 538 members, and each state has the same number of electors as it does house and senate seats. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic. How the terrible, skewed, anachronistic electoral college gave us trump once again, a democrat has won the popular vote but lost the election. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system of the electoral. The electoral college favors the smaller states with disproportionate voting power. Most are not of the pure one person, one vote kind. The new yorker may earn a portion of sales from products and services that are purchased through links on our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers. Dec 04, 2009 it also seems undemocratic because our vote is essentially irrelevent.
The electoral college is undemocratic in support of the national popular vote interstate compact hb2927, sb823, sb824 will hobbs, cornelius, or hd32, sd16 5037010733. Why the electoral college is bad for america edwards iii, george c. For proof, consider the two states mentioned above. This study examines how the electoral college actually works, how it is supposed to work, and how it might be reformed. Why the national popular vote plan is the wrong way to. The electoral college is undemocratic in support of the national popular vote interstate compact will hobbs, cornelius, or hd32 5037010733 the electoral college violates onepersononevote principle of a democracy in general, the effect a voter has is inversely proportional to the population of the state e. In fact, through how the electoral college is made up, how the winner take all system is unfair to even the candidates, how swing states basically make up who wins, and through the process of gerrymandering, these things are actually what decides who sits in. The district of columbia and all but two states allocate their electoral college. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and.
The electoral college is a strange mechanism, created to avert imaginary dangers, that violates basic democratic principles for no good reason. But the most significant constitutional point is that the supreme court, beginning with a decision in 1892 in the case of mcpherson v. What is the winnertakesall rule in the presidential. Nov 15, 2012 the electoral college is a strange mechanism, created to avert imaginary dangers, that violates basic democratic principles for no good reason.
But due to the magic of the electoral college, donald trump will be the next. They meticulously scan the cvs of all the candidates, read their books and. Why the electoral college is the absolute worst, explained vox. The national popular vote, explained brennan center for justice. What is the winnertakesall rule in the presidential election. All it takes is for a minority of members of parliament to be elected by an. There are single counties in some states that have. This is precisely the problem with winnertakeall in the electoral college. I have never heard any defense of it, let alone a good one. Ap united states government and politics 2007 scoring guidelines question 1 5 points part a. The electoral college is an archaic and confusing process to choose a new leader. Winner take all or proportional would also take power away from the larger city areas. The electoral college is for states rights and it is valid. Feb 21, 2018 civil rights activists are challenging the legality of four states winnertakeall method of allocating u.
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