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