In the 626page book npv supporters have authored, the voting rights act is. A democracy serves the people but the winner take all only voices the electoral voters. No further attempts to reform, amend, or abolish the electoral college system have. This is where we get to the irony of the whole thing. In part a the response earned 1 point for describing the winnertakeall system of the electoral college. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties might actually like the way we now elect presidents would horrify the authors of the u. The winnertakesall system makes sense, especially when it comes to the ways electors are bound to vote for the states they represent. 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. Democrats have been ready to ditch it for at least. Nov 03, 2016 the winner takes all system makes sense, especially when it comes to the ways electors are bound to vote for the states they represent. Winnertakeall electoral practice faces voterrights. Dec, 2016 a group of 29 electoral college members have requested an intelligence briefing on how russia interfered with the u.
What is the winnertakesall rule in the presidential. Winner take all system explained flashcards quizlet. Some have claimed that the electoral college is one of the most dangerous institutions in american politics. The electoral college is a classic chaotic system a slight change in initial conditions can result in profoundly different outcomes october surprises butterfly ballot in florida, 2000 support the national popular vote interstate compact, oregon hb2729, sb823824. Its a winnertakeall system used by 48 states that critics hope to have ultimately ruled unconstitutional. He made the argument for these reforms and others in his books 10 steps to repair american democracy 2006, fixing elections.
Some argue its an unfair system because it allows for the possibility that the candidate. Blacker, has said repeatedly that there is no command that the states choose their presidential electors in one way only. I have never heard any defense of it, let alone a good one. The flaw with the electoral college in the united states. The electoral college is an undemocratic mess whowhatwhy. Nov 01, 2004 the electoral college system, when combined with the winner take all rule, tends to magnify the margin of victory, giving the victor a certain and demonstrable election outcome. The electoral college is antidemocraticand thats a good. Explain one way in which the winnertakeall feature of the electoral college affects how presidential candidates from the two major parties run their campaign. Winnertakeall or winnertakesall is an electoral system in which a single political party or group can elect every office within a given district or jurisdiction.
They meticulously scan the cvs of all the candidates, read their books and. The electoral college is unfairly weighted towards the smaller states as well. Yet, the electoral college and the winnertakeall rule employed by most states isnt without controversy. An electoral college map from the 1976 carterford campaign that. Challenging our nations malapportioned, undemocratic. A group of 29 electoral college members have requested an intelligence briefing on how russia interfered with the u. Without the winnertakeall provision of the electoral college, america would likely have a multipleparty system, since there would be less reason to support one of the two major partys candidates. The winner is picked not by the laws of elections but by the serendipity of the casino. The electoral college tends to be unsupported because it is not understood.
For the second time in 16 years and for the fourth time in u. The party system has completely hijacked the electoral college system. In summary, a winnertakeall system of allocating electors by the states denies the minority of voters within each state any representation whatsoever within the electoral college and. Comparatively, individuals in wyoming have nearly four times the power in the electoral college as californians. The electoral college inadvertently reinforces this two party system, where third parties cannot enter the race without being tagged as spoilers. He notes, the electoral college poses a real potential for deadlock page 61. They say the electoral college system, as opposed to a simple majority vote, distorts the oneperson, onevote principle of. Critics of the electoral college insist that it is undemocratic since it is possible for the winner of the popular vote to lose the electoral college majority and therefore be defeated in the election. Winnertakeall is contrasted with proportional representation, in which more than one political party or group can elect offices in proportion to their voting power winnertakeall voting methods. We structure everything in our political system around the idea of a federation.
It is not fair for the presidential only needing to win the. Unconstitutional and unfair to voters in 48 states they are unfair to republicans and democrats alike, and dont need a constitutional amendment to fix. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system of the electoral college is undemocratic. According to mulroy, the electoral college, internal senate rules and single member winnertakeall districts have led to undemocratic. And a lurking mystery is whether electors really have to do. Nov 08, 2016 thanks to the current system, small states are given much more weight and candidates only bother to show up in a few tightly contested states. The electoral college is an antidemocratic institution. Electoral college is undemocratic des moines register. This study examines how the electoral college actually works, how it is supposed to work, and how it might be reformed. Discontent with the electoral college is a real factor in america. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties. Because the president is the only nationally elected official, the prize of the winning the presidency keeps the two parties from splitting. They took their first step in february 2018 by filing. The winner take all system of the electoral college is undemocratic because it is does not voice the majority of people.
Civil rights activists are challenging the legality of four states winnertakeall method of allocating u. What accounts for this electoral oddity is the winnertakeall provision of the electoral college. The electoral college is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Explain one way in which the winner take all feature of the electoral college affects how presidential candidates from the two major parties run their campaign. Nov 30, 2016 clearly, these people do not understand that the electoral college is the most undemocratic part of our democracy. Explain why some people say that the winner take all. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and. Winnertakeall electoral practice faces voterrights challenge. Some argue its an unfair system because it allows for. Nov 19, 2016 in defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and thats good matt christiansen. Dec 22, 2007 another responder writes that i think the electoral college can be salvaged by eliminating the winner take all system. Nov 09, 2016 democracy in america lost when the winnertakeall system became a fundamental part of the electoral process.
Nov 15, 2012 the electoral college is a strange mechanism, created to avert imaginary dangers, that violates basic democratic principles for no good reason. In summary, a winner take all system of allocating electors by the states denies the minority of voters within each state any representation whatsoever within the electoral college and. The equal protection argument against winner take all in. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winner take all nonsense, is simply indefensible. Opinion end winnertakeall in the electoral college the. This creates a situation where, sometimes, conservative americans migrate to republican states like texas and liberal americans migrate to democratic states. 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. The 1892 ruling, in fact, upheld a decision by the michigan legislature to switch from a winnertakeall to a districtbydistrict system. Electoral college change from winnertakeall system gains. Why the national popular vote plan is the wrong way to. In the smallest state, wyoming, each elector represents 200,000 people. The electoral college was initially created as a mechanism to allow a panel of learned citizens to override the will of the people if the.
Nov 17, 2016 the electoral college has overruled the popular vote for the second time in the last five presidential elections. Hence the chorus of denunciation the electoral college is undemocratic. Will barbara boxer succeed in abolishing the electoral. Nov 08, 2016 the electoral college is an antidemocratic institution. The failure of americas winner take all politics steven hill. Nov 14, 2016 for the second time in 16 years and for the fourth time in u. Our electoral college system is weird and not in a good. Gale offers an overview of the electoral college, derived from scholarly sources. 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.
The electoral college keep it, but reform it britannica blog. The electoral college continues to provide all these benefits to our country. 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. But the most significant constitutional point is that the supreme court, beginning with a decision in 1892 in the case of mcpherson v. And the core principle of that decision that it is up to the states to choose the method was reaffirmed by the court in its decision in bush v. The national popular vote, explained brennan center for justice. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic. As a result of the winner take all system, five presidents have been elected through the electoral college despite losing in the popular vote. A winnertakeall system within states can produce results counter to the. Nov 03, 2016 yet, the electoral college and the winner take all rule employed by most states isnt without controversy. Democracy in america lost when the winnertakeall system became a fundamental part of the electoral process. What i do resent is that the electoral college, except for maine and nebraska, is a statebystate winnertakeall, rather than being divided up proportionally. Jan 29, 20 the 1892 ruling, in fact, upheld a decision by the michigan legislature to switch from a winnertakeall to a districtbydistrict system. All states except for maine and nebraska follow a winnertakesall approach in.
Clearly, these people do not understand that the electoral college is the most undemocratic part of our democracy. In defense of the electoral college national affairs. While others may say that america is a republic, the voting system is advertised as democratic, and therefore should be. Mar 26, 2018 if the proportional system of naming electors to the electoral college had been in place during the 2016 election, vera said, clinton who won the national popular vote by nearly 2.
In part b the response earned 1 point for explaining how the winnertakeall system affects how. As you wait for election results to come in, watch these three short videos to learn more about the electoral college and the mess it is. In defense of the electoral college its undemocratic and thats good matt christiansen. Opinion end winnertakeall in the electoral college.
The electoral college has 538 members, and each state has the same number of electors as it does house and senate seats. The winner takes all system is also the reason we have what. The electoral college is a strange mechanism, created to avert imaginary dangers, that violates basic democratic principles for no good reason. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system. Starting from the premise the electoral college has a wide range of advantages and disadvantages for american policy edwards precedes to focus on the problems with the 18th century presidential election system. But generally, it does result in 1 landslides getting dangerously closer, 2 normalsized wins. How the winnertakeall system is undemocratic 2002 the film archives. The electoral college is one of the most undemocratic features of u.
Surprisingly, the proportional system only definitively changes the result of the 1996 election and may affect the 1968 election. What i am not okay with is the silly winnertakesall system that most states use. Because of the winner takes all system the electoral college employs, the 4. The electoral college is profoundly undemocratic by design. The electoral college is not democratic vanity fair. 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. Hillary clinton blamed the electoral college for her stunning defeat in the 2016 presidential election in her latest memoirs, what happened.
Thats why the candidates spend so much time and money campaigning in electoral gold mines like california, texas and new york and relatively little time in montana. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winnertakeall. The electoral college has overruled the popular vote for the second time in the last five presidential elections. The electoral college system, when combined with the winnertakeall rule, tends to magnify the margin of victory, giving the victor a certain and demonstrable election outcome. If the proportional system of naming electors to the electoral college had been in place during the 2016 election, vera said, clinton who won the national popular vote by nearly 2. 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. Feb 21, 2018 civil rights activists are challenging the legality of four states winnertakeall method of allocating u. Thanks to the current system, small states are given much more weight and candidates only bother to show up in a few tightly contested states. Another responder writes that i think the electoral college can be salvaged by eliminating the winner take all system.
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