Every three years around the United States, candidates who decide to run for the seat of presidency begin their campaign to win the votes of Americans, but for what? They know that the real votes are going to come down to only the Electoral College votes. American citizens are lead to believe that by going to the voting polls, and filling in the little dot on the voter card for their own choice in which the next president will be will actually count. When in reality, they are only voting for who will be elected to vote for the next president. This is the choice of electors, and the selection is governed by state laws (Barbara A. Bardes).
In 1787 there was a constitutional convention which composed a new structure for our American government. (Study.com 2003) During the convention the delegates weren’t able to decide whether the people or congress should elect the president, thus creating the Electoral College. (Study.com 2003) The Electoral College is an arrangement between the majority vote of Congress and qualified citizens for the election of the president. (National Archives and Records Administration) In other words, it’s an indirect system for electing the U.S. President by using Electoral votes or an Indirect Democracy. This process created a balance between the power of Congress and the people.
In my own words some of the pros and cons of the Electoral College are as followed and explained. My pros are that it maintains the federalist system, and allows for minority interests to be represented. It helps maintain the federalist system by keeping all of the branches of government equal. It helps allow for minority interests to be represented by helping the interest and have the ability to be represented and backed up by bigger parties to help get votes. My cons of the Electoral College are that is does not reflect the popular vote, and lowers voter turnout. The way is doesn’t reflect popular vote is because people think that their vote doesn’t matter to the voting of the president. The way it lowers the turnout is because it makes
The Electoral College is established in Article Two of the U.S. Constitution, it states that “Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons. The person having the highest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole numbers of electors appointed”(Hardaway 79). The twelfth amendment modifies this procedure to require balloting for president and vice president be done separately. Although there were sixty-nine electors who participated in the first election, we now have a total of five hundred and thirty-eight. To win the presidency, a candidate must receive two hundred and seventy votes. California has the highest number of electors, with fifty-five. Tied for last are
Electoral College is a group of people that contains of 538 electors who nominate the body of House of Representatives that are two mains of leaders that took place, the President and Vice-President. They are chosen who cast votes from each state to decide the number of which President and Vice-President that can run the government in the United States. The polls always held on Tuesday, which is the day that voters who are only known as citizens; however, immigrants are not allowed to vote. They will choose which candidate receives their state 's electors, the people of each state vote for the electors who votes on the people 's behalf. The candidate who receives 270, a majority of electoral votes, wins the Presidency that equals to
In 1787, years after the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention met to decide how the new nation would govern itself. The delegates understood that the need for a leader was necessary but still bitterly remembered how Britain abused of its power. The delegates agreed that the President and Vice President should be chosen informally and not based on the direct popular vote, thus gave birth to the Electoral College. The Electoral College is defined as “a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.” Since 1787 the Electoral College has been the system for voting in the United States, but with our nation ever more changing and growing it
The United States of America has a rich history filled with success, failure, courage, and drive. Millions have come seeking the “American Dream” and to live in the land of the free. The past is what has shaped this nation’s present and future. Yet, as time drifts, the world around us changes. What was once deemed acceptable can now seem outdated in today’s society. The recent 2016 Election was controversial and showcased just how divide our nation has become. The results of the election surprised many who believed there was no possible way Donald Trump would be elected president. This unraveled tension was met with uproar and confusion. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote whereas Donald Trump won the electoral vote, thus making him the President-elect
Several years after the United States came to be, the Constitutional Convention met to determine how the new nation should govern itself. The delegates saw that it was crucial to have a president and vice president, but the delegates did not want these offices to reflect how the colonies were treated under the British rule. The delegates believed that the president’s power should be limited, and that he should be chosen through the system known as the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a body of people who represent the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the electing of the president and vice president. Many citizens feel that the Electoral College goes against our nation’s principle of representative democracy, while others
The framers at the Constitution Convention believed that the president should be indirectly voted for. The framers thought the citizens were not smart enough and were uninformed to be able to elect their own leader. They knew their leader had to be chosen in an informed process that would consider the desires of every citizen without giving away too much power to one group. The delegates did not trust that the voters had enough information to be able to vote on their own. This lead to the creation of the Electoral College. With the Electoral College system each state is given a certain number of electors based on that state's population. Each state has at least three electors. When citizens vote they are really just voting for the slate of
The Electoral College is the process to which the United States elects the President, and the Vice President. The founders of the Constitution came up with this process. This was done to give additional power to the small states, and it was done to satisfy them. It works by the citizens of the United States electing representatives called electors. Each state is given the same amount of electors, as they are members of congress. Each elector must cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice President. In order to win the electoral college, and be nominated as President of the United States, the candidate must gain 270 of the 538 electoral votes. In an instance where no candidate receives the 270 votes needed, the House of Representatives
The first article's main point is that the United States of America should not get rid of the electoral college, but do away with the popular vote instead. The popular vote does not pick the president, it merely choosing which party of electors will be able to cast their votes towards their candidate. The article also said that instead of the electors for each state be the state's senators and representatives, they should be people of that state, decided by a lottery held before the election day.
All through the history of the United States of America, many people have discussed the abolishment of the Electoral College. For many reasons, some believe it is what makes our country have the type of government we have, some believe that it's what limits the power of the government, and many people such as Mitch McConnell believes it is what gives us our freedom and prosperity. While these are valid arguments there is a multitude of reasons to why the electoral college should be abolished. Such as there is only a need for twelve states in order to become the president, popular vote of the people for president can still lose, and the Swing states are given too much power and attention compared to that of the other states. This is why I believe in the abolishment of the Electoral College.
The Electoral College was made because the first leaders did not want a government where only the majority of its people ruled. They thought that it would be unfair. They believed that a pure democracy would destroy the country. There are two parts in the voting process. The first part is democratic. This is the part where the citizens vote, but they are not voting for the future president. They are voting for a “slate of presidential electors” (Mitchell).The president is not chosen by a popular vote. The president is chosen by 538 people in the Electoral College. Part two is where the Electoral College casts their votes and a candidate must receive 270 votes in order to win the presidency. The number of Electoral Votes for every state is determined on the sum of the senators and representatives they have in Congress. Each state has at least three Electoral Votes (“AP U.S. Government.”).
The United States government is one of the most admired and complex in the world, On the contrary one of the fundamental components that has an extensive impression on the American People and the Election is the Electoral College. Our founding fathers created The Electoral College over two hundred years ago, and it is still in effect today. They feared that having just the Popular Vote would give too much power to one person. In this paper, we will be discussing what the Electoral College is, the benefits and disadvantages of the Electoral College as well as if the Electoral College should be abolished or reconstructed.
The Electoral College is a longstanding organization in place in the United States of America that was originally established by the Founding Fathers in create equality in presidential elections has become a topic of harsh criticism and controversy over the years.