FREE The Electoral College Essay (original) (raw)

The Electoral College was established in a compromise between a direct election system, which was supported by James Wilson, and a system whereby the President would be chosen by congress, supported by Edgridge Gerry, in Article II, Section I of the United States Constitution (Houser, 2). It is a group of "electors" who are nominated or appointed by each party within each state. Each state chooses the method in which the electors are appointed. In fact, it is the electors for whom we vote on Election Day. The Electoral College is comprised of 538 members representing the number of the total number of members of the House of Representatives and Senate and three electors representing the District of Columbia. A presidential candidate must have a majority of electoral votes in order to become president.
In December of a presidential election year, the electors meet in their state capitals to cast their vote for President. In theory, this vote is intended to increase the majority of the already popular candidate. Despite recent events, this is usually the case. .
Although, it is remotely possible in a very close election that there will not be one candidate receiving 270 electoral votes, in which case the House of Representatives chooses the President. In this scenario, each state has merely one vote each to decide the presidency out of the top three contenders for the office. The Senate chooses the vice-president out of the top two contenders.
Many people feel that this system is outdated, unfair and/or biased; that it should be replaced with the popular voting system. Unfortunately it is not as simple as stating what "has to be done". Since the Electoral College is found in the constitution, it is most difficult to alter, reform or remove it from existence. "Any congressional record probes that many American representatives like to avoid change" (Houser, 1) thus presenting the first problem.

1. The Electoral College

This was the birthplace of the current system of the Electoral College. Although the Electoral College may not be the best form of voting for our time, it still has its benefits. ... The Electoral College preserves the votes of states with lower populations. ... While the Electoral college has many pros, like any system, it has its drawbacks as well. ... This is due to the minimum number of Electoral College votes for a state being three, no matter the population. ...

2. electoral college

Where did the Electoral College go wrong? ... A major conflict concerning the Electoral College lingers in America. ... On the other hand, the position in favor of ridding the nation of the Electoral College argues that the college serves no purpose. First of all, the present format of the Electoral College manifests the colleges" insufficient qualities. ... Apparently, the Electoral College is insufficient in every way. ...

3. Electoral College

This compromise was soon known as the Electoral College. ... After the public election, the Electoral College meets and elects the President. The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors. ... So why is there so much controversy over the Electoral College? ... There has been a lot of criticism on the topic of the Electoral College. ...

4. ELectoral College

A major conflict concerning the electoral college lingers in America. ... The electoral college consists of senators and representatives who cast their votes for the state they represent. ... On the other hand, the position in favor of ridding the nation of the electoral college argues that the college serves no purpose. First of all, the present format of the electoral college manifests the colleges" insufficient qualities. ... The electoral college clearly stands as an insufficient system for electing the president. ...

5. Electoral College

The Electoral College should definitely be abolished. ... The Electoral College was designed without political parties in mind. ... There have been problems with the Electoral College from the beginning. ... The Electoral College was meant to work without political parties. ... The electoral college decides who will win anyway. Abolishing the electoral college would result in a greater understanding of and care for the issues and a greater voter turnout....

6. electoral college

Q: Should the Electoral College be abolished? ... When the Electoral College was first instated, our country was just beginning. ... Under the current system, the smaller states control the majority of the Electoral College. ... The Electoral College is biased towards smaller states. When put into perspective one electoral College voter from Wyoming has as much power as four Electoral College voters from Illinois. ...

7. Electoral College

This Electoral College was created to protect the people of the United States from themselves. ... The Electoral College was created for two reasons. ... The first reason that the founders created the Electoral College is hard to understand today. ... The Electoral College was also part of compromises to satisfy small states. ... This violation makes the Electoral College unfair. ...

8. Electoral College

There is much controversy over the Electoral College and whether there should be a new system of electing the President of the United States put into effect. ... There isn't a time of day when a person doesn't hear something pertaining to how old and inaccurate the Electoral College is. ... In this paper, the history and the workings of the Electoral College will be discussed. ... Because of this trial and error process, the electoral college now operates so that each state has the same number of Electors and U.S. ... Electoral College has many weaknesses in its system. ...

9. Electoral College

Electors from each state who are selected by the voters in the presidential election make up the Electoral College. ... There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Electoral College System. ... If the contested electoral count in Florida were simply tossed out, Gore won the Electoral College vote by 21 votes. ... In conclusion, the Electoral College system continues to raise questions if it should still be in existence. There are still three major problems with today's Electoral College system. ...

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