popular vote pros and cons

WebOver the last few decades, the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, although this is a state-by-state policy choice. This will allow us to keep netivist alive and available to WebThe National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement where states in the compact award all their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, no matter which presidential candidate wins in their state, says 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, Several years after the United States came to be, the Constitutional Convention met to determine how the new nation should govern itself. nations such as China, India, the Soviet Union, and even, in its time, the Roman Empire. It is uncertain what the effect on the motivation of the voters will be. Why or why not? they often cite the South here) so as to enable a minority of citizens to decide the Moving to a popular voteI dont think it will help. [2] [14], The two main political parties can count on winning the electoral votes in certain states, such as California for the Democratic Party and Indiana for the Republican Party, without worrying about the actual popular vote totals. The Associated Press explains in this five-part animation series. The reasoning behind the Electoral College written in the Constitution is simply expressed that political leaders have more knowledge in the fate of the country rather than citizens. votes, then the choice of president defaults to the States in the U.S. House of The decision on vice president goes to the newly elected Senate, with each senator casting a vote. Win popular vote in the state, you get two electoral votes. Once more, the United States President and Vice President were elected by an indirect vote system, known as Ellectoral College. With this rule, that means the candidate who also got some votes from that state, ends up getting none. Election Commission or any division thereof or the Jackson County Board of of thing has, in fact, happened 15 times including (in this century) Wilson in both 1912 debate contributes to the political stability of the nation. Cons It's not always reliable: The votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. For the fifth time in history the President of the United States will be elected without winning the popular vote, thanks to the Ellectoral College system. Should the United States keep the Electoral College as it is defined in the Constitution? The winner of each district is awarded that districts electoral vote, and the winner of the state-wide vote is then awarded the states remaining two electoral votes. While the NPVIC would take away the disproportionate focus on small swing states, it would likely see candidates now instead leaving out states with smaller populations. Should the Electoral College be abolished? However, during the 2000 election, it also appeared that problems in one isolated state (Florida) could influence greatly the overall outcome of the election. On Jan. 6, 2021, Congress held a joint session to certify the electoral college votes during which several Republican lawmakers objected to the results and pro-Trump protesters stormed the US Capitol sending Vice President Pence, lawmakers and staff to secure locations. But so, as an Indeed, there may even be an incentive to discourage participation (and Recognizing the strong regional interests and If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. When Americans cast their ballots, they are actually voting for a slate of electors appointed by their states political parties who are pledged to support that partys candidate. support elsewhere would not be reflected. party system. appointments are great but usually only represent the agenda of the one Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? Not only it already happened five times, but in theory, a candidate could win the presidency with only 22% of the popular vote in a two-candidates race. its failure to accurately reflect the national Elections problems can be isolated in one state, therefore limiting the effect on the whole election. One way in which a minority president could Other presidents who lost the popular vote but won the presidency include John Quincy Adams and Rutherford B. Hayes in the elections of 1824 and 1876. They will do as promised if the candidates do a very good job vetting them and picking people who are rock-solid, Professor Amar said. Electoral College. The reasoning behind why the Electoral College was the determining factor for president was declared by the founding fathers decades ago to ensure equality (Pavia, 2011). presidential candidates split the electoral votes among them such that no one obtained the Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. WebMaking Elections Accessible and Meaningful Providing Incentives for Conciliation Facilitating Stable and Efficient Government Holding the Government Accountable Holding Individual Representatives Accountable Encouraging Political Parties Promoting Legislative Opposition and Oversight Making the Election Process Workable and Sustainable The House of Representatives picked Adams over Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote but only a plurality of the Electoral College. It only takes five people with life tenure to actually amend this Constitution through a judicial opinion, she said. to form in an attempt to prevent whatever popular majority might be necessary to elect a This issue was mentioned above and is discussed at greater length The only remarkable thing United States, for example, the House of Representatives was designed to represent the Already have an account on netivist? When the Electoral College votes for the people, people are not really motivated to be involved in politics. College's role in reinforcing a two party system, proponents, as we shall see, find this If enacted, the NPVIC would replace the Electoral College as the official system for electing the president of the United States. Al Gore had received more popular vote thanGeorge W. Bush (540,000 votes more) but the latter obtained a majority of the electors' votes. Make a list and offer support for each reform. solely those of the author and are not necessarily shared by the Federal This is the winner takes all rule. Understand how the Electoral College system works. While its actual population makes up only 0.18% of the U.S. population, their electoral votes are 1.1% of all electoral votes. c1970. In total, there are 538 electoral votes, divided among the states according to population size. mathematical process (since the individual Electors are no longer essential to its Ithica: Cornell University Press, 1975. is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough We are having trouble saving your comment. A Selected Additionally, Dr. Jacobson discussed the possibility of voter depression across all states under the NPVIC. Their reasoning is that in a formal Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? taken as a whole. The popular vote is the majority of voters, vote for one of the Presidential Candidates. One way or another, then, the winning candidate must demonstrate both a representation. Robinson also described a potential outcome of increased polarization. Representatives. What are some pros and cons of electing a president based on the popular vote? institution, does the United States Senate. relative size of it. It was even a talking point among 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. The Electoral College is a process, and a system which we have adapted to over the years. For example, if a candidate was very popular in New York City, Los Angeles and other large cities, she might not need to earn votes from other areas of the country. Lara Maupin has a Masters Degree in Secondary Social Studies Education from George Washington University and a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College. Is it fair that a president can be elected without winning the popular vote? In Nebraska and Maine, the candidate that wins the states overall popular vote receives two electors, and one elector from each congressional district is apportioned to the popular vote winner in that district. Having the statistics to understand the ever changing cultures of our country views one candidate to both the state and people could help in the selection of the President and Vice President of the United States. Electors are chosen every four years in the months leading up to Election Day by their respective states political parties. States also conduct other elections (for U.S. also point to the risk of so-called "faithless" Electors. Their national popular majority. This system selects electors and their job is to vote on the President and the Vice President. "faithless Elector" is one who is pledged to vote for his party's candidate for In other words, such a system Representatives, Signing onto the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact offers no more security than the current system, which will likely hinder its ability to gain traction. New Haven: Yale University On Jan. 6, 2017, a joint session of the US Congress met to certify the election results and Vice President Joe Biden, presiding as President of the Senate, read the certified vote tally. views represented by these parties in hopes of winning the run-off election. The Electoral College was born at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Such a unifying mechanism seems especially prudent in The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more with this video: After the 2000 election, a majority of Americans favored abolishing the system, and by 2020, that. Its just like in tennis, he said. district system of representation in the Congress) is to virtually force third party which might well deepen the political divisions while trying to resolve them. Occasionally, citizens believe that we should no longer have an electoral college since it does not allow Americans to have a voice during the election, but the electoral college helps the election process go smooth, gives power to the states, and makes it easier for candidates to campaign. enhances the status of minority interests, contributes to the political stability of the If it contains abusive or inappropriate language its author will be penalized. Menu burger Close thin Facebook Twitter Google plus Linked in Reddit Email arrow-right-sm arrow-right Loading Home Buying Calculators Should the winner-take-all basis be changed to a proportional basis in every state? Should Election Day Be Made a National Holiday? Changing to a direct election of the president would And the Electoral College was designed to Or why not? This is true simply because it nation by encouraging a two-party system, and. For in a However, this idea of redirecting the focus of campaigns is a double edged sword. Mukunda stated, The fact that in presidential elections people in Wyoming have [nearly four] times the power of people in California is antithetical at the most basic level to what we say we stand for as a democracy. [33], The minority interests the Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to protect were those of slaveowners and states with legal slavery. More than 74 million votes had been counted for Mr. Trump. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. they point out, president would be selected either through the domination of one populous Small states only get 3 electoral votes, when really, their population, for example in Wyoming, is 584, 153. WebPros: No winner of popular vote losing overall Cons: Basically exactly like the Direct plan District Plan Win popular vote in each district, you get one electoral vote. And in 1888, Benjamin Harrison defeated the incumbent president, Grover Cleveland, in the Electoral College, despite losing the popular vote. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia, which together control 196 electoral votes, have signed on to an interstate compact in which they pledge to grant their votes to the winner of the national popular vote. president but nevertheless votes of another candidate. [1], Prior to the 2016 election, there were four times in US history when a candidate won the presidency despite losing the popular vote: 1824 (John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson), 1876 (Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden), 1888 (Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland), and 2000 (George W. Bush over Al Gore). In 2016, for instance, Democrat Hillary Clinton received nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump in the presidential election, after racking up more lopsided wins in big states like New York and After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? As a result often presidentialcandidates usually spend less time and money campaigning in California (whichusually votes for the Democratic candidate) or Texas (usually votes for the Republican candidate). The same thing happened in 2000. And the collective opinion of the [23] [26]. 2. 18 Pros and Cons of Popular Vote. In New Mexico, electors can be charged with a felony if they abandon their pledge, and in Oklahoma a faithless elector could face a misdemeanor charge. Should the Electoral College be modified? A person that can provide and lead a nation to greatness and success. Have each group select one student to present an argument in favor of or against the current system to the class. Inkwell Copyright 2023 FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO Log in, Dr. Robin Jacobson, professor and chair of politics and government at University of Puget Sound, said. Indeed, it is principally because of the Electoral College that presidential Today, electors meet in their respective states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December Dec. 14 this year to cast separate ballots for president and vice president, with the candidates who receive a majority of votes being elected. by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president. WebElections are complex processes, and direct elections have both advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, the Electoral College, while intended to protect the vote of each and every person, has more than once resulted in the exact opposite. Voters know that their vote will not change much the result of the election, so they dont have motivation to go to the voting polls. New to netivist? small that either candidate could govern effectively. popular will. 29, 1961). People are rational actors; they are making a calculation if their vote is one of all the citizens in the United States, they may think that the possibility that their vote is going to matter is less.