With the divide between democrats and republicans currently in place, the likelihood that this idea will receive any movement any time soon is quite minimal. Jacobson, the authors represented pro bono publico the 1980 cartermondale and 1988 dukakisbentsen campaigns concerning electoral college issues. This article is brought to you for free and open access by the journal of. Nov 14, 2016 ahh, the electoral college a source of much boredom, confusion, and frustration for americans, especially among young voters. Is tuition free college an economyboosting solution to unequal college access and skyhigh college debts. Some say the electoral college is key to maintaining whats good about u. Doc us electoral college pros and cons michael blugh. The goal of the electoral college was to improve equality in voting on a national level. Brought to life by article two, section ii of the u. Electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan for. Free college education will eventually lead to a more educated society that can engage in meaningful work and produce results. These proportional representation pros and cons have certain benefits that allow for greater inclusion and variety.
In the aftermath of the 2000 election, robert bennett, a prominent con. In a lively, sometimes contentious, conference at mit on the problems and merits of the electoral college, a group of scholars looked into what one called the fun house mirror of electoral politics and debated its reflections of federalism. The advantages of the electoral college may outweigh the. Pdf the pros and cons of electoral processes encompassing. Further, the existing electoral collegebased system of electing a president. Voter turnout, minority presidents, faithless electors 2. But in the end the comment got so long ive decided id rather just post. The electoral college excerpt from an original document located at jackson county, mo election board the pros and cons of the electoral college system there have, in its 200 year history, been a number of critics and proposed reforms to the electoral college system most of them trying to eliminate it. Consider the information youve learned about the electoral college, including the pros and cons to the system. Rasmussen april 19, 2012 the electoral college is a process that began as part of the original design, of the u. The electoral college system, long a source of controversy, came under especially heavy criticism after the 2016 presidential election when republican donald trump lost the nationwide popular vote to democrat hillary clinton by over 2.
Some argue that the electoral college should be dumped as a useless relic of 18thcentury whitegentry privilege. The electoral college is one of the many compromises written into the t united states constitution in 1787. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at. Every election year sparks debate over our electoral systems legitimacy, even though few fully understand how the electoral college works or why it exists. For more information, read the top 3 pros and cons of using the electoral college. The electoral college is a body of delegates which represent each state within the united states. The outcome of the 2016 election in which republican donald trump won the electoral college by a solid margin but lost the popular vote by more than 2. Once students understand the electoral college, how it operates, and how it has evolved over the years, they will explore the pros and cons of the system, and analyze proposed alternatives. Social education 726, pp 304310 2008 national council. The electoral college preserves the voice of states with lower populations and more rural areas, occupy theory noted. The pros and cons of abolishing the electoral college must go beyond the 65% of people who want it gone. Middle and high schoolers study the constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies lesson plan.
A candidate could be elected without the popular vote. The electoral and electoral college 993 words 4 pages. The electoral college was established in 1788 by article ii of the us constitution, which also established the executive branch of the us government, and was revised by the twelfth amendment ratified june 15, 1804, the fourteenth amendment ratified july 1868, and the. Pros and cons of the electoral college there has been one faithless elector in each of the following elections. Electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan template and teaching resources. Constitution and was established by the founding fathers as a compromise between the election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. There is an important debate on whether or not the electoral college should be reformed or even suppressed.
There have been five times in us history when a candidate won the popular vote but did not win the electoral college and therefore lost the election. The founding fathers devised the electoral college to elect the president but they did not anticipate the emergence of national political parties or a communications network able to bring presidential candidates before the entire electorate. A bipartisan approach to reforming the electoral college and assuring that every citizens vote counts. Read about the pros and cons associated with the electoral college and fill in this chart. A what are the pros and cons of the electoral college. The electoral college was established in 1788 by article ii of the us constitution, which also established the executive branch of the us government, and was revised by the twelfth amendment ratified june 15, 1804, the fourteenth amendment ratified july 1868, and the twentythird amendment ratified mar. Students will then evaluate issues of fairness and representation with regard to the electoral college. Part iv highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the winner. At the same time, greater inclusion can also lead toward higher levels of extremism within the government, while encouraging more gridlock if the political parties. Nor is this concern entirely unfounded since there. The electoral college is a vital part of our constitutional republic. Pros and cons of the electoral college by corey bishop on prezi.
The pros and cons of the electoral college youtube. James levine admonished that the electoral college would soon pro duce a wrong. Why the electoral college ruins democracy adam ruins. Electoral college is a complicated and undemocratic system as viewed by some. What is electoral college and what are the pros and cons. In 2000 and 2016, the candidate who won the popular vote did not win the electoral college. Electoral college proscons and alternatives share my lesson. Pros and cons of the electoral college 738 words bartleby.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Lets take a closer look at some of the pros and cons of electoral college. It is composed of 538 staterepresentative electors to match the 435 house representatives, 100 senators, plus three for district of columbia. This skews significance only on sparse and small populated states. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. Note then discusses the electoral colleges institutional advantages and disadvantages. As the results of the 2016 election unravel, more people than ever are questioning the role of the electoral college and its suitability in todays political system. It reflects the country as a whole, is far more representative than a direct democratic election, and protects against voter. By choosing to abolish the electoral college, we would be able to have more equitable elections over the next generations. Here are some additional advantages and disadvantages of the electoral college to consider. Electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan. It allows individuals to vote for the candidates they wish and then to have electorates cast ballots based on the voting trends of their region. Barnett, the george eastman professor of management science and one of the conference organizers, proposed a weighted vote system, which allows smaller states to retain their electoral clout.
There are two main disadvantages of the electoral college. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of the electoral college. This would prevent one large, populous state from overly swaying a national election. What are the pros and cons of the electoral college. This makes the entire society full of productive and progressive people.
This electoral college proscons and alternatives lesson plan is suitable for 7th 12th grade. Jun 23, 2010 the electoral college is the electors from each state and it comes together every four years to select the president and the vice president of america. Numerous movements have aimed to go from an electoral college to a popular election, but the system remains. The electoral college may have a few pros and cons.
The electoral college nc essential standards for american. Pdf the birth of 1992 democracy in ghana has called for a multiparty participation in ghanas electoral system. Reforming the electoral college with the districtpopular plan. Disadvantages and advantages of electoral college connectus. Jun 16, 2015 important facts about the electoral college. Pros and cons of the electoral college 743 words 3 pages. Pros and cons of the electoral college by corey bishop on. The electoral college isnt even a place, its the process that elects the president of the united states. Oct 20, 2008 several mit professors discussed ways of combining features of both a popular vote and the electoral college. Pros cons discourages 3 rd parties can distort popular choice keeps small states as viable participants allows for faithless elector provides chosen candidate with a majority can allow. Free education plays an important role in opening up access to college education because all children will be guaranteed of studying until they get to college. At first you may think that the electoral college is a school somewhere where people learn about politics, but that isnt the case.
The electoral college, the right to vote, and our federalism. Timeline of comments by trump and biden with context lesson plans. Top 3 pros and cons us political parties presidential election. Aug 19, 2015 10 farreaching pros and cons of the electoral college aug 19, 2015 aug 14, 2015 by green garage during the 2012 elections in the united states, the term electoral college made headlines.
Pros and cons of the electoral college essay sample. What is electoral college and what are the pros and cons of the voting system. Ahh, the electoral college a source of much boredom, confusion, and frustration for americans, especially among young voters. Conference weighs electoral college pros and cons mit news. Democrats are calling to abolish the system, which has delivered the presidency to two republicans in recent memory. The term college refers to a decisionmaking group such as the college of cardinals, which elects the pope for comprehensive discussions of the development and operations of the electoral college systemits pros and cons and possible reformssee league of women voters of the united states, who should elect the president. Marines who change their mos or occfld before a board adjourns but are selected in the military occupational the pros and cons of free college smartasset pros and cons of joining the marine corps the pros and cons of seaworld. Dec 20, 2016 provided in many of the hyperlinks is information to help inform your opinion about the effectiveness of the electoral college. Or is tuition free college a taxpayer burden that will still result in high student debt and dropout rates. An elector is simply a person who elects someone else. I still vote anyway and im free to vote for whoever i want for president, but a lot of people dont bother. Even the selection of a president and the vice president has its pros and cons. The electoral college the electoral college system was first established in article two of the constitution and updated by the 12th amendment in 1804 which is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the united states, combine with the republican party to its right.
Electoral college in order to gain a better understanding of how americans elect the president. The electoral college overview in this lesson, students will examine. The electoral college is unfair and should be abolished because of the winner takes all rule, the chance that a president cannot have the support of the majority of the voters, and candidates would campaign equally in every state. According to article ii, section 1, clause 2 of the. The pros and cons of the tuition free college debate are detailed below. Below are some of the pros and cons of free college. If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college. In defense of the electoral college national affairs. The electoral college is made up of 435 representatives, 100 senators, and 3 electors from the district of columbia.
It does not assure that the person favored by the majority wins. Pros con of electoral college political science flashcards. Constitution and structured by the 12th and 23rd amendments, the electoral college operates as a main apparatus for appointing both the president and vice president. Each state is permitted to determine how delegates are assigned and how they should vote to finalize the presidential election every 4 years. This document is brought to you for free and open access by scholarly. Should 2020 presidential election candidates accept.
Pdf the birth of 1992 democracy in ghana has called for a multiparty participation. Some are quite liberal and others are very con servative. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Mar 04, 2018 but would free college education solve the problem. A look into the electoral college here are some of the more major pros and cons to the current practice. Whether top biography editing sites us you are looking for essay, electoral college pros and cons essay coursework, research, or term paper help, or with any other assignments, it is no problem for us.
Free education leaves student with the luxury of choice in pursuing their careers of choice. Implementing a direct popular election systemwhich has been pro. Congressional committee to examine the electoral college and determine whether or not the system should remain or be replaced with alternative procedures. There would need to be a constitutional amendment if the compact idea doesnt work. Finally, students will participate in a class debate over the pros and cons of the current system. May 10, 2019 the electoral college system, long a source of controversy, came under especially heavy criticism after the 2016 presidential election when republican donald trump lost the nationwide popular vote to democrat hillary clinton by over 2. An interesting point to this discussion is that many of the pros are argued by some to be disadvantages, and many of the cons are believed to be the advantages of the system by others. See more ideas about constitution, electoral college map and social studies.
I started to write a reply to one of the answers which was basically a bingo of all the usual defences of the electoral college, none of which is borne out by, well, reality. With two elections out of the last 5 as of 2016 having an electoral college winner not winning the popular vote, the pros and cons of this system are frequently debated. The establishment of the electoral college system truly has both pros and cons, which you should be aware of so you will know where you stand. Is this the best method of electing the president of the united states. Electors were free to vote for the candidate of their choice, but over time they were increasingly elected.
The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. Here are some of the pros and cons of the electoral college. Even though the electoral college has a lot of debatable reasons why it should be reformed, it would be best that the electoral college gets abolished instead. Pros, cons, electoral, election, republic, vigilante, processes, democracy, ghana. But would free college education solve the problem.