Our country is founded on democracy and the free will of the people, but in two elections within the past two decades the majority of citizens in the United States voted for the losing candidate. This is a direct result of the system called the Electoral College. Below are the sources I have acquired throughout the week of March 24, 2019. I intend to complete my draft by April 1, 2019 with submission of final on April 8, 2019. The resources were acquired based on several questions I desired to answer: While the Electoral College may have proved vital to the creation and existence of the early United States, does its current form holds no such function or value. I intend to research if the Electoral College has outlived its purposefulness and contradicts the founding principles of the Constitution and even of the twelfth amendment. Additionally, I seek to answer those that argue the Electoral College is necessary to uphold states’ rights and the representation of small states’. Is this archaic institution silencing the voices of the people it claims to represent, and should it be abolished or at the least reformed before the next Presidential election.
Aldrich, John, et al. Sophisticated and Myopic? Citizen Preferences for Electoral College Reform. Public Choice, vol. 158, no. 3-4, 2014, pp. 541-558.
Aldrich, et al, in the article “Sophisticated and Myopic? Citizen Preferences for Electoral College Reform” suggest that different institutions can produce more (or less) preferred outcomes, in terms of citizens’ preferences. The authors investigate whether citizens acting on established preferences is accepted by an original observed dataset conducted before the 2004 election. The author’s purpose is to show the reader that support for a reform to split a states’ Electoral College votes is explained by which candidate is expected to win the election under the existing system, preferences for abolishing the Electoral College in favor of the popular vote winner, and statistical connections amongst these variables. The authors write in an analytical tone for their audience.
127 our experts are availableright now
Colquitt, Bryce. “Electoral College Reform.” Policy Studies Journal, vol. 36, no. 4, 2008, pp. 693-694.
Colquitt, in the article “Electoral College Reform” explains that in presidential elections, many states are left out of the general election. Colquitt supports his explanation by defining how the Electoral College awards votes in a “winner-take-all” fashion. This system can ignore issues of citizens who do not live in swing states. The author’s purpose is to point out to the reader that the most attention is given to voters in swing states and that people in safe states are underrepresented, while swing states are over represented. The author writes in a critical tone for voters in swing states, stressing by awarding electoral votes proportionally, all citizens will get equal attention.
Wheeler, Sarah M. “Policy Point-Counterpoint: Electoral College Reform.” International Social Science Review, vol. 82, no. 3/4, June 2007, p. 176.
Wheeler, in the article “Policy Point-Counterpoint: Electoral College Reform”, explains the constitutionally prescribed manner to change the way in which the president is elected would be an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Wheeler supports her position by explaining that the process of ratifying an amendment can only be initiated in Congress. The author’s purpose is to inform the reader that Legislators have taken an alternative approach by proposing state bills that would effectively sidestep the Electoral College by requiring the state’s electors to cast their votes for the candidate winning the popular national vote, rather than the popular state vote as dictated by the current system. The author writes in an informal tone for her political science students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2016.
Akhil Reed Amar and Charles Fried, in the piece from the New York Times website “Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?” discuss whether or not the Electoral College should be abolished. Fried supports his argument by defining that the Elector College affirms the Framers decision to give states powers that exceed simply being “administrative units of the national government or its local offices” On the other hand Amar argues that if the states choose their governor using popular vote, then arguments used to preserve the Electoral College should be dismissed. The authors purpose is to persuade the reader to either be for or against the abolishment of the Electoral College. The authors write in a contemptuous tone for The New York Times readers.
“The Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 May 2015.
Tara Ross, in the Prager University video “The Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College.” defends the Electoral College. Ross supports her argument by citing that the Founding Fathers put into place the Electoral College to prevent a “tyranny of the majority”. The authors purpose is to convince the reader that the National Popular Vote (NPV), a movement that is pushing “one person, one vote” would disrupt the careful balance surrounding elections. This would place voters into one national election pool. Therefore, a vote cast in one state will directly affect the outcome all other states. The existence of a different election code in will unfairly impact each state because state election codes can differ drastically. States have different law on early voting, registration process, felon voting rights, and prompts for recounts. The author writes in a formal tone for Prager University students.
