POLI 330N Week 4 Assignment: Electoral College – Good or Bad?

POLI 330N Week 4 Assignment: Electoral College – Good or Bad?

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Chamberlain University

POLI-330: Political Science

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Date

Electoral College: Good or Bad?

Purpose of the Electoral College

The Electoral College was created to balance voting power among states in the presidential election process. Unlike a nationwide popular vote, the president is elected by electors who pledge support for specific candidates and cast their votes based on the results in their states. Most states use the “winner-takes-all” system, where the candidate who wins the majority in a state claims all its electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska are exceptions, distributing electoral votes proportionally. This structure aims to prevent larger states from dominating elections but has also been criticized for distorting the alignment between the popular vote and electoral outcomes.

Presidential Election of 2000: Background and Results

The 2000 presidential election took place on November 7, 2000, as President Bill Clinton was completing his term. The election involved ten candidates and highlighted the complexities of the Electoral College. Of the 538 electoral votes, 270 were needed to win. Controversies over “hanging chads” and confusing butterfly ballots led to disputes about vote validity, complicating the final tally.

Al Gore won the popular vote with 50,996,039 votes, while George W. Bush received 50,456,141 votes. However, Bush won the Electoral College with 271 votes, narrowly surpassing the required majority, while Gore secured 267 votes. This discrepancy between the popular and electoral votes ignited debates about the Electoral College’s effectiveness and fairness, as the system produced a president who did not win the popular vote.

Why the Debate?

Issues Raised by the 2016 Election

Concerns over the Electoral College resurfaced in the 2016 election, prompting questions about whether the system remains just and relevant in modern times. Critics argue that it undermines democratic principles by occasionally producing outcomes contrary to the popular vote. This disconnect has led to calls for reform or replacement of the system.

Criticisms of the Electoral College

Critics contend that the Electoral College is outdated and unfairly benefits swing states, granting them outsized influence. The unequal distribution of voting power means some votes carry more weight than others, depending on location. Rogue electors, who vote against their state’s choice, and polarizing incidents, such as the Capitol Hill riot, have further fueled arguments for reform.

Reforming the Electoral College

Proposed reforms aim to address these issues by aligning the system more closely with democratic principles. One suggestion is to adjust the weight of electoral votes to better reflect population and demographics, preventing certain states from holding disproportionate power. Another proposal advocates for abandoning the “winner-takes-all” system in favor of a proportional approach.

Reform Plans

Several specific plans have been proposed:

• Proportional Plan: Electoral votes are distributed based on the percentage of the popular vote each candidate receives.
• Automatic Plan: Eliminates electors, with electoral votes assigned automatically based on state results.
• District Plan: Allocates electoral votes by congressional district, reflecting local outcomes rather than statewide results.

Additionally, some reformers propose replacing the Electoral College entirely with a direct popular vote, ensuring that the candidate with the most votes nationwide becomes president.

Electoral College Analysis in Rows and Columns

References

Aldrich, J., Reifler, J., & Munger, M. (2015). Sophisticated and myopic? Citizen preferences for Electoral College reform. Public Choice, 158(3-4), 541-558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-013-0056-z

Bugh, G. (2016). Electoral college reform (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Edwards, G. (2019). Why the Electoral College is bad for America (3rd ed.). Yale University Press.

POLI 330N Week 4 Assignment: Electoral College – Good or Bad?

Paige, L., & Neale, T. (2018). The Electoral College: An overview and analysis of reform proposals. Everycrsreport.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021, from https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30804.html.

Virgin, S. (2017). Competing loyalties in electoral reform: An analysis of the U.S. Electoral College. Electoral Studies, 49, 38-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2017.07.003