Explain The Electoral Process. W6 Assignment: As You’re Read ✓ Solved

Explain the electoral process. W6 Assignment: As your readin

Explain the electoral process.

W6 Assignment: As your readings point out, the President is not elected by a direct vote of the people but rather by the Electoral College. Answer the following in three paragraphs:

1) How are the number of electoral votes decided for each state? How many electoral votes are in your home state? Which Presidential candidate (Obama or Romney) won your state’s electoral votes in the 2012 election?

2) Briefly explain the pros and cons of the electoral system. Why do we have the electoral system? What are some arguments against it?

3) In a few sentences, explain what you think. Should the U.S. maintain the current Electoral College system, move toward a national popular vote system, or use the proportional voting system for the Electoral College used by Maine and Nebraska?

Paper For Above Instructions

The allocation of electoral votes to each state is determined by the sum of its U.S. Senators (always two) and its Representatives in the House, which are apportioned according to population after each decennial census; the District of Columbia is assigned three electors under the 23rd Amendment, and the total number of electors is 538 (435 Representatives + 100 Senators + 3 DC) (National Archives, n.d.; U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Apportionment following the 2010 Census set the map used in the 2012 election, so each state’s electoral vote total in 2012 reflected that apportionment. Because this prompt does not provide the student’s specific home state, I illustrate the method using Ohio as an example: Ohio had 18 electoral votes in 2012 (16 Representatives + 2 Senators) and those votes were awarded to Barack Obama in 2012 when he carried the state (National Archives, 2013; Federal Election Commission, 2013). To determine any other state’s 2012 electoral votes and winner, consult the apportionment list from the Census and the official 2012 electoral returns (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011; National Archives, 2013).

The Electoral College system has a set of historic rationales and modern consequences. Supporters argue it preserves the federal character of the republic by giving states a central role in presidential selection, encourages candidates to build geographically broad coalitions, and protects smaller states from being completely ignored in campaigns (Constitution; Congressional Research Service, 2014). Practically, the system channels campaigns toward competitive “swing” states and provides a discrete mechanism (electors and certification) for resolving disputes (National Archives, n.d.; Congressional Research Service, 2014). Critics counter that the current system distorts the principle of “one person, one vote” because voters in less-populous states have proportionally greater influence, and the winner-take-all allocation used by most states can cause the national popular vote loser to win the presidency (as occurred in several historic elections) (Brennan Center, 2016; FairVote, 2019). Other criticisms include disenfranchising millions of voters in “safe” states who feel their ballots matter less, incentivizing disproportionate attention to a small set of battleground states, and the theoretical (but rare) risk of “faithless electors” who do not vote as pledged (Brennan Center, 2016; FairVote, 2019).

On balance, reform should aim to preserve federalism while improving democratic equality and voter incentives. Practically, two reform paths stand out: (1) adopt a national popular vote for president, either directly by amendment or indirectly via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which awards state electors to the national popular vote winner once states totaling 270 electors join; or (2) move states toward proportional allocation of electors (as Maine and Nebraska partially do) so electoral votes better reflect the statewide vote distribution (FairVote, 2019; National Popular Vote, 2020). I favor the National Popular Vote approach because it equalizes voter influence nationwide and reduces the current imbalance that elevates swing states above all others; the NPVIC is politically feasible for many states because it preserves the Electoral College mechanism while ensuring the popular vote winner becomes president without a constitutional amendment (National Popular Vote, 2020; Brennan Center, 2016). Proportional allocation improves representativeness versus winner-take-all but can still privilege small states and leave strategic incentives in place; moreover, it can perpetuate fragmented, tactical campaigning in ways that a national popular vote would not. Any reform should also include strong protections against suppression and administrative barriers to voting so increased equality in vote weight is matched by accessible, secure participation (Pew Research Center, 2016; Brennan Center, 2017).

References

  • National Archives. (n.d.). The Electoral College. https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college
  • National Archives. (2013). 2012 Electoral College results. https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/2012
  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Apportionment and the 2010 Census. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/apportionment.html
  • Federal Election Commission. (2013). Official 2012 Presidential Election Results. https://www.fec.gov/introduction-campaign-finance/election-and-voting-information/2012-presidential-results/
  • Congressional Research Service. (2014). The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R42738
  • Brennan Center for Justice. (2016). Why the Electoral College is Bad for Democracy. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/electoral-college-explained
  • FairVote. (2019). The Electoral College. https://www.fairvote.org/electoral_college
  • Pew Research Center. (2016). Voter Turnout Trends in U.S. Elections. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/04/18/voter-turnout-in-u-s-elections/
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Electoral College. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Electoral-College
  • National Popular Vote. (2020). How the National Popular Vote Works. https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

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