The Electoral College
Text Version
What it is
The Electoral College is the means by which the President is elected. Within each state, citizens vote for electors, who generally cast their votes for the presidential candidate that wins the statewide popular vote. Each state receives one electoral vote for each member in its congressional delegation; that is, the number of its senators and representatives combined. D.C.’s three electors bring the total number of electoral votes to 538. Recent elections in which the electoral college winner did not win the national popular vote have strengthened calls by critics to use the latter to select the president. Advocates of this system, however, oppose changing the status quo.
The case for it
Advocates of the Electoral College argue that it prevents rural areas from being ignored in lieu of urban, densely-populated regions. For example, 4 cities in California are each more populous than all of Wyoming and easier to campaign in. Without the Electoral College, they claim that these cities are likely to receive disproportionately higher attention and influence in policy. Some argue that tradition should not be amended without significant consensus. Others note that changing the status quo would require passing a constitutional amendment, a very difficult feat.
The case against it
Critics of the Electoral College claim that by not following a proportional selection system, this system disproportionately benefits small states. They decry resulting disparities in voting power across state lines; for example, votes in Wyoming carry 3.6 times the weight of those from California. Advocates also reference presidential elections’ tendency to attract most campaign attention to a handful of states. They argue that this is due to the Electoral College’s winner-take-all system in states, which arguably causes campaigns to be centered around a few key swing states.
Sources
National Archives: "What is the Electoral College?"
Think Progress: "Growing number of states support new law to have the president chosen by popular vote"
Oregon Public Broadcasting: "Oregon Joins Popular Vote Movement"
Vittana: "5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Electoral College"
ThoughtCo: "Reasons to Keep the Electoral College"
William C. Kimberling (Deputy Director FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration): "The Pro's and Con's of the Electoral College System"
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: "Arguments for the Electoral College"
ProCon.org: "The Electoral College: Top 3 Pros and Cons"
New York Times: "The Electoral College’s Real Problem: It’s Biased Toward the Big Battlegrounds"
New York Times: "Should the Electoral College Be Abolished? - Room for Debate"
The Atlantic: "Five Common Misconceptions About the Electoral College"
Minnpost: "10 reasons why the Electoral College is a problem"
Click here to view the full Research Outline!
The Electoral College is the means by which the President is elected. Within each state, citizens vote for electors, who generally cast their votes for the presidential candidate that wins the statewide popular vote. Each state receives one electoral vote for each member in its congressional delegation; that is, the number of its senators and representatives combined. D.C.’s three electors bring the total number of electoral votes to 538. Recent elections in which the electoral college winner did not win the national popular vote have strengthened calls by critics to use the latter to select the president. Advocates of this system, however, oppose changing the status quo.
The case for it
Advocates of the Electoral College argue that it prevents rural areas from being ignored in lieu of urban, densely-populated regions. For example, 4 cities in California are each more populous than all of Wyoming and easier to campaign in. Without the Electoral College, they claim that these cities are likely to receive disproportionately higher attention and influence in policy. Some argue that tradition should not be amended without significant consensus. Others note that changing the status quo would require passing a constitutional amendment, a very difficult feat.
The case against it
Critics of the Electoral College claim that by not following a proportional selection system, this system disproportionately benefits small states. They decry resulting disparities in voting power across state lines; for example, votes in Wyoming carry 3.6 times the weight of those from California. Advocates also reference presidential elections’ tendency to attract most campaign attention to a handful of states. They argue that this is due to the Electoral College’s winner-take-all system in states, which arguably causes campaigns to be centered around a few key swing states.
Sources
National Archives: "What is the Electoral College?"
Think Progress: "Growing number of states support new law to have the president chosen by popular vote"
Oregon Public Broadcasting: "Oregon Joins Popular Vote Movement"
Vittana: "5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Electoral College"
ThoughtCo: "Reasons to Keep the Electoral College"
William C. Kimberling (Deputy Director FEC National Clearinghouse on Election Administration): "The Pro's and Con's of the Electoral College System"
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: "Arguments for the Electoral College"
ProCon.org: "The Electoral College: Top 3 Pros and Cons"
New York Times: "The Electoral College’s Real Problem: It’s Biased Toward the Big Battlegrounds"
New York Times: "Should the Electoral College Be Abolished? - Room for Debate"
The Atlantic: "Five Common Misconceptions About the Electoral College"
Minnpost: "10 reasons why the Electoral College is a problem"
Click here to view the full Research Outline!