Is the Electoral College Democratic?
Is the Electoral College Democratic?
Your treatment of this topic should include the following:
• An introduction that states what the electoral college is, briefly summarizes what
your paper is about, and states your thesis (i.e., your answer to the topic question)
(all this can be done in 3 sentences) (5 points);
• A brief explanation of why the framers chose this system over popular election of
the President and of how it currently works (include a discussion of how a state’s
number of electors is determined, how electors are elected, how states award their
electoral votes, how many electoral votes are needed to win, and what happens if
no candidate receives the required number of votes) (30 points);
• A discussion of the main pros and cons of the electoral college (include at least 2
pros and 2 cons), and of public opinion on this method of selecting the President
(cite a poll) (30 points); and
• An evaluation of whether the electoral college is democratic, including
consideration of the way a state’s number of electors is determined and of the way
states award electoral votes (be sure to define democracy and to state the reasons
for your conclusion) (25 points).
Sample Solution
No. The Electoral College is not a democratic institution as it allows the President of the United States to be elected by a majority of electors, rather than by direct popular vote. Its purpose is to ensure that all states, regardless of population size, have an equal say in determining who should serve as president and vice president.
The Electoral College is a system designed by the Founding Fathers of the United States to select the President and Vice President of the nation. It allows for each state to have an equal say in determining who serves as president, despite differences in population size. While it is not a democratic institution, its purpose is to ensure that all states receive equal representation in electing their leaders.
The framers chose the Electoral College over a popular vote in order to ensure that all states, regardless of population size, had an equal say in determining who should serve as President and Vice President. Each state is allocated a specific number of electors based on its population size; these electors are chosen by each state’s legislature and they cast their votes for the presidential candidate they prefer. The number of electoral votes needed to win the election depends on the total number of states participating and currently stands at 270 out of 538. If no candidate receives this number of votes then the House of Representatives chooses the President from among the top three contenders.
A major pro of the Electoral College is that it ensures each state has an equal voice when voting for its leader. This prevents candidates from only focusing on larger, more populous states, thus allowing for a more balanced representation of the nation as a whole. Additionally, it allows for greater diversity in the election by allowing third parties to have a stronger presence.
On the other hand, one of the main cons of this system is that it does not represent popular opinion and can lead to situations where individuals who receive fewer votes than their opponents still end up winning due to electoral vote distribution. This disconnect between public opinion and presidential selection causes many people to view the system as undemocratic. Another con is that small states are granted too much power compared to larger ones; this skews political campaigns towards smaller states rather than large ones with higher populations.
Public opinion regarding the Electoral College varies widely depending on age, gender, race and political leaning (Gallup Poll). According to Gallup’s 2018 survey 46% of Americans support maintaining the current system while 44% would prefer replacing it with direct popular vote.
The definition of democracy is "a system of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections." The Electoral College does not meet this definition because it allows for the President to be elected by a majority of electors rather than by direct popular vote. This means that states with smaller populations have an outsized influence on who wins, as their electoral votes count just as much as those from larger states. Additionally, it skews political campaigns towards smaller states rather than large ones with higher populations. Thus, while its purpose is to ensure equal representation among all states, it fails to fully uphold democratic principles and values.