Such power tends to swell the head, corrupt the manner, afflict the soul and eventually make war on the neighbor of everyone who tastes of it. But we should be clear about its disreputable origins. Actually, the electoral college was a proslavery ploy. That fact alone doesnt mean it ought to be scrapped. Five myths about the electoral college the washington post. The electoral college was part of the great compromise. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties. List of books and articles about electoral college. At the compromise providing for a runoff among the top five candidates, the small. Hayes in 1876, benjamin harrison in 1888, george w.
Even if readers do not agree with the book s thesis, they will nevertheless find interesting historical tidbits about the electoral college. Ill hold off on the debate over whether this is a good thing until wednesday, anyway. The us electoral college was an unwanted child from the beginning. The framers created the electoral college to protect small states. Only on five occasions has a president won the electoral college while losing the popular vote. In reading your article the reasons for the electoral college, feb. Some argue that the electoral college should be dumped as a useless relic of. Among the party stalwarts who voted to abolish it in 1969 were gerald ford, george h. Dec 19, 2016 whats behind push for electoral college to defy trump. Lets break down the electoral college into smaller fragments to help clarify what it is exactly. Five things you need to know about the electoral college. The electoral college was a brilliant move by the creators of the constitution to provide a means by which we the people can be heard in our elections not just those from the most populous states. The electoral college was created by the framers of the u.
Quantifying a candidates advantage in the electoral college. To resolve the dispute, congress set up an electoral commission in january 1877, consisting of five u. In defense of the electoral college the washington post. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which. In his book a more perfect constitution, professor larry sabato elaborated on this. A relic of the nineteenth century, the divergence between the electoral vote and the popular vote was. Nov 24, 2016 slave states had a smaller ratio of voters to the total population, but they had the three fifths compromise which took slaves into account in determining the number of representatives each slaves counted a 35 of a personand yeah thats disturb. Whats behind push for electoral college to defy trump. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. Electoral college was invented to protect slavery and the demand to push. The bipartisan case for amending the electoral college.
We break down what the electoral college is, why it was created, and the push for a national popular vote to replace to electoral college process below. The twelfth amendments electoral college resulted from a compromise between the conventions. They could run the numbers as well as anyone, and realized. Dec 03, 2016 the electoral college was formed as part of the great compromise that included the 2 chambers of congress being the house and the senate in which each states number of electors are determined by that states house and senate seats that are determined by the state. Electoral college compromise each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the number of its us senators always two plus the number of its us representatives which may change each decade according to the size of each states population as determined in the census.
Jun, 2018 in order to ratify the constitution, the delegates made several compromises, including the system for electing the president. It is a process, designed to compromise the popular vote by the american people and a vote in congress. Born in philadelphia in midaugust 1787, when most delegates to the constitutional convention were eager to escape the heat and. The reasons for the electoral college are unclear to most people. Nov 20, 2016 but the electoral college merely reflected the numbers, not any bias about slavery and in any case, the threefifths clause was not quite as proslavery a compromise as it seems, since southern. This proslavery compromise was not clear to everyone when the constitution was adopted, but it was clearly evident to everyone when the electoral college was amended after the jeffersonadams. So insignificant had the electoral college become by 2000 that cbs news had to remind people on the eve of the election that the electoral college wasnt an institution of higher learning but the means by which the president is chosen. A very brief book that builds a powerful case for the electoral college. If the electoral college simply removes its winnertakeall requirements, it preserves the central compromise of american politics, dating back to the creation of the u. Instead, i want to highlight two other aspects of the electoral college ec. The constitution, in article 2, section 1, provides. In the first edition of the book, the author proposed a modified presidential election system based on the. Republicans did not always defend the electoral college. The delegates to the 1787 constitutional convention had a variety of reasons for settling on the electoral college format, but.
What exactly is the electoral college, and why does it exist. Detractors claim the institution is antiquated and impedes democracy, but tara ross a lawyer and constitutional scholarargues that the electoral college is the best defense of americas constitutional republic. The mysteries of the american electoral college rand. Why we should abolish the electoral college the new york. In the charming childrens book duck for president, the title. First, its origins in the longlost world of pragmatic political compromise. The electoral college exists because of a compromise reached during the. The apportionment scheme of the senate and the electoral college was a necessary compromise arising from unique historical circumstances of thirteen sovereign states. Nov 08, 2016 the electoral college will, of course, determine the winner of the presidential election tomorrow. These elections provided the impetus for the only constitutional amendment to the electoral college scheme to date. Jan 12, 2017 if the electoral college simply removes its winnertakeall requirements, it preserves the central compromise of american politics, dating back to the creation of the u. The word college at the time of constitutional convention was used to describe a group of people. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless and would give too much voting power to highly populated areas in which people were familiar with a presidential candidate. Left wants to undo biblical principles of nations founding.
Oct 30, 2017 twice in as many decades, a president won the office without the popular vote. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties might actually like the way we now elect presidents would horrify the authors of the u. Electoral collegethe great compromise theproblematicmy2cents. A system born of compromise at the time of the philadelphia convention, no other country in the world directly elected its chief executive, so the delegates were wading into. The electoral college isnt a physical college with a campus and football team. A new book underscores the presidents penchant for deceit. Again questions are being raised about why the framers came up with scheme.
The electoral college and the spirit of compromise the. Dec 23, 2019 the electoral college does not take margins of victory into account, deepening the divide between an electoral victory and popular victory. How the great compromise and the electoral college affects. The impact of the electoral college means each presidential election comes down to just a few key swing states.
In defense of the electoral college national affairs. The solution, or compromise, was to create two chambers in congress, the house with representation roughly proportional to the population of each state, and the senate where each state got exactly two representatives, irrespective of size or population. How the great compromise and the electoral college affects politics today larger states wanted congressional representation based on population, while smaller states wanted equal representation. Nov 06, 2016 he said the electoral colleges threefifths clause enabled thomas jefferson, who owned more than a hundred slaves, to beat out in 1800 john adams, who was opposed to slavery, since the south. Why on earth do we even have an electoral college anyway. This has been viewed well over a million times and helped many people finally understand the electoral college. In essence the electoral college addresses that same issue. All of which is strange because the electoral college is at the core of. Electoral college foes continue push to make popular vote. Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress. The electoral college effectively disenfranchises most americans complains the new york times shafted by the electoral college complains the usually excellent steve chapman at the chicago tribune. The evolution of the electoral college is, in one sense, only a small part of the story of the transformation of the fundamental principle of american government from liberty to democracy. Ultimately, the electoral college contributed to ending slavery, since abraham lincoln, having earned only 39. All of which is strange because the electoral college is at the core of our.
The case for abolishing the electoral college wegman, jesse on amazon. The electoral college was an important part of their attempt to limit the influence of democracy on american government. Electoral college a group selected by the states to elect the president and the vicepresident, in which each states number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in congress. The constitutional convention of 1787 produced a new structure for our government. Says ross, the electoral college discourages overreliance on a single kind of voter.
As this book will show, the electoral college, and the 2016. On november 3, 2020, millions of american all across the country will go to the polls to cast their vote for president or rather, for whom they believe. Slavery, democracy, and the racialized roots of the electoral. The electoral college is under fresh assault on the heels of donald trumps victory last novemberthe second time in five presidential races the popularly elected candidate lost the election. Entrusting political power to imperfect human beings is rarely a safe idea. Nov 12, 2016 but an electoral college allows states to count slaves, albeit at a discount the threefifths clause, and thats what gave the south the inside track in presidential elections. Both times, people cried foul on the electoral college. States might also have incentives to push democracy too far, like. Why the electoral college is a great idea with the election looming, we see the quadrennial complaining about the electoral college.
The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. The case for abolishing the electoral college wegman, jesse on. A book stall sign at a store in des moines, iowa, the day of the iowa. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors picks, and more. This compromise preserved states rights, increased the independence of the executive branch, and avoided popular election. The tyranny of the minority, from iowa caucus to electoral.