Arguments Against The Use Of The Electoral College System Flashcards
What is a disadvantage concerning the popular vote?
-winner of popular vote can fail be elected as pres
-e.g. Hilary Clinton 2016 won 2.9m of popular vote but Trump won electoral college + the presidency
What does the electoral college exaggerate that is a disadvantage?
-frequently exaggerates margins of victory
-e.g. 1984 when Reagan won just under 59% popular vote but over 97% of ECVs
How does the electoral college also exaggerate the margins of victory?
-through the winner takes all system
-e.g. in close states 2000 election George W. Bush won Florida by 537 votes but took all 25 of states electoral votes
What was the impact of this?
-small margin has major impact on electoral victory
-distorted the national perception of his support due to Florida majorly backing him
What is the impact of the electrical college on smaller states and how is this a disadvantage?
-smaller states are over represented
-e.g. California has 1 electoral vote per 712k (55) but Wyoming has one electoral vote per 195k (3)
What does this disproportionate influence of smaller states of Wyoming give it?
-Wyoming has more weight in the election relative to Californian voters
-result in candidates focusing on smaller states with fewer people rather than needs of larger more populous states
What is an example of candidates focusing more on smaller states?
-2012 Obama campaigned heavily in New Hampshire, Iowa + Nevada
-Nevada with 6 electoral votes giving - seen as crucial swing state esp with its changing demographic + growing Latino populations key securing overall victory
What is a disadvantage regarding the founding fathers?
-drawn up by founding fathers very different era politically
-when US much smaller + less diverse
Why is this a disadvantage?
-designed to protect slavery + white interests giving southern states greater power
-product of its time - FF feared direct popular vote lead to chaos - designed to balance influence of smaller states to prevent mob rule as US geographically large
Why is the electrical college corrupted regarding its unpredictability for candidates?
-Trump 2012 stated ‘electrical college is a disaster for democracy’
Why did Trump feel this way about it in 2012?
-Romney Republican candidate lost electrical college despite winning popular vote in several key areas
-e.g. performed well in southern states like Texas + Alabama - won popular vote 24 states but Obama 26
How did this view change?
-2016 Trump tweeted ‘the electoral college is actually genius in that it brings all states…into play. Campaigning is much different’
Why did his view change?
-Trump won electrical college + lost popular vote
-publicly expressed support for the system as it helped him win the presidency - if it was popular vote like he wanted then he would have lost
