Evaluate the extent to which the Electoral College's advantages outweigh its disadvantages

Question 1

Para headings & LOA?

Question 2

Representation Agr

Answer 2

• electoral college ensures that small states remain represented
• Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota have 1 ECV for every 200,000 people

Question 3

Representation disag

Answer 3

• electoral college has unequal representation as it over-represents smaller states and under-represents larger ones so creates an uneven form of federalism
• larger states like Texas or California have 1 ECV per 700,000 people whereas smaller states such as Wyoming and Vermont have 1 ECV per 200,000 people
• California has 55 ECVs and a population of 50 million while Wyoming has 3 ECVs and a population of 500,000 so in Wyoming 1 ECV represents 190,000 people and in California 1 represents 3 times as many

Question 4

Legitimacy agr

Answer 4

• electoral college is an effective way of producing a clear winner
• 2016 saw Trump win 302 ECVs in comparison to Clinton who won 232
• faithless electors have limited impact on the election and there are processes to limit them
• likelihood of rogue electors having any effect on final outcome is minimal as there have only been 8 elections where they have taken place

Question 5

Legitimacy disagr

Answer 5

• electoral college îs unfair as a candidate can still win president by losing the popular vote
• 2000 Bush v Gore election saw Gore win more than Bush on popular vote but Bush won president as he won 271 ECVs and Gore won 266
• this was the case in 2016 when Trump won 302 ECVs compared to Clinton who won 227
• faithless electors disenfranchise states and voters
• 20 states don’t have laws that require electors to cast the vote in line with the desire of the state and in 2016 there were 10 faithless electors and 3/10 had their vote invalidated as they broke the law but 7 were successful in casting their vote

Question 6

Campaigning agr

Answer 6

• electoral college makes it easier for candidates to campaign through existence of bellwether states
• typical bellwether states such as California have been left leaning and Texas has been right leaning so candidates doesn’t spend as much money or time campaigning in them so its cheaper and easier

Question 7

Campaigning disagr

Answer 7

• electoral college gives too much power to battleground states
• 2020 election saw battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Florida receiving immense coverage and attention due to the uncertainty of their support and Biden rallied immensely in Pennsylvania that held 2- ECVs