Is the Electoral College fit for purpose?
- Created by: purplepopper
- Created on: 18-04-18 11:05
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- Is the Electoral College still fit for purpose?
- Yes
- It's an important element of the federal identity of the constitution.
- This is a fair argument. The electoral college manages to gauge the voices of both small and large states. However, small states are over-represented.
- This is a significant flaw with the EC. Voters from these areas are over-represented. This is undemocratic and creates a tyranny of the minority. A vote cast in Florida is worth a quarter as much as a vote cast in Wyoming.
- Each vote is not equal. Voters from small rural states are given more influence than larger urban ones. Campaign is concentrated in swing states.
- This is a significant flaw with the EC. Voters from these areas are over-represented. This is undemocratic and creates a tyranny of the minority. A vote cast in Florida is worth a quarter as much as a vote cast in Wyoming.
- This is a fair argument. The electoral college manages to gauge the voices of both small and large states. However, small states are over-represented.
- It's not important for presidents to have a popular mandate. However strong it may be, congressmen won't feel any duty to support the president's agenda and may vote however they please.
- Yes, but the president has the potential to wield great power. e.g.: executive orders. This should warrant a popular mandate.
- It still isn't a pressing issue for most Americans. They care more about other issues, like jobs, the economy, healthcare, etc.
- It's an important element of the federal identity of the constitution.
- No
- All of the original rationale for the Electoral College has disappeared. It is now a constitutional anachronism.
- The framers of the constitution had no idea how the US would grow. It is a world superpower with a population of 325 million. The Electoral College may have worked for the kind of country that the US was in 1787, but it certainly does not work in the modern age.
- The winner of the electoral vote is not always the winner of the popular vote. e.g.: Bush 2000, Trump 2016. Clinton won the popular vote by 2.7 million.
- Each vote is not equal. Voters from small rural states are given more influence than larger urban ones. Campaign is concentrated in swing states.
- All of the original rationale for the Electoral College has disappeared. It is now a constitutional anachronism.
- Final judgment
- Yes
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