The winner take all system basically means exactly what it says. In it the authors argue that contrary to conventional wisdom, the dramatic increase in inequality of income in the united states since 1978the richest 1% gaining 256% after inflation while the income of the lower earning. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. It was devised by the framers of the united states constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government. The 1892 ruling, in fact, upheld a decision by the michigan legislature to switch from a winnertakeall to a districtbydistrict system. What i am not okay with is the silly winnertakesall system that most states use. Some argue its an unfair system because it allows for. Why does the us cling on to the electoral college system. I have never heard any defense of it, let alone a good one. This report focuses on the institutions and procedures.
The winner take all system of the electoral college is undemocratic because it is does not voice the majority of people. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system of the electoral college is under democrats. They say the electoral college system, as opposed to a simple majority vote, distorts the oneperson, onevote principle of. The winnertakeall electoral college system used by 48. Some have claimed that the electoral college is one of the most dangerous institutions in american politics. Electoral college is undemocratic des moines register. This is why the system is so undemocratic, along with the fact that it makes some.
The states adopted winnertakeall rules to enhance their role in determining the president. The electoral college was established in 1788 by article ii of the us constitution, which also established the executive branch of the us government, and was revised by the twelfth amendment ratified june 15, 1804, the fourteenth amendment ratified july 1868, and the. On the surface, it is a little concerning for those who really do not have an understanding of t. The electoral college is an undemocratic mess whowhatwhy. A democracy serves the people but the winner take all only voices the. Electoral college change from winnertakeall system gains. The electoral college method of electing a president of the united states is archaic, undemocratic, complex,ambiguous, indirect, anddangerous. Constitution, but later enacted by 48 states, without changing anything in the constitution, using the builtin method that the. In fact, through how the electoral college is made up, how the winner take all system is unfair to even the.
This page opposed the electoral college in 1936, and in more recent years as well. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winnertakeall nonsense, is simply indefensible. His work should inspire serious and widespread discussion of alternative electoral arrangements that are far more democratic and have long been employed in almost all of the other. All his campaign succeeded in doing in our winnertakeall system. And the core principle of that decision that it is up to the states to choose the method was reaffirmed by the court in its decision in bush v. In this powerfully argued and engaging book, steven hill successfully demonstrates how our winner take all electoral system produces highly undemocratic results. Opinion end winnertakeall in the electoral college. However, shortly after i started this book, the covid19 pandemic started and i lost pretty much all willpower with wanting to read a nonfiction book, let alone one dealing with the flawed electoral college system of the united states. The national popular vote campaign doesnt eliminate the college. This electoral vote tie shows how drastically the winner. Without the electoral colleges winnertakeall disincentive to independents, more candidates would be sure to run, increasing the likelihood of more and smaller plurality winners. Another responder writes that i think the electoral college can be salvaged by eliminating the winner take all system.
The equal protection argument against winner take all in. The popular vote should mean something, especially when it conflicts with the electoral college. I read about the first 20% in one sitting and was interested in the topic. The way we now elect presidents would horrify the authors of the u. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties. They took their first step in february 2018 by filing.
What i do resent is that the electoral college, except for maine and nebraska, is a statebystate winnertakeall, rather than being divided up proportionally. Why is the winnertakeall system undemocratic answers. Civil rights activists are challenging the legality of four states winnertakeall method of allocating u. How the winnertakeall system is undemocratic 2002 the film archives. Opinion time to end the electoral college the new york. Trump suggests getting rid of the electoral college.
Explain one way in which the winnertakeall feature of the electoral college affects how presidential candidates from the two major parties run their campaign. Explain why some people say that the winner take all. It has been criticized by some as an undemocratic anachronism, but praised by others as a pillar of political stability and american federalism. Explain why some people say that the winner take all system of the electoral.
The electoral college system, when combined with the winnertakeall rule, tends to magnify the margin of victory, giving the victor a certain and demonstrable election outcome. Winner take all system explained flashcards quizlet. Strategy for abolishing the electoral college detailed in. Richard posner, judge, legal scholar, and the type of celebrity essayist that makes one question his fitness for the two preceding positions, has written a defense of the electoral college in slate. Bush won the popular vote by more than three million, but he. Hillary clinton blamed the electoral college for her stunning defeat in the 2016 presidential election in her latest memoirs, what happened. The ones that are not are going in the right direction. But the present electoral college, with its pledged delegates and winner take all nonsense, is simply indefensible. One of us is a former republican governor of massachusetts and now a republican candidate for president, and the other is a. An idea for electoral college reform that both parties might actually like. Winnertakeall electoral practice faces voterrights. What is the winnertakesall rule in the presidential.
Election controversies evaluation electoral college presidential elections united states methods. A winner take all system within states can produce results counter to the majority for no highminded reason. The electoral college is undemocratic in the sense. Its not time to throw out the electoral college the.
Yet, the electoral college and the winnertakeall rule employed by most states isnt without controversy. Legality of electoral college process challenged in san. In summary, a winnertakeall system of allocating electors by the states denies the minority of voters within each state any representation whatsoever within the. How washington made the rich richerand turned its back on the middle class is a book by political scientists jacob s. In any close presidential vote, it is also a traditionnow verging on a requirementthat we have a brief debate over the electoral college. A rebuttal of richard posners moronic defense of the. The 2016 election added fuel to the argument that the electoral college was not only undemocratic and outdated but unsafe and vulnerable to foreign interference. The electoral college also creates an issue with its winner take all method. The winner take all electoral college system used by 48 states, including colorado, sees court challenges share this. An electoral college map from the 1976 carterford campaign that was used by the 1980. The electoral college is not democratic vanity fair. Reason for abolishing the electoral college politics essay.
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