The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
newyorker.com
The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
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Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#2Personally I say abolish the electoral colleges to ensure that every vote actually matters. That alone will reduce voter apathy and get more people actually out there voting.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#3There are deeper cases for revisiting the Electoral College than "I don't like it when the popular vote doesn't favor me". One primary issue is that the Electors for each state are not elected. A patch for this and guidance for their behaviors is something that has to be addressed in each state on their own, with a few states here or there seeming to force Electors to submit certain information, such as the popular vote result.
Revisiting the simpler argument about not liking the representation provided by the Electoral College, it is valid that its purpose was for a much smaller nation of like 12-14 states at time of inception. It should be obvious that this argument will fall flat because it will never reach the level of consensus necessary to change it, as you need 75% ratification of the states, most of which benefit from the Electoral College amplifying their vote and relevancy. There are better uses of energy.
Regulating the Electors is a better use of energy, as there are real inefficiencies and a lack of accountability in who they are and what they do, as they can submit literally anything to Congress no matter what their own state voted for.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#4The fight against the electoral college is one of those things that misses the forest for the trees. The real problem is that too much power has been vested in the federal government (and in the executive branch specifically), and too much power has been taken from the states. People would care a lot less about how the president gets elected if he didn't have so much control over the entire country.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#5What frustrates me about this constant argument is that there's a way to retain the electoral college, which serves to at least somewhat fairly designate votes by state populations, and still make every vote count: Make states assign electors proportionally. A couple states already do it, and if all fifty did, we'd have a much fairer system that is still somewhat insulated from differences in how states manage voting.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#6Personally I say abolish the electoral colleges to ensure that every vote actually matters. That alone will reduce voter apathy and get more people actually out there voting.
Sounds good. Now how do we make that happen? Complaints about the Electoral College are rather meaningless without a realistic proposal for a Constitutional amendment that could achieve the necessary level of political support.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#7The electoral college itself isn't really the issue.
It's the fact that states use winner-take-all apportionment of electors.
Unlike the electoral college, winner-take-all apportionment isn't mandated in the constitution.
You could have the electoral college and also distribute electors according to the share of popular vote each party received in that state.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#8The fight against the electoral college is one of those things that misses the forest for the trees. The real problem is that too much power has been vested in the federal government (and in the executive branch specifically), and too much power has been taken from the states. People would care a lot less about how the president gets elected if he didn't have so much control over the entire country.
I fully agree with this statement. Jefferson's vision of America was the better one, where the federal is weak and the states are what people are most loyal to, and which hold the most power over people's daily lives.
I want to see universal healthcare, but I think if state's taxes were higher than federal, and they were required to come up with a plan that covers everyone, however they want to do that, that it would make more sense for everybody.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#9The fight against the electoral college is one of those things that misses the forest for the trees. The real problem is that too much power has been vested in the federal government (and in the executive branch specifically), and too much power has been taken from the states. People would care a lot less about how the president gets elected if he didn't have so much control over the entire country.
Yes. Is there a word or concept for this to a majority of issues in the zeitgeist? Dilution of choices into illusion of choice that is manipulating the masses? The removal of critical thinking? The lack of conversations taking into account 2nd order effects or first principles?
Yeesh.
Re: The Case for Dumping the Electoral College
#10Personally I say abolish the electoral colleges to ensure that every vote actually matters. That alone will reduce voter apathy and get more people actually out there voting.
Sounds good. Now how do we make that happen? Complaints about the Electoral College are rather meaningless without a realistic proposal for a Constitutional amendment that could achieve the necessary level of political support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Intersta... already exists and is 73% of the way to coming into effect.
No need for amendments when you have clever legal hackery!