And when a presidential election hands the palm to a candidate who comes in second in the popular vote but first in the electoral college tally, something deep in. This year, for the fourth time in history and second time in recent history a presidential candidate won the popular vote but lost the electoral college and, therefore, lost the election. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning. The electoral college delaware department of elections. C o m the electoral college system makes electing the president of the united states much more complicated than simply counting all. There is hardly anything in the constitution harder to explain, or easier to misunderstand, than the electoral college. Many of the founding fathers were well schooled in ancient history and its lessons. The original purpose of the electoral college was to reconcile differing state and federal interests, provide a degree of popular participation in the election, give the less populous states some. Although the electoral college result has typically been in alignment with the national popular. These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the. Both are wrong, and both miss one of the central purposes of the electoral college, which was to insure that the largest state, virginia, would be able to elect the national president, and that the slave states would be able to use their slave population to influence the election. The electoral college causes too much focus on purple states during an election cycle. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution.
There were no popular elections in the early years of the republic and no nationwide system for creating electoral college ballots. The electoral college is a national security threat. Each state has as many electors in the electoral college as it has representatives and senators in the united states congress, and the district of columbia has three electors. Perhaps no other feature of the constitution has had a greater capacity for dynamic historical adaptiveness. All four candidates in the election identified with the democraticrepublican party. An interactive version of each map is also available, letting you change history. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. The electoral college and the american idea of democracy.
How it works in contemporary presidential elections. The procedure of the electoral college count, including a discussion of the current federal law governing elections adopted in 1887. Both times, people cried foul on the electoral college. Oct 30, 2017 twice in as many decades, a president won the office without the popular vote.
The history of the electoral college my election helper. Sep 20, 2017 the electoral college is a national security threat the founding fathers never anticipated the rise of facebook and fake news. It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. Tara ross has written a primer for the educated citizen wishing to become better informed about the procedures and history of the electoral college, for. According to article ii, section 1, clause 2 of the. Constitution, the electoral college is the formal body which elects the president and vice president of the united states. The electoral college process can result in a candidate winning the election but not the popular vote. In defense of the electoral college national affairs. A brief electoral college history electoral vote map. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. The electoral college was proposed near the end of the convention by the committee on unfinished parts, chaired by david brearley of new jersey, to provide a system that would select the most qualified president and vice president.
Pdf the purpose, structure and limitations of the electoral college. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii, section 1 of the constitution. To view maps and results from all prior presidential elections on a single page, see this historical elections timeline. Electoral college dbq history documentbased questions.
The electoral college nc essential standards for american. The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral system since the ratification of the constitution. Similarly, further details on the history and current functioning of. An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. The constitution, in article 2, section 1, provides. Still, the two systems are similar in design and share many of the same advantages and disadvantages. How the electoral college works election assistance commission. The constitution explains the electoral college system. The electoral college is how we refer to the process by which the united states elects the president, even though that term does not appear in the u. Detractors claim the institution is antiquated and impedes democracy, but tara rossa lawyer and constitutional scholarargues that the electoral college is the best defense of americas constitutional republic.
Nov 21, 2016 the electoral college polarized americans from its inception. The electoral college election assistance commission. Discusses the history of the electoral college, including the role it plays in the political system, notable elections, and changes that have occured over time. Without the electoral college, a huge popular margin in one state like california or texas could decide the entire election. The troubling reason the electoral college exists time. The similarities between the electoral college and classical institutions are not accidental. Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress. List of books and articles about electoral college online. The electoral college was created by the framers of the u. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in an electoral college simulation. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless and would give too much voting power to highly populated areas in which people were familiar with a presidential candidate.
Taming the electoral college explores poorly understood aspects of the electoral college, including two possibilities in particular that could pose the most serious danger for american democracy. History of the electoral college how the electoral. The racial history of the electoral college and why. For your questions, i have deferred to a specialist, in this case an editor in american history magazine. During most of the constitutional convention, presidential selection was vested in the legislature. Electoral college system this is not alw ays the case. An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. A brief electoral college history the electoral college is the constitutionallyspecified process that the united states uses to elects its president and vice president. These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the president in the house of representatives, which is. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. The history of the electoral college politics essay. The guest talked about his new book, our constitution, published by oxford university press and written for high.
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 evolution of the electoral college behind the scenes. The electoral college has been divisive since day one. The electoral college is a body of electors chosen by the political parties in each state to elect the president of the u.
Nov 26, 2018 standard civicsclass accounts of the electoral college rarely mention the real demon dooming direct national election in 1787 and 1803. Jan 21, 2018 the electoral college was built in part to accommodate white, male slave owners who could not have anticipated a twoparty system, that slaves would be freed or that black people and women would. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by proponents of electoral college reform, as a wrong. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. List of books and articles about electoral college. United states presidential elections in which the winner lost. Sep 23, 2008 this website about the united states electoral college from the national archives is an excellent resource for both students and teachers. These rules govern all aspects of the voting process.
This chapter discusses the current election system and attempts to help the reader comprehend whether this system is a historical anachronism. Political electoral systems are organized by governments, while nonpolitical elections may take place in business, nonprofit organisations and informal organisations. History of the electoral college how the electoral college. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral college, why it no longer is a constructive force in american politics, and why it is time to move to the direct popular election of presidents. The fec has no jurisdiction over the electoral college. Also, contains a history of the electoral college counts from 1789 to 1873. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. One consequence of the electoral college has been to make it hard for third parties, regional factions, or lesser figures to. College, why it no longer is a constructive force in american politics, and why it is time to move to the direct.
To understand the origins of the electoral college, one should look at life and politics in the. The national archives and records administration nara is the federal agency responsible for coordinating activities of states and congress regarding the electoral college vote for president. This lack of discussion of slavery by scholars of the electoral college is surprising, because the records of the convention show that in fact the connection between slavery and the college was deliberate, and very much on the minds of many delegates, including james madison. For some of us, the electoral college process and its outcome may seem a bit shocking. The electoral college is an example of an indirect election of a candidate for president. In this process, the states which includes the district of columbia just for this process elect the president and vice president. The electoral college keeps high population states and regions from deciding the presidency. Electoral college simple english wikipedia, the free. The racial history of the electoral college and why efforts. The original drafters of the constitution had to balance a number of competing desires in designing a system for the election of the president.
The electoral college was created because the framers were wary of giving the people the power to directly elect the president. The electoral college is how the united states selects the next president and vice. The electoral college download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. The electoral college gives too much influence to less populated states. This page links to the results of those historical elections, including a larger map, results and synopsis of the race. The first test of the electoral college system was the election of 1800 when both thomas jefferson and his r unning mate, aaron burr. The current workings of the electoral college are the result of both design and experience. History of the electoral college smithsonians history explorer.
Students will then evaluate issues of fairness and representation with regard to the electoral college. Created by the framers of the constitution during the 1787 constitutional convention in philadelphia, the college was put forth as a. The electoral college overview in this lesson, students will examine the purpose, function, origin, and historical development of the electoral college in order to gain a better understanding of how americans elect the president. History of the electoral college smithsonians history.
986 217 723 40 1316 1252 1409 781 224 889 458 1107 948 198 1476 686 527 1215 251 428 1138 1416 703 82 1446 1191 252 1319 603 850 193 822 776 20 1164 226 1168 408