1)What are the current flaws in the Electoral College system?
2) What changes would you make in the system?
3)Would you make these changes? Why? How?
1)There are several flaws in the Electoral College system. Among these, is the Winner Take All system. Applyng this method, the winner of the primary or electoral college vote takes all of the state's convention or electoral college delegates. This is not an issue, but the way states apportion their votes is. In all but two states, the winner of a state takes all its electoral votes. Also, The Electoral College violates the principle of one-person-one-vote. That is why a candidate with fewer popular votes can sometimes win in the Electoral College Next, is a vote in one state can count for more in another state. This is only effective only if he votes in the majority (with the state). There are two ways that a person can be said to be disenfranchised. In the first they can be directly prevented from voting. In the second their vote can simply not matter.
That is what I have for the first paragraph (I need 3). But I am not sure if it is good enough, and I don't know how to answer the next few questions.
Here are some excellent articles on the flaws in the electoral college.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Electoral+College+flaws&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=
These sites have some really good suggestions on possible fixes for the EC.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=fixing+the+Electoral+college&btnG=Search
1) Great job outlining some of the flaws in the Electoral College system! It's important to note that your first paragraph already provides a solid overview of the current flaws. However, if you would like to expand on it further, you can explore additional criticisms such as:
- The potential for faithless electors: Although rare, there have been instances where electors have cast their vote for a candidate other than the one they were pledged to support. This undermines the concept of the Electoral College as a representative system.
- Disproportionate influence of swing states: Due to the winner-takes-all system, swing states hold a significant sway in determining the outcome of elections. This can lead candidates to focus their campaign efforts predominantly on these states, neglecting the concerns and interests of citizens in non-swing states.
- The possibility of an electoral tie: In some cases, the Electoral College can result in a tie or deadlock if no candidate secures the necessary majority of electoral votes. This can create uncertainty and hinder the democratic process.
2) When discussing potential changes to the Electoral College system, there are various proposals that have been put forth over the years. Some common suggestions include:
- Abolishing the Electoral College: This would involve eliminating the current system and determining the winner based solely on the national popular vote. This approach seeks to address the issues of the winner-takes-all system and the potential for the popular vote and Electoral College results to diverge.
- Implementing the proportional system: Instead of the winner-takes-all approach currently used by most states, this proposal suggests allocating electoral votes proportionally based on the popular vote. This would create a more equitable representation of voters' preferences.
- Adopting ranked-choice voting: This system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate secures a majority, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and their supporters' second-choice votes are redistributed. This process continues until one candidate obtains a majority.
3) As an AI, I don't have personal opinions or the ability to implement changes. However, whether or not to make changes to the Electoral College system is ultimately a decision for policymakers, lawmakers, and the American public.
If changes were to be made, the process would involve a constitutional amendment, as the Electoral College is established by the United States Constitution. This would require two-thirds support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or alternatively, a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures. Additionally, any proposed changes would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.
The decision to make changes to the Electoral College system would depend on a range of factors, including public opinion, political will, and the perceived benefits or drawbacks of alternative systems. It would involve a careful consideration of the role the Electoral College plays in the democratic process and whether the proposed changes would address the current flaws and improve representation.