Explain the purpose and function of the Electoral College. How are its members chosen? How does the Electoral College reflect the will of the people?
(4 points)
The purpose of the Electoral College is to choose the President and Vice President of the United States. Its function is to indirectly represent the will of the people in electing these officials. Rather than electing the President directly based on the popular vote, as in some other countries, the Electoral College system was established by the framers of the U.S. Constitution.
The members of the Electoral College, known as electors, are chosen through a process determined by each state. Typically, they are selected by political parties or nominated at state party conventions, and they are often party loyalists or influential individuals within their respective states. The number of electors per state is equal to the number of its representatives in the U.S. Congress, which is based on each state's population. The District of Columbia, which is not a state but has representation in Congress, is also allotted electors.
The Electoral College reflects the will of the people through a system that combines the popular vote and the overall representation of states. In most states, the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote receives all of its electoral votes, while two states (Maine and Nebraska) allocate their electoral votes proportionally. This means that the majority of votes in each state contribute to that state's electoral votes, which ultimately affect the outcome of the election.
By balancing the representation of states in the Electoral College, smaller and less populous states are given more weight compared to their population size. This ensures that presidential candidates do not solely focus on highly populated states, but also consider the interests and concerns of less populated regions.
However, it is important to note that the Electoral College does not always reflect the national popular vote. The winner of the presidency can theoretically win the electoral vote, and thus the presidency, without winning the overall popular vote. This happened in the 2000 and 2016 elections, sparking debates on the efficacy and fairness of the Electoral College system.