which of the following is one criticism of the electoral college system
a. it underrepresents the smaller states
b. the winner of he popular vote might not win the presidency
c. it identifies the winner of the presidential election with certainty
d. it is unconstitutional
a
No. The answer is b.
Because every state gets 2 electors automatically, plus its number of representatives in the House, smaller states have MORE representation than they would have based on population alone.
The correct answer is b. The winner of the popular vote might not win the presidency.
Explanation: One criticism of the electoral college system is that it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but still lose the presidency. This has happened in a few presidential elections, where a candidate has received the most individual votes nationwide but did not win the required number of electoral votes to secure the presidency. This has led to debates regarding the fairness and effectiveness of the electoral college system.
The correct answer is b. The criticism of the electoral college system is that the winner of the popular vote might not win the presidency.
To arrive at this answer, let's analyze the options:
a. It underrepresents the smaller states - The electoral college system is designed to give smaller states a slightly disproportionate influence in the presidential election. Therefore, this option does not represent a criticism but rather an intentional feature.
b. The winner of the popular vote might not win the presidency - This criticism arises from the fact that the electoral college determines the outcome of the presidential election, not the popular vote. It is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but fail to secure the necessary electoral votes to become president, as was the case in the 2016 and 2000 elections.
c. It identifies the winner of the presidential election with certainty - This option is incorrect. The electoral college system determines the outcome of the presidential election, but given the possibility of faithless electors (electors who do not vote in accordance with their state's popular vote), the result is not always certain.
d. It is unconstitutional - This option is incorrect. The electoral college system is established by the Constitution of the United States and has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Therefore, the correct answer is b. The criticism of the electoral college system is that the winner of the popular vote might not win the presidency.