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Essay on US president election process - Government and Politics of the USA
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A* essay titled: ‘The process to elect the president is broken and in need of reform.’ Discuss [30 marks].
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‘The process to elect the president is broken and in need of reform.’ Discuss [30 marks]For: Against:
Introduction: In this essay I will be discussing whether the process to elect the president is broken and in need of
reform. Reformers argue that the system is outdated and full of corruption, whereas traditionalists believe the current
system should be maintained. The Electoral College is an area of heavy debate, for example. Reformers believe it is
an outdated system created in response to 18th century problems, and is therefore unwelcome in the 21st century.
Traditionalists say that it has worked effectively for over 200 years, and so does not need reform.
Point: Firstly, one reason why the process to elect the Point: Firstly, one reason why the process to elect the
president is broken and in need of reform is that the president is not broken and does not need reform is that
expense of the campaign and breakdown of matching money is no guarantee of success e.g. Forbes’
funds system gives an advantage to well funded unsuccessful campaigns in 1996 and 2000, and
candidates. Campaign finance (which is any money Huckabee’s near-success in 2008, despite very limited
raised or spent in order to influence election campaigns) funds.
is a major influence in US elections, and has proven to be
hard to achieve effective reform. Explanation: Steve Forbes, Chief Executive Officer of
Forbes Media LLC, ran in both the 1996 and 2000
Explanation: Campaign finance laws have had limited presidential candidate election campaign, as an ‘honest
effectiveness for a variety of reasons, for example, voice’, promised that he would ‘take power away from the
loopholes as well as constitutional restraints. Washington politicians and give it back to the American
people, where it belongs.’
Evidence: The Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)
was introduced to regulate money in elections. However, Evidence: As CEO of Forbes Media, he certainly didn’t
candidates and parties have used soft money as have limited funds for the two campaigns (1996,2000). He
loopholes to bypass laws. Soft money is cash contributed personally sunk USD$76 million into his attempts. This
to a political party with no limits attached to the amount shows that money does not necessarily determine
that can be received, and cannot be regulated under the success.
law. This can include money donated by interest groups
of individuals. Development: Furthermore, candidates who do not have
the most well-funded campaign have seen considerable
Development: Furthermore, the 1st amendment and the success. Michael Huckabee was the 2008 Republican
ideological balance of the Supreme Court can block/strike candidate for United States President. During the
down key provisions. Various Supreme Court rulings Republican primaries, Huckabee won seven states,
have undermined legislation, making it harder to restrict including the Iowa caucuses, finishing second in delegate
donations and expenditure. For example, the restrictions count and third in the popular vote. Huckabee was the
only cover funding of candidates, but not the funding of most frugal campaign, spending USD$45,000 a delegate,
parties. This means that parties can spend money that according to The New York Times delegate count. That
was supposedly donated to support the purposes of party was far less than the USD$654,000 a delegate spent by
building and voter education, but was actually used to Mitt Romney, and shows that Huckabee ran a far more
support a candidate. In addition, the Supreme Court ruled successful campaign than Romney, despite having far
that a candidate’s own money is exempt from restrictions, inferior funds.
meaning businessmen, like Donald Trump, were able to
exploit a fractured system with their own personal wealth Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the
and gain advantages over other candidates, possibly. president is not broken as candidates who do not have
well-funded campaigns can receive considerable
Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the success, as well as those who are well-funded do not
president is broken and in need of reform as campaign receive success.
finance can have a huge impact on a candidates success
e.g. Donald Trump became the Republican candidate for
the 2016, which could have been due to his personal
wealth, which in March 2016, Forbes estimated his net
worth at $4.5 billion
Point: Secondly, another reason why the process to elect Point: Secondly, another reason why the process to elect
the president is broken and in need of reform is that it the president is not broken and does not need reform is
, gives a disproportionate influence to Iowa and New that Iowa and New Hampshire are not necessarily
Hampshire. decisive.
Explanation: Candidates have been successful in
Explanation: Iowa and New Hampshire are the first winning their party nominations without winning both Iowa
states to cast ballots for party nominees. This can and New Hampshire.
arguably put a large amount of undue power and
influence on these two states. This means that they Evidence: For example, Clinton, Bush and Obama won
essentially set the tone for the rest of the primary season, all their party nominations even though they did not win
and have often predicted the eventual nominees. both Iowa and New Hampshire (Bush 2000 and Obama
2008 both won Iowa and lost New Hampshire).
Evidence: For example, from 1996 to 2016 candidates
who won in either Iowa or New Hampshire went on to win Development: This can especially be seen with Bill
their parties' nominations (non-incumbent candidates). Clinton in 1992, as he won neither Iowa or New
Hampshire, only coming 3rd and 2nd respectively.
Development:
Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the
Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the president is not broken and does not need reform as the
president is broken and in need of reform as it gives idea that Iowa and New Hampshire exert disproportionate
disproportionate influence to certain states over others. influence over other states due to the calendar date in
which they carry out their primaries and caucuses (they
are the first states) is merely a myth as candidates that
haven’t won one or both have been successful in
becoming their parties’ nomination.
Point: Thirdly, another reason why the process to elect Point: Thirdly, another reason why the process to elect
the president is broken and in need of reform is that there the president is not broken and does not need reform is
are better systems available. that there may be no alternative system which provides
the same protection of smaller states that the existing
Explanation: It can be argued that the Electoral College system does.
is an old constitutional provision that is outdated and has
created wrongfully elected presidents. Explanation: The US Constitution ensures the opinion
Evidence: Since the start of the 21st century, the and voices of the states, especially small states, is not
Democrats have won every popular vote (apart from ignored. To achieve this, it has been implemented by the
Bush’s landslide in 2004), but there have still been Founding Fathers that 3/4 of the states (38) would have
Republican presidents. This has highlighted the need for to ratify the amendment. However, with the amount of
reform as the majority of US citizens’ views are being small states, any reform to the electoral college which
ignored due to the existence of said outdated electoral would have a detrimental effect on smaller states power
system. would not pass.
Development: In recent decades, the most widely Evidence: This is because eight states have three
offered proposal to reform the present method of electing electoral votes (including DC, but is technically not a
the President and Vice President has been the direct state), five states have four electoral votes, three states
election plan. Under this direct election plan, the electoral have five electoral votes. That’s a total of 16 states. If 13
college would be abolished, and the President and Vice of them block the amendment, then reform cannot be
President would be elected directly by popular vote. passed.
Direct election would eliminate the possibility of a
"minority" President and Vice President, because the Development: This ensures that those 16 states’
candidate winning the most popular votes would always (including DC) voice and influence is protected and
prevail. Furthermore, the proposal is simple and ensures that the federal government does not try to
democratic: the candidates winning the most popular increase federal power over the states.
votes would always be elected.
Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the
Evaluation: This shows that the process to elect the president is not broken and does not need reform as
president is broken and in need of reform as it still relies there is no alternative system which provides the same
on an archaic electoral system. The Electoral Country level of protection of smaller states.
was created due to fear of the uneducated masses voting
against the interest of the central government. Currently,
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