Complete essay plan; received 100 UMS at A2 level US Politics, and am now at University study Politics.
This is a complete essay plan, structured in a way that splits up the questions thematically - rather than simply yes/no - and has substantial debate within each theme, supported by evidence, a...
US Constitution & Federalism - Unit 4C Government & Politics
US Supreme Court - Unit 4C Government & Politics
All for this textbook (33)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
Government and Politics
Unit 3A GOV3A - The Politics of the USA
All documents for this subject (19)
9
reviews
By: annanya • 1 year ago
By: sofiarisino • 2 year ago
By: conorg8 • 3 year ago
By: raheemamatsemela • 6 year ago
By: fionabowman • 6 year ago
By: conorbrowne • 6 year ago
By: hmills106 • 6 year ago
Show more reviews
Seller
Follow
maxcollingbourne
Reviews received
Content preview
Should the Electoral College be replaced by a national popular vote?
Not representative of popular vote:
• Suppresses the popular will, as a candidate with the majority of the popular vote can lose in the
electoral college e.g. Al Gore in 2000 – he wont the popular vote but lost the EC 271-266
• ‘Faithless’ or ‘rogue’ electors exist, whereby they don’t vote in the way their state wants them to –
e.g. Barbara Lett Simmons in 2000 abstained from voting for Al Gore in protest about the lack of
representation for Washington DC
o There have been 80 faithless electors, meaning collectively they have been responsible for
the under-representation of millions of voters
• Evaluation:
o It is very rare for the winner of the popular vote to lose in the EC – has happened only once
in 2000 in the last 125 years; the only other times were 1884, 1872, 1836 and 1824, but in
these cases, American democracy was still finding its feet
o The current system therefore delivers a win for the most popular candidate, as seen most
recently with Obama – 51-47%
o Rogue electors are also not only rare, but they have a negligible impact on the outcome of
the EC vote, and are deemed more of a protest than undermining democracy
Protection against tyranny of the majority
• The founders created it as a bulwark to mob rule, and electors act as a rational barrier between the
popular vote and the presidency
• Evaluation:
o This undermines representative democracy
o The fact that it had to go to the Supreme Court in 2000 shows that it is a corrupt system, that
is rigged in favour of a few small states – tyranny of the minority instead
Smaller states are over-represented:
• Every state gets at least 3 EC votes – this inflates the importance of these smaller states, that
collectively can have significant influence
o In 2012, the 6 least populated states had the same number of EC votes as Ohio (18), but
Ohio’s population was 3x that of the smaller states combined – overrepresentation of small
states
o An EC vote in California is worth 210,000 voters, but one in Wyoming is worth just 66,000
• Evaluation:
o These smaller states are often neglected by the candidates, as they are usually forgone
conclusions – therefore, they get no media coverage or attention, which atones for their
larger influence and less money is spent in the smaller states
o If the EC was replaced with a national popular vote, then the campaign may concentrate
even more in the highly populated urban towns – either way, small rural states get
neglected, but with the EC at least they have some influence
Disadvantage to third parties:
• The EC – and the fact that it will always produce a two-horse race – means that third parties are at
a disadvantage from the outset, as there’s no way they can spread their influence across enough
states to have any influence in the EC
• This adds to the many factors working against third parties
• Evaluation:
o Third parties would fare no better under a national popular vote, as they are spread too
thinly to garner any influence – either way, they lack influence
o Third parties would also be to the detriment of the ‘two horse race’ idea, and would weaken
the mandate by spreading the vote
The Electoral College inflates the popular vote:
• By inflating the real result of the popular vote (over-representing it), it creates the sense of
legitimacy and a greater mandate for the President, allowing the public to unite behind the eventual
winner
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller maxcollingbourne. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.51. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
