Concordia High School
Concordia, Kansas
Teacher: Timothy Berger
Direct Election Or Bust
By Natasha Ingwerson
12th grade
What the people want is what America is all about, right? So how are presidents getting into office that the people do not want? Electoral College is how and it is Electoral College that is no longer working for the people of the United States of America. If the Electoral College system is so bad then why was it chosen in the first place, why is it not working now, and what can we do to change something that has been around for 200 years? In addition a proposed change should come in election campaign, what can we do about all the soft money when it comes to the presidential process?
After many debates, Electoral College was chosen. However, before any debates took place it was assumed that having the Congress choose the President would be the best way to get the job done. There were some problems with this system. “If Congress was to elect the president, then the president might feel an obligation to help the Congress get certain laws passed by not vetoing.” 1 Many other ideas were debated and turned away for reasons similar to this one. It seemed every idea had default. “Also, the framers of the Constitution preferred the electoral system to a direct popular election because in the 18th century, travel was difficult and there were not national party organizations.” 2 So, that is why Electoral College was chosen but since then times have changed. It is time for another change.
Why is it not working now? Why
aren’t people getting what they want? When
citizens vote they are indicating whom they want in office.
Their vote should count right? However,
if you took a survey you would find out that most people do not vote because they feel
that their vote does not really matter. In
almost all aspects the citizens are right. They
vote and then the electors of their states go to the State Capital and vote.3
There are three problems with the Electoral College System.
“First a president can be elected to office even if it is not what the people
want. Another problem is that electors are
not punished for being unfaithful to what they have pledged.
How can we change this problem and make the citizens vote count? There are many proposals now like there were some odd years ago. However, the best system to go with is Direct Election. “Direct Election provides for literal vote equality: all, votes, wherever cast, have equal weight.”5 In other words, the citizen’s vote as an individual counts, when they vote for a certain candidate. If a citizen wanted to vote for a certain candidate then that candidate would get their vote. It would not go through anyone else. No electors would go to the State Capital and vote for their state. However, there are some concerns with Direct Election. “The smaller states would lose their present advantage of a certain minimum of three electoral votes which enhances their influence in presidential elections.” 6
There are of course other concerns beside just this one but no matter what system we chose to go with there would be changes. Not all changes will be good or bad. There are also concerns with Electoral College but they accepted it and we have had it around for a long time. “The Electoral College system had been in place for over 200 years and Americans are still not sure how it works or if it is the best system.” 7 Citizens need and want to be more informed. They care about their country and how it is run. It is time for a change. We have moved so far since the 18th century that the old systems are no longer working. The United States may be worried about the outcome of the change but there is no reason that they should not try it.
What about the problem with soft money? That has an extended amount to do with the presidential election too. What do the American people know about this? Soft money is money donated to campaigns by big corporations. By definition and law it is not supposed to be apart of our federal campaign finance system. 8 However, it is the right of the donors’ to donate money and if they were banned from it it would be violating their 1st amendment right. “Corporations and individuals that donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to political parties expect something in return for their investment. The flow of unlimited contributions into party coffers corrupts the political system by granting special treatment, to those donors.”9 So, soft money should be limited because not only is it a corrupt system but it is driving the younger voters astray. Thus it is contributing to the very low turnout of voter turnouts. Citizens are growing sick of the current system of funding campaigns, and it needs to be reformed. 10
This is why the American people should choose Direct Election. Their vote really counts as an individual. Maybe with this system more people will vote. “The Electoral College is just barely surviving and is under more and more attack all the time.” 11 Our country really needs a change after 200 years of the same system. Look at everything that has changed. Transportation, population, and our economy are no longer what they were in the 18th century. We are far more advanced. Make the people’s vote count. After all, what the people want is what the United States of America is all about. Put Electoral College in the trash because it no longer works and Direct Election is more beneficial to the American voter. Also, soft money should be limited if not banned. If it is not making the American people happy then they need to get rid of it. That would also help in the low voter turnout. (993)
1. “Electoral College: Then, Now and tomorrow” 6 November 2000 http://www.wikman.com/eric/electoralcollege.html
2. “Time to Reform the Electoral College?” News and Events: Daily Briefing November 2000. http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=%22Electoral+College%22
3. Adrian, Charles R. The American Political Process New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1965
4. “Electoral College: Then, Now and tomorrow” 6 November 2000. http://www.wikman.com/eric/electoralcollege.html
5. Sinder, Allan P. American Politics and Public Policy Washington, D.C. CQ. Press, 1982
6. Ferguson, John H. Elements of American Government New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1958
7. “Electoral College: Then, Now and tomorrow” 6 November 2000.http://www.wikman.com/eric/electoralcollege.html
8. “Soft Money: What it is and Why is it a Problem?” Laundromat 9 November 2000 http://www.commoncause.org/laundromat/softmoney.html
9. “Should Soft Money Be Banned?” SpeakOut 6 November 2000 http://www.speakout.com/Issues/briefs/1096/
10. “Should Soft Money Be Banned?” SpeakOut 6 November 2000 http://www.speakout.com/Issues/briefs/1096/
11. “Electoral College: Then, Now and tomorrow” 6 November 2000 http://www.wikman.com/eric/electoralcollege.html
1. How and when did the United States elect a president and Vice President of different parties? Name them and their respective parties.
Article 1 Section 1:2 of the U.S. Constitution provided that the candidate with the highest number of votes should be president and the runner-up, vice-president.
2.
Describe four ways that were suggested
to elect the President between 1808 and 1846.
In 1808, a proposal to elect the president by lot was suggested. It reoccurred unsuccessfully in 1844 and 1846. The candidates were to be chosen from retiring Senators; in later proposals the states were each to elect a native-son candidate. In 1816 the first direct-vote plan was proposed and it was defeated 21 to 12. In 1822 it was proposed that four regions on a rotating basis choose the president. In 1826 the automatic plan was proposed. All of a state’s electoral votes would automatically be cast for the candidate who received the highest popular vote.
3.
Name five U.S. Presidents who were
elected with less than a popular vote.
1824 John Quincy Adams 37%
1844 J. Polk 49.6%
1848 Z. Taylor 47.3%
1856 J. Buchanan 45.6%
1860 A. Lincoln 39.8%
4. Describe the winner-take-all system. Which states use this system?
Suppose we have three groups: A, B, and C. A gets 40 percent, B gets 35 percent, and C gets 25 percent. A ends up with everything and 60 percent of the voters are disenfranchised. The winner-takes-all system is used in every state except Maine.
5.
When do electors vote and when are the
results known?
Article II Section 1:3 of the Constitution the results from the popular vote are known in November. “The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States.” That day has been set as the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. In January the votes are counted before both Houses and the results are announced officially.
6.
What affect would substituting a direct
popular vote for the Electoral College have on third party candidates? Why?
They thought the direct vote would encourage minority parties because there would be a greater probability that two major parties would not receive a majority.
7. Give four arguments for and against a direct vote system.
For:
Ensure that the candidate with the greatest popular vote would win
It would give equal weight to every vote
It would do away with the faithless elector problem
Would reduce the chance of fraud
Would encourage greater participation
Place the election more fully into the hands of the people were it belongs
Against:
Abolish the Electoral College system
Weaken the power of the states and strengthen the national government
State borders would be irrelevant in elections
Federal employees would end up tallying a national vote
All election official would end up working for the federal than state government
8. Describe the differences between the district plan, the proportional plan and the winner-take-all plan.
District plan-two electors are chosen on a statewide popular level
Proportional plan-says by party vote by states
Winner-take-all plan- majority of popular vote ends up with all of electoral votes
9. State the four points experts in 1969 agrees should be included in an ideal plan for electing U.S. Presidents.
Need for quick decision and clear-cut winner
Victor should be the peoples’ choice winner or most popular votes
President-elect should have mandate to govern, a legitimacy which comes from a good margin victory
Ideal system should not undermine the tow-party system
10. Write a paragraph describing what is meant by: The people most likely to be under represented.
People without a high school diploma, young, old unemployed, single, etc. show a reduction in their voting strength. Those of the exact opposite represent those that do not vote. People that are most likely to be underrepresented are people who lack opinions. As long as attitudes on issues are so weekly related to social class and race, poor and minorities will find enough allies to avoid political weakness in proportion to their own voting.