Newell-Fonda
High School
Newell,
Iowa
Teacher:
Connie Doonan
Reform
is for the Birds
By Sheena Hammen
12th grade
The
vote is in; the Electoral College must stay. Over
the past 200 years our county has had a system known as the Electoral College. This system has been successful in maintaining a
federal system of government and keeping stability among the nation by encouraging a
two-party system. Because of our
Constitution, we have become a strong country and have earned respect from other
countries. Our country has had some
incredible leaders that were brought to this dictatorship by the Electoral College. As the Constitution is the basis of our country
and has many sacred values, we need to value what we have instead of proposing reforms to
eliminate it from the county. For example, if
our country would go with a direct election, the Midwest states would be eliminated
without a question because of the heavily populated states.
Those states would receive the attention from the major party nominees because of
the larger population in their states. Our
county as a whole depends on the Constitution for reassurance and guidance. It is imperative that we continue with the
Electoral College to maintain the validity of our Constitution, to provide a stronghold
for the American people and to maintain the equality among the states.
The
Electoral College is a part of the Constitution, and the Constitution is a scared part of
the county. The Electoral Colleges an
original part of the United States and was founded by the Founding Fathers of the United
States in the late 1700s. Many ideas evolved
through the Constitutional Convention, including the Electoral College. Without the validity of the Constitution, the
American people would have nothing to live by. As
the Constitution Convention worked toward their goals, which was finding a universal way
of electing the president, they arrived upon other ideas that were rejected. The Electoral College was a well thought out
system and no one should be so blunt and try to change the origin of our country. Besides this system is what our ancestors worked
hard to achieve.
The
American people understand the Electoral College, and this system is what has made our
country strong; moreover, the United States is a role model for other countries, and the
power the United States has obtained is great. As
many propose reforms that try to eliminate the Electoral College, the silent non-critics
successfully keep our system of Electors going. Reforms
that try to eliminate the Electoral College are really bogus. No one enjoys or is excited to see radical
changes. In fact people shun change and like to see their lives unchanged by politics. An example of a reform that would change our
government and policies related to the Electoral College is to eliminate private
financing. The main ingredient for
accomplishing this reform is to use television and radio for a shortened period in the
campaign for just the election process. This
would be similar to the British system and would eliminate the extreme expenses of
advertising. Advertising is where most of the
campaign money is spent because of television and the newspapers all over the world.
A direct election would also catch the eyes
of millions of Americans, especially those who live in the Midwest. The 2000 election year was about having every vote
counted; this is America and when people vote we count them. In a direct election who ever wins the popular
vote wins the whole election. In all
actuality the nominees for the major political parties would swarm to the more populated
cities and states. After all this is where
they will get their votes to win. This then
leaves out the Midwest because it is not heavily populated.
For example, a presidential candidate would pay more attention to Chicago than
traveling to Iowa because of the population factor. To
keep fairness between states, we need the Electoral College.
As
the validity of our Constitution is protected, and the strongholds kept alive through the
fairness of the states, the Electoral College will prevail.
During the past 200 years our country as become a powerhouse and has earned respect
through all the hardships. The Electoral
College has been successful in maintaining a federal system of government and keeping
stability among the nation by encouraging a two-party system. In conclusion, the Electoral College has worked
the last 200 years; we don’t need to change it now.
Answers
To Questions
1.
In the election of 1796, which
resulted in the election of John Adams, a Federalist, as president and Thomas Jefferson,
Republican, as vice president.
2.
Four
ways that were suggested to elect a President between 1808 and 1846 were by choosing by
lot in 1808, direct vote or plurality in 1816, regional votes that rotate in 1822, and
automatic cast in 1826.
3.
Five
Presidents who were elected with less than a popular vote were John Quincy Adams, J. Polk,
Z. Taylor, A. Lincoln, and B. Harrison.
4.
The
winner take all system if you win the popular votes you get all the votes. The states that use this system are all, but
Maine.
5.
The
electors vote the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. The results are know in January and are officially
announced.
6.
Increases
and encourages the minority party and gives them a better chance of receiving electoral
votes.
7.
For
a direct vote system the reason for doing it that way is for a quick and clear cut winner,
whom ever wins popular vote would win the election (and the people would like that), small
states get more power, and minority vote will always count.
Against a direct vote system is that Electoral College provide political stability,
rural areas are heard too much, single issues affect it too much, and it weakens states
and the power they have.
8.
District
plan is by state subdivisions, the Proportional plan says by party vote by states, and the
winner takes all plan says if you win the popular votes you win all the votes.
9.
The
four points experts agreed should be included in an ideal plan for electing a president
are: (1) the need for a quick decision and
clear-cut winner; (2) the victor should be
the people’s choice winner of the most popular votes;
(3) the president-elect should have a mandate to govern, a legitimacy which comes
from a good margin of victory; (4) the ideal
system should not undermine the two-party system.
10.
Crisis
is opportunity. While some opted to stay out
of the 2000 election in fear of an overdue recession others dive at the opportunity. Moreover, some of our greatest presidents evolved
from economical disaster. For example,
Lincoln and FDR both overcame chaos and turmoil and are both know today as one of
America’s greatest presidents.