The electoral college is composed of 538 electors who meet the december after a presidential election. The author assumes his reader has some knowledge of the basic function of this institution before reading the book so it may be helpful to overview the system before diving in. Todays post originally appeared in the 2012 summer issue of prologue magazine, and was written by archivist of the united states david s. Enlightened democracy is a convincing case for the electoral college. The electoral college met on 12 april 1874, and awarded mitre only three provinces, including buenos aires. On todays episode, well be going over the history of the electoral college and why the founding fathers decided it would be a better system than. Through 2016, there have been 58 presidential elections. A brief electoral college history the electoral college is the constitutionallyspecified process that the united states uses to elects its president and vice president. The evolution of the electoral college behind the scenes.
In most states the names of the candidates for elector are not even. The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral. Each state has a number of electors equal to its congressional representation in both houses, with the nonstate district of columbia receiving the number it would have if it were a state, but in no case more. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii, section 1 of the constitution. A quick read presenting a compelling case for the constitutional electoral college. An interactive version of each map is also available, letting you change history. The united states electoral college is an example of a system in which an executive president is indirectly elected, with electors representing the 50 states and the federal district.
In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. History of the electoral college how the electoral. College, why it no longer is a constructive force in american politics, and why it is time to move to the direct. The guest talked about his new book, our constitution, published by oxford university press and written for high.
This has led some to question why americans use this system to elect their presidents in the. Electoral college is the popular name for the system used to elect the president and vice president of the united states. Bushs 5 electoral vote victory was the third smallest in history, id, and. Constitution, the electoral college is the formal body which elects the president and vice president of the united states. Yet most of these historical curiosities were the result of profound political divisions within the country which the designers of the electoral college system seem to. As he had repeatedly up to 1861, mitre took up arms again. Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress. The electoral college was created by the framers of the u. The most popular presidential candidate in history. Click download or read online button to get the electoral college book now. The 14th amendment was ratified and had a big impact on the electoral college. Many people argue that the electoral college is an outdated system. The first test of the electoral college system was the election of 1800 when both thomas jefferson and his r unning mate, aaron burr. Constitutionality of electoral college reform by voter initiative.
It has given all americans a stake in democracy not just a geographically concentrated few. C o m the electoral college system makes electing the president of the united states much more complicated than simply counting all. Many of the founding fathers were well schooled in ancient history and its lessons. The similarities between the electoral college and classical institutions are not accidental. In this course, citizen genius lays out the history of the electoral college system, explaining how it works, the reason behind the compromise that created it, as well as the 12th amendment that altered how it works.
The constitution, in article 2, section 1, provides. In january 1877, congress established the federal electoral commission to investigate the disputed electoral college ballots. In each issue of origins, an academic expert will analyze a particular current issue political, cultural, or social in a larger, deeper context. The history of the electoral college in the united states involves everything from bribery to civil war, but the people creating it thought they were producing a system that guaranteed the people. In the evolution of the electoral college, there have been some interesting developments and remarkable outcomes. The electoral college, while a morethan 200yearold relic, has served its purpose well. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. The electoral college has been divisive since day one. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning. The bulk of the new nations citizenry resided in cities like. Critics of the electoral college system point out that the system allows the possibility of a candidate actually losing the nationwide popular vote but being elected president by the electoral vote.
For one, technology is much more advanced now than it was two hundred years ago. These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the president in the house of representatives, which is. Taming the electoral college explores poorly understood aspects of the electoral college, including two possibilities in particular that could pose the most serious danger for american democracy. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. Hoping to prevent avellanedas 12 october inaugural, he mutineered a gunboat. After all, many things have changed in the last two centuries. The electoral college is made up of members from each of the u. The electoral college nc essential standards for american. The importance of the electoral college by george grant. History of the electoral college smithsonians history. Critics often try to use these as examples of what can go wrong. The series elections, voting, technology examines the relationships between people. At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless and would give too much voting power to highly populated areas in which people were familiar with a presidential candidate.
The electoral college and the american idea of democracy. Eisenhower endured a torrent of criticism, even from some republicans, that he had compromised his principles for political advantage. Summary of how the electoral college functions summary. Dont trash the electoral college it works investors.
A brief introduction to the electoral college outset. The evolution of the electoral college is, in one sense, only a small part of the story of the transformation of the fundamental principle of american government from liberty to democracy. It was devised by the framers of the united states constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government. To view maps and results from all prior presidential elections on a single page, see. The history of the electoral college my election helper. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution. The electoral college was an important part of their attempt to limit the influence of democracy on american government. List of books and articles about electoral college. The story of the electoral college is also one of slaveryan institution central to the founding of american democracy. It granted equal protection under the law for all citizens. Some explanations of trumps victory operate at the scale of the historical and the global. How the electoral college works election assistance commission. The current workings of the electoral college are the result of both design and experience. As the election year of 1948 approached, truman, who became president.
Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process. Electoral college system is unique among the election processes of major countries, which tend towards popular vote models, and he connected it to what he terms the constitution of settlement. This website about the united states electoral college from the national archives is an excellent resource for both students and teachers. The function of the college of electors in choosing the president can. Analysis of the electoral college essay 1179 words cram. It isnt really a college, and the electors arent tenured professors. It is the best way to elect a president in an imperfect world, and i would continue to say that even if someday a candidate i supported won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote. Each state has as many electors in the electoral college as it has representatives and senators in the united states congress, and the district of columbia has three electors. Electoral college system this is not alw ays the case.
The electoral college download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The next change affecting the electoral college came a decade after the meeting of the electoral commission. However, the truth is a bit more complicatedfinding its roots all the way back in the framing of the constitution. The electoral vote results are counted and certified by a joint session of congress, held on january 6 of the year succeeding the election. Americas founders wisely considered many different aspects of democratic election including the preservation of minority rights i. The electoral college overview in this lesson, students will examine the purpose, function, origin, and historical development of the electoral college in order to gain a better understanding of how americans elect the president.
The bipartisan commission, which included representatives, senators, and supreme court justices, voted along party lines to award all the contested ballots to hayessecuring the presidency for him by a single electoral. Similarly, further details on the history and current functioning of. The popular vote is not the main way the president is elected, it is through the electoral college that the president is put into office. In order to appreciate the reasons for the electoral college, it is essential to understand its historical context and the problem that the. But just what exactly is the electoral college, what is its history, and is it effective. It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by proponents of electoral college reform, as a wrong. A brief electoral college history electoral vote map.
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