Through 2016, there have been 58 presidential elections. The electoral college was created by the framers of the u. History of the electoral college how the electoral college. List of books and articles about electoral college. 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. History of the electoral college smithsonians history explorer. It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. 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.
At the time, some politicians believed a purely popular election was too reckless. The 14th amendment was ratified and had a big impact on the electoral college. It consists of electors who were chosen by each state. In 1787, two things forever changed the face of american politics. Electoral college in order to gain a better understanding of how americans elect the president. The founders believed that most common citizens of the day were poorly educated and uninformed on political issues. In this process, the states which includes the district of columbia just for this process elect the president and vice president. The electoral college is how we refer to the process by which the united states elects the president, even though that term does not appear in the u. The electoral college system is respected for its historical roots and because it does usually reflect the popular vote 48 out of 52 elections since 1804 produced a popular mandate. To create your own forecast for the 2020 election, click on the states in the map to toggle them between democrat, republican and tossup and watch the electoral map tallies change. How it works in contemporary presidential elections.
The electoral college and the american idea of democracy. Every four years, on the tuesday after the first monday of november, millions of u. The electoral college is a body of electors chosen by the political parties in each state to elect the president of the u. These are, first, determination of the president by faithless electors who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the. Electoral college dbq history documentbased questions. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning. The electoral college process can result in a candidate winning the election but not the popular vote.
The evolution of the electoral college behind the scenes. During most of the constitutional convention, presidential selection was vested in the legislature. This indirect election system, called the electoral college and devised in 1787 by the framers of the. Detractors claim the institution is antiquated and impedes democracy, but tara rossa lawyer and constitutional scholarargues that the electoral college is the best defense of americas constitutional republic. Sep 23, 2008 this website about the united states electoral college from the national archives is an excellent resource for both students and teachers. The constitution, in article 2, section 1, provides. Although, 62% of people said they would change the electoral college system, over the past 200 years over 700 proposals have been introduced in congress to reform or eliminate the electoral college, office of the federal register, electoral college. How the electoral college works the electoral college system was established in article ii of the constitution and was amended by the 12th amendment in 1804. Both times, people cried foul on the electoral college. This lack of discussion of slavery by scholars of the electoral college is surprising, because the records of the convention show that in fact the connection between slavery and the college was deliberate, and very much on the minds of many delegates, including james madison. May 18, 2018 the electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. Students will then evaluate issues of fairness and representation with regard to the electoral college. The electoral college was created because the framers were wary of giving the people the power to directly elect the president.
Why the electoral college is bad for america on jstor. Archives but very little has been done to change it. The electoral college was built in part to accommodate white, male slave owners who could not have anticipated a twoparty system, that slaves would be. An election was held with the following popular vote results. The electoral college is a national security threat. It provides a clean, widely accepted ending to the election most of the time. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. Constitution as a compromise for the presidential election process.
Electoral college simple english wikipedia, the free. A brief electoral college history electoral vote map. History of the electoral college smithsonians history. 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 an electoral college simulation. History of the electoral college how the electoral.
Constitution, the electoral college is the formal body which elects the president and vice president of the united states. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution. Without the electoral college, a huge popular margin in one state like california or texas could decide the entire election. The electoral college was proposed near the end of the convention by the committee on unfinished parts, chaired by david brearley of new jersey, to provide a system that would select the most qualified president and vice president. The electoral college, the right to vote, and our federalism. The electoral college keeps high population states and regions from deciding the presidency. The troubling reason the electoral college exists time. 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. The history of the electoral college politics essay. The electoral college delaware department of elections.
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. Answer the questions and color the map using your knowledge of the electoral college as it exists now and how it would look if the states changed to a proportional system. List of united states presidential elections by electoral. In order to appreciate the reasons for the electoral college, it is essential to understand its historical context and the problem that the. Oct 30, 2017 twice in as many decades, a president won the office without the popular vote. The electoral college gives too much influence to less populated states. Similarly, further details on the history and current functioning of. The history of the electoral college my election helper.
In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral college, why it no longer is a constructive force in american politics, and why it is time to move to the direct popular election of presidents. The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. The fec has no jurisdiction over the electoral college. The racial history of the electoral college and why. Nov 26, 2018 southerner thomas jefferson, for example, won the election of 180001 against northerner john adams in a race where the slaveryskew of the electoral college was the decisive margin of victory. How the electoral college works election assistance commission. The similarities between the electoral college and classical institutions are not accidental. It granted equal protection under the law for all citizens. 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. Twice in as many decades, a president won the office without the popular vote.
How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. The electoral college does not provide a straightforward process for selecting the president. This is an institution that was born, in part, of a. The electoral college system was established by article ii of the u. The electoral college has been divisive since day one. This page links to the results of those historical elections, including a larger map, results and synopsis of the race. Let us assume that the united states consists of eight states. That history matters today, because it places the electoral college pretty firmly along the spectrum of americas struggle with inequality. A s americans await the quadrennial running of the presidential obstacle course now known as the electoral college, its worth remembering why we. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii, section 1 of the constitution. This year, for the fourth time in historyand second time in recent history a presidential candidate won the popular vote but lost the electoral college and, therefore, lost the election. The original purpose of the electoral college was to reconcile differing state and federal interests, provide a degree of popular participation in the election, give the less populous states some.
The founding fathers chose it as a compromise between allowing congress to choose the president and having the president elected directly by the popular vote of the people. 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. The electoral college is a national security threat the founding fathers never anticipated the rise of facebook and fake news. The electoral college is the us system of voting the president. List of books and articles about electoral college online. The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. Perhaps no other feature of the constitution has had a greater capacity for dynamic historical adaptiveness. The electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. Pdf todays electoral college and the one created by the. This website about the united states electoral college from the national archives is an excellent resource for both students and teachers. The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral system since the ratification of the constitution. The electoral college causes too much focus on purple states during an election cycle.
The national archives and records administration nara is the federal agency responsible for coordinating activities of states and congress regarding the electoral college vote for president. The current workings of the electoral college are the result of both design and experience. To view maps and results from all prior presidential elections on a single page, see. These elected representatives electors would then vote formally for the president and also the vice president. An interactive version of each map is also available, letting you change history. The electoral college is one of the most fascinating elements in the us constitution which is stated in article ii. Constitution, and second, they decided the average citizen wasnt erudite enough to elect a president without the bridge of a system known as the electoral college. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. The 2016 presidential election will be recorded as the first in modern history in which four electoral college eventualities that have occurred separately in the past occurred during the same. 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. In january 1877, congress established the federal electoral commission to investigate the disputed electoral college ballots.
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