The Electoral College is the group of electors who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States. It is a process established in the U.S. Constitution, where each state is allocated a number of electors based on its representation in Congress, and voters in each state choose which candidate will receive that state's electoral votes.
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The number of electors each state receives is equal to the total of its membership in the Senate (two per state) and House of Representatives (proportional to population).
A candidate must win the popular vote in a state to receive that state's electoral votes, with the exception of Maine and Nebraska which use a district-based system.
The candidate who reaches the 270 electoral vote threshold wins the presidential election, even if they did not win the overall popular vote nationwide.
Faithless electors, while rare, can potentially sway the outcome of a close election if they defect from their pledged candidate.
The Electoral College system has been criticized for potentially allowing a candidate to win the presidency without winning the popular vote, and for giving disproportionate weight to less populous states.
Review Questions
Explain how the Electoral College system works in the context of voter participation and the costs of elections.
The Electoral College system impacts voter participation and election costs in several ways. Since the winner-take-all approach in most states means that only the popular vote winner receives that state's electoral votes, it can discourage voter turnout in non-competitive states where one party dominates. However, the focus on swing states can also drive up campaign spending and voter mobilization efforts in those areas. Additionally, the potential for a candidate to win the presidency without the popular vote has been a source of controversy and can affect voter perceptions of the system's fairness and legitimacy.
Analyze how the Electoral College system influences the strategies and costs associated with presidential campaigns.
The Electoral College system shapes campaign strategies and costs by incentivizing candidates to focus their efforts on winning key swing states rather than running up the popular vote nationwide. Campaigns must allocate resources to mobilize voters and advertise in these battleground states, which can drive up overall campaign spending. Additionally, the winner-take-all nature of most states means that candidates have little incentive to campaign in non-competitive states, as the marginal cost of additional votes in those areas is often higher than the potential benefit. This can lead to a geographic concentration of campaign activity and expenditures, potentially skewing the representational nature of the electoral process.
Evaluate the impact of the Electoral College system on the fundamental democratic principle of one person, one vote.
The Electoral College system has been criticized for undermining the principle of one person, one vote, as it can allow a candidate to win the presidency without winning the national popular vote. This is because the winner-take-all approach in most states means that the popular vote winner in each state receives all of that state's electoral votes, effectively diluting the voting power of individuals in states where their preferred candidate loses. Furthermore, the disproportionate weight given to less populous states can lead to a situation where a candidate can win the presidency with a smaller share of the overall popular vote. This tension between the Electoral College and democratic ideals of political equality has been a source of ongoing debate and controversy.
Related terms
Popular Vote: The total number of votes cast by the electorate for each presidential candidate, regardless of the state-level results.
Swing States: States where the outcome of the presidential election is not reliably predictable, as the margin of victory for either major party's candidate is often small.
Faithless Electors: Electors who cast their electoral vote for a candidate other than the one they pledged to support, going against the will of the voters in their state.