The Electoral College is something that unites America and is in working order. After each national census survey occurs every ten years, the Electoral College votes for president and vice president will be reinstated to each state based on the population size. Essentially, the Electoral College system was founded based on a plan to share power between the states and the national government. Overall, the Electoral College is working efficiently because it requires the candidate to campaign in all states instead of the most populous ones which makes it fairer. Regardless of size, all states rights are protected
I believe that the Electoral College effectively protects the interests of the minority meaning that the states with lower populations and more rural areas are protected. Having electors saves the interests of farmers and other non-corporate professions, and states that are considered non-competitive by candidates will have a voice. However, with that in mind, in order to gain the interests of those farmers and smaller professions, it will be crucial to candidates to campaign in each state so that the people will have the fair and just opportunity to meet them and ask significant questions. With equal campaigning in each state and an equal Electoral College system based on state population, the combination of those two factors provides a fair opportunity for candidates and a fair representation/chance for the voices of the more rural and less populous states to be heard. The Electoral College maintains equality and fairness because, “…the number of presidential electoral votes assigned to each state, are based on a combination of geography and population. This compromise ensures that political minority states are safeguarded against the tyranny of very populated states” (Foote). With this solid system in place, the candidates all are a given an equal opportunity for success; even if a candidate has a minority vote, he or she may still be able to win with the Electoral College.
Not only does the Electoral College protect minority rights, it also promotes the two-party system. Having few political groups helps the federal government focus on general issues instead of just the specifics. Enforcing this two-party system increases consensus and compromise and reduces political conflicts between merely parties rather than the real issues at hand. Reducing conflicts and inconsistencies such as those denounces the possibility of a mass recount across the United States. Recounts are avoided because they would only have to be done in the individual states if absolutely necessary.
In class, we learned that the Electoral College is a sort of indirect election which is essentially expressed the same in Foote’s article: “…under the United States Constitution, the people have never had a federal constitutional right to vote for president and vice president of the United States. Instead…each state legislature selects its own method for appointing electors, who will then vote for the president and vice president…” (Foote). Technically, all elections have been indirect, and all results have been determined by appointed electors for each state. I definitely agree with Foote’s article and my views have definitely been strengthened and reinforced after reading the article and the quote I chose. My quote truly enraptures my beliefs because a lot of people are quick to jump to a “needs reform” perspective without actually analyzing and dissecting the history and true purpose as to why the Electoral College was created in the first place.
The Electoral College keeps the states and regions with high populations from deciding the presidency. Without it, a large majority vote in one state, such as California or Texas, could determine the outcome of an entire election. As this would obviously be unfair, the Electoral College does an effective job at preventing this injustice, therefore again, protecting the best interest of minorities and the people overall.