To all, During the founding of our national Constitution, and the formation of its presiding laws and policies, the Framers ensured the American democratic form of government would never revert back into an
Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each.. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider comparing your classmates’ proposals for changing the Electoral College against your own proposal.
Here is the person I need you to respond to.
An Argument Against the Electoral CollegeNathan Oftelie 2/16/2017 6:57:28 PM |
| To all,During the founding of our national Constitution, and the formation of its presiding laws and policies, the Framers ensured the American democratic form of government would never revert back into an aristocratic government or monarchy. There’s was a new methodology, or more prophetically; a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Although at the same time, Madison, among other founding fathers, did not believe common citizens held the intellectual faculty or gumption to elect their own leaders judiciously. Hence, today we have the Electoral College. “As a compromise, the Framers created the Electoral College as the body responsible for electing the president” (Fine & Levin-Waldman, 2016, Ch. 2.3). To this day, the Electoral College remains in effect, and continues to be a source of extensive political controversy and friction. There are many who firmly contest the system ensures states’ rights and upholds the original principles of the Constitution. Understandably so. Yet, others argue the Electoral College is advantageous to the elite, and does not capture the true meaning of democracy and wider social empowerment. Gizzi describes further how, “the cause of amending the U.S. Constitution to replace the Electoral College and instead adopt election of the President by popular vote is an old one” (Para. 2). Many progressive thinkers make a relevant point in the the fact that the Electoral College is antiquated, and only serves career politicians. In fact, even James Madison, Father of the Constitution, eventually opposed the system, as Bates (2004) explains “he was dissatisfied with the compromise between the large states and the small states that gave rise to the Electoral College system and as early as 1792 went on record as favoring the direct election of presidents” (Para. 5). Unfortunately, until this long political debate is finally resolved, the scales of power and authority will continue to hang in the balance of centuries and political hate and dismay. This system of election most certainly has many disadvantages. For example, states with higher disproportionate populations have an advantage and states with the least number of electoral votes are often overlooked, even disregarded by candidates. As Fine and Levin-Waldman (2016) remark here, campaign organizations “tend not to spend too much time or money in states where they are already likely to win or lose that state’s Electoral College vote” (Ch. 5.2). As a result, presidential candidates typically cater to their own political base. This political paradigm merely serves to polarize the country further. And although every eligible voter is entitled to their own ballot, ultimately, the presidency is decided by those who the very same voters elected to Congress. This does not seem democratic at all. Simply speaking, “All votes are not counted equally under the Electoral College” (Bates, 2004). The President swears an oath to the people, and should preside over the entire country, not merely those who support their political ego and ideology. Thanks much, NateReferencesFine, T.S., Levin-Waldman, O.M. (2016). American Government (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUPOL201.16.1/sections/ch01sec1.1Bates, N. (2004, October 26). What are the arguments made in favor – and against – the Electoral College? History News Network. Retrieved from http://hnn.us/articles/8163.htmlGizzi, J. (2011, May 18). GOP leaders united in defense of the Electoral College. Human Events, 67, 5. Retrieved from http://humanevents.com/2011/05/18/gop-leaders-united-in-defense-of-electoral-college/ |
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