WillisWang

APU.S.GovernmentandPolitics
Jan.7th,2015
TowhatextentdoestheElectoralCollegeharmdemocracy?
Americansenjoytheirpoliticalrights,especiallywhentheycanvoteforthe
presidentswhowilldecidethefutureoftheUnitedStates.Indeed,likeBarbaraBoxer,a
SenateDemocratsaid,IamsurethateveryoneofmycolleaguesDemocrat,Republican,
andIndependentagreeswiththatstatement.Thatinthevotingbooth,everyoneisequal(
Dyer,2015).However,Thisquoteisfalsebecausetheweightingofthevotesvariesbetween
states.SomeAmericansmaybeastonishedtohearotheraspectsofunfairnesswithinthe
ElectoralCollege,aninstitutioninwhichtheelectorsvoteforthecandidates.Thisessaywill
examinetheissuebydefiningthetermElectoralCollegeandelaboratingonitsspecifics,
providingcriteriatoevaluatetheU.S.sliberalandrepresentativedemocracy,arguingthefew
democraticaspectsthattheElectoralCollegesupports,andanalyzingcharacteristicsofthe
ElectoralCollegethatharmdemocracy.
TheFoundingFathersopposedpuredemocracy.ThecontentofArticleIVSection4
reads,TheUnitedStatesshallguaranteetoeveryStateinthisUnionaRepublicanFormof
Government,andshallprotecteachofthemagainstInvasion".ThomasJeffersononcesaid,
Ademocracyisnothingmorethanmobrule,wherefiftyonepercentofthepeoplemaytake
awaytherightsoftheotherfortynine(Popik,2011).Similarly,JohnAdamsreinforced
Jeffersonsnotionbysaying,Remember,democracyneverlastslong.Itsoonwastes,
exhausts,andmurdersitself.Thereneverwasademocracyyetthatdidnotcommitsuicide(
Greenfield,2013).Likewise,HenryDavidThoreauindicatedhisresistanceagainst
democracybysaying,Butthegovernmentinwhichthemajorityruleinallcasescannotbe
basedonjustice,evenasfarasmenunderstandit.ThesequotesdemonstratedtheFounding
Fathersfearofdemocracy.Inaddition,AlexanderHamiltonexpressedhisopinionregarding
theElectoralCollegeintheFederalistPaperNo.68thatItwasequallydesirablethatthe
immediateelectionshouldbemadebymenmostcapableofanalyzingthequalitiesadaptedto
thestation...governtheirchoice(.Taylor,2012).
AsaresultoftheFoundingFathersphilosophies,theElectoralCollegewasnot
establishedtobeaformofpuredemocracy.TheElectoralCollegeisaprocesswherebya
presidentialcandidatemustwinthemajorityelectoralvotesof270votestowin.ArticleII,
Section1,Clause2oftheUnitedStatesConstitutionindicatesthenumbersofelectoralvotes
aswritteninthecontext,EachStateshallappointaNumberofElectors,equaltothe
wholeNumberofSenatorsandRepresentativestowhichtheStatemaybeentitledinthe
CongressanElector.The23rdAmendmentextendstherighttovoteforcitizensofthe
DistrictofColumbia,whichincludesthreeelectors.Thetotalnumberofelectoralvotesadds
upto538,whichiscomprisedofthreeelectorsfromDistrictofColumbia,onehundred
senators,and435Housemembers.IftherewerenomajorityintheElectoralCollege,thenthe
presidentialelectionwouldbebroughttotheHouseofRepresentatives.Evenuntilnow,there
arenoamendmentsthatforceelectorsfrompartiestovotefortheirpresidentialcandidates.

Onepointtoclarify,asmanyvotersareunaware,isthatcitizensvotefortheelectorsofthe
preferredpartyinsteadofthepresidentialcandidates.
Representativedemocracyisaformofdemocracywherebyvotersentrusttheelected
officialswhorepresentthepeoplewithpowers(Trueman,2015).Similarly,liberal
democracyisaformofrepresentativedemocracywherebypowersgrantedfrompeopleto
electedofficialsarerestrictedbyaconstitutionthatemphasizesindividualrightsand
freedoms.Variousconditionscouldunderminedemocracy.First,differentweightingof
citizensvotesweakenscitizenspoliticalrights,whichunderminesdemocracy(Anderson,
E.,2015).GrantedthattheUnitedStatesmustprotecttheminorityfromthemajority,its
politicalinstitutionsshouldnotreducethepowersofvoters.Second,theelectedofficials
shouldrepresentthepeople.Representativedemocracyisdesignedtoprotecttheminority
througharecognized,transparentinstitution.Officialsmustnotneglecttheessenceofa
representativedemocracyandthewillofpeople.(HillaUniversityforHumanisticStudies,
2004)Third,theminoritymustnotdictatethepresidentialelection.Fourth,disregarding
popularvotes,whichrepresentthechoicesmadebyindividuals,couldarguablythreaten
democracy.(Newsmax,2015)Demographicsandinstitutionsshouldnothinderortwistthe
willofpeoplewithinfiftystatestochoosethepresidents.Votesalsomustnotbeaggregated
intounitsandgrantthementirelytopresidentialcandidates.Instead,votesshouldbecounted
independently.

TheElectoralCollegesupportsdemocracytosomeextent.TheElectoralCollege
ensurestheprotectionofminoritiesthroughadoptingelectoralvotes.Underpopularvotes,
votesarecountedinaggregateregardlessofstates.Therefore,ifthereisahugegapina
statesnumbersofvotesforapresidentialcandidate,thegapcancoverthedifferencein
numbersofvotesfromanotherstate,whichcomposesagreaterpercentageofminoritiesand
prefersadifferentcandidatefromthefirststate.Hence,popularvotesexemplifytheconcept
oftyrannyofthemajority.ThetablebelowindicatesafictionalsituationwheretheElectoral
Collegeprotectstheminority.Assumethateightythreepercentofthepopulationisa
majoritygroupcalledArtesian,whileseventeenpercentofthepopulationbelongstoa
minoritygroupcalledtheManganese(ScienceBuzz,2016).

Underpopularvotes,apresidentialcandidatecanbeindifferenttowardManganese
andsolelyconcentratehiscampaignonArtesiansaslongasheorshereceivessixtypercent
ofpopularvotes.However,underelectoralvotes,assumethattheNorthhasanelectoralvote
ofthirtyandtheCentralandtheSouthhaveelectoralvotesofforty.Towintheelection,a
presidentialmustreceivesixtyfivevotes.Presidentialcandidatescannolongerneglect
Manganese,theminoritygroupiftheywantminoritiestovoteforthem(ScienceBuzz,
2016).
AnotherapproachtheElectoralCollegesupportsdemocracyisthat,ifnopresidential
candidatesreceive270votes,eachstatedelegation,withonevotebasedonthe12th
Amendment,willdecidethepresidentintheHouseofRepresentatives.Onlythetopthree
presidentialcandidatesareeligibleforelectionasthePresident,andthecandidatewho
receivestwentysixvotesbecomesPresident.Similarly,theSenatewilldecidethevice
president.CitizensvotefortheCongress.Hence,bothHousesrepresentthepeopleand
portrayademocraticfeature.
However,theElectoralCollegearguablyharmsdemocracyinnumerousways.
Electoralvotesaredifferentfrompopularvotes.Theunitrulereferstothenotionthatstates
exceptKansasandNebraskaallocatetheirvotesasunitsandgiveallthevotestothewinning
candidateinthestates.Electoralvotesrefertothevotesgatheredfromtheunitrulesandthe
CongressionalDistrictMethod.Ontheotherhand,nationalvotesrefertothenumberofvotes
citizensvotedforthepresidentialcandidatesunderpuredemocracy.Oneofthemost
controversialpresidentialelectionsoccurredinthe1888presidentialelectionwhere
DemocraticincumbentGroverClevelandhadwonthepopularvoteof90,596(0.8percent).
Nevertheless,theRepublicancandidateBenjaminHarrisonwon233electoralvotesoutofa
totalof401.Likewise,in2000,AlGorewonthepopularvotesof543,895(0.5percent),but
Bushwon266electoralvotes.AlGorecouldhavewontheelectionwithpopularvotes.
TheseexamplesindicatethatGroverClevelandandAlGorewouldhavewonwithpopular
votes,whichrepresentthewillofpeople(FairVote,2015).
Underelectoralvotes,theweightedvoteperpersondiffersbetweenstates.(Williams,
2012),Apersonsvotemaynotbeassignificantinastatecomparedtoanother.Forinstance,
Californiahasapopulationof38,041,430andtheweightedvoteperpersonis0.84.North
Carolinacomprisedof8,049,313peopleandtheweightedvoteperpersonis0.91.Wyoming
includesapopulationof576412andtheweightedvoteperpersonis3.04.Thisevidence
violatesthefirstandfourthcriteriamentionedpreviously,whicharguesthatcitizensshould
haveequalweightingundersamepoliticalrightsanddisregardingpopularvotescould
arguablythreatendemocracy(FairVote,2015).
Faithlesselectorshaveremainedproblematicthroughpresidentialelections.Electors
shouldvoteforthepresidentsbasedonthewillofpeopleinthestateshowever,somefailed
toexecutetheirduties(Howard,2012).Therehavebeen156faithlesselectorsofwhich
seventyoneelectorswereforcedtobecomeelectorsbecausetheirpledgedcandidatesdied
beforethedaytheycasttheirvotesforElectoralCollege.Threeofthevoteswerenotcastat
becausetheyinsistedonabstainingfromcastingtheirelectoralvoteforanycandidate.
Eightytwoelectoralvoteswerechangedduetopersonalpreferences.

Oneoftheexampleswasthatin1976,MikePadden,aRepublicanelectorfromWashington
State,pledgedtovoteforGeraldFord,aRepublicanpresidentialcandidate.However,Padden
eventuallyvotedforRonaldReaganandforVicePresidenthevotedforRobertDole,Gerald
Ford'srunningmate.Likewise,in2000,Washington,D.C.DemocratsElectorBarbara
LettSimmons,whopledgedforDemocratsAlGoreandJoeLieberman,didnotcastthevote
becausehewasinaprotestmovementagainstnocongressionalrepresentationinWashington
DC.Anothersimilarcasehappenedin2004,whereaMinnesotaelector,whosenamehas
beenunknown,votedforJohnEdwardsinsteadofDemocratsJohnKerry(RichardE.
BergAndersson).ElectorsinMinnesotacastsecretballots.Currently,therearenolawsthat
ensureelectorstovoteforthepresidentialcandidatespreferredbycitizens.Theimagebelow
showsthetwentyfourstatesthatdonotneedrequireelectorstocasttheirballotsfora
specificcandidate.

(TheimageaboveisprovidedbyfromU.S.ElectoralCollegeHome.)

AnotherundemocraticfeatureoftheElectoralCollegeisthataminorityofvotesis
sufficienttoelectthepresident.Ifoneexaminesthe2000presidentialelection,onewill
realizethat,throughmath,20millionoutofonehundredofvoteswerenecessarytowinan
election.In2000,105,396,641voteswerecastnationwideinPresidentialelections,andthe
winneroftheelection,GeorgeW.Bush,had26,353,058in30states.However,theminimum
towintheElectoralCollegewas21,835,615votesoutofatotalof105,396,641votes.
Therefore,74.99%(theactualvotesBushreceived)to79.28%(assumetheminimumvotes)
ofvoteswerenotadeterminingfactororevennecessarytowintheelection.Likewise,inthe
2008presidentialelection,thetotalnumberofvoteswas131,338,626in2008.Barack
Obamacaptured39,908,351votesin29statesincludingWashingtonDC.Obamaneeded
onlyprecisely39,908,351votes.Hence,70.39%ofvoteswerenotadeterminingfactor(Fair
Vote,2015).
TheElectoralCollegefunctionsmoretounderminethantosupportdemocracy.
GrantedthattheElectoralCollegeisdesignedtoprotectminoritiesfromthetyrannyofthe
majoritybysettingupunitsofvotesthatremainindependentbystates,andthetiebreaking
electionwilltakeplaceintheHouse,theElectoralCollegeportraysnumerousundemocratic

features.Thefactthattheinstitutionconcentratesmoreonelectoralvotesthanonpopular
votestodeterminethepresidentsviolatesthefourthcriteria.Thenotionthatvoterspossess
variousdegreesofpoliticalinfluenceregardingweighingofthevotesviolatesthefirstcriteria
mentionedabove.Thefaithlesselectorsdidnotfulfilltheirdutiesastheycarrypeopleswill
tovotefortherightpresidents.Thisrealitygoesagainstthesecondcriteria,whicharguesthat
electedofficialsshouldrepresentthepeople.Also,onecancalculateandbeawareofthefact
thatsmallpercentagesofvotesarerequiredtowinthepresidentialelection.Thisverifiable
truthconflictsagainstthethirdcriteria,whicharguesthattheminoritymustnotdictatethe
presidentialelection.
TheElectoralCollegeisauniqueinstitutiontoselectpresidentialcandidates.Even
thoughsomeAmericansmightbelievetheElectoralCollegeservetosymbolizedemocracy,it
functionsmoretounderminethansupportdemocracy.TheElectoralCollegeprovides
differentweightingofpeoplesvotes,allowselectorsofthetwentyfourstatestovote
arbitrarilyandneglectpeopleswill,permitstheminorityvotestodictatetheelections,and
adoptselectoralvotesthatdonotrepresentthepeopleasmuchaspopularvotesdo.

FullAnnotatedBibliography
DianeDyer.(2015October27)PattyCraig:ASliceofTime
DianeDyerprovidesherownviewontheElection.Tobeginwithherblogpost,sheprovides
quotesoffamouspeople,includingFranklinD.Roosevelt,BarbaraBoxer,andJesseVentura.
DianeDyerseesvotingrightsasaprivilegeandencouragesthosewhodonotvoteto
recognizethepowerstheypossess.

DavidJ.Shestokas(2015October15)WhytheUnitedStateswasDesignedasaRepublic
DavidprovidesnumerousquotesofFoundingFathers,thedefinitionofrepublic,andreasons
theFoundingFathersfeareddemocracy.TheauthoralsostressestheimportanceofArticle
IV,Section4asadeterminingfactorforonetoknowwhetherU.S.isarepublicor
democracy.ArticleIV,Section4requiresrepresentatives,insteadofeverycitizen,todecide
andvoteonissues.

DanielGreenfield(2013)DemocracyIsNotTheAnswer
DanieladdresseshowAmericans,duetofightingagainstNaziandtheNorthKorea,portray
themselvesasthesymbolismofdemocracy.Americansalsowitnessedthedemocratizationin
othercountries,hencebecomingmoreconfidencethatdemocracyistherightside.The
authorexplainsthepurposeofdemocracyistosurvive.

STEVENL.TAYLOR(2012October11).HowHamiltonsawtheElectoralCollege
StevenfocusesontheFederalistpaper68inwhichAlexanderHamiltonforesawarepublic
structure.Throughanalysisofpiecesofwritteninformation,Stevenarguesthatthispiece
doesnotmentionabouttheElectoralCollege.

CN.Trueman,(2015March27)RepresentativeDemocracy

TruemanmentionsthestructureofUKsrepresentativedemocracyasmeanstoexplainthe
termtyrannyofmajority.Grantedthatheadmitspublicparticipatoryinsocialissuesis
important,heisawareoftherisksthatliewithinreferendums.

Anderson,E.(2015).OnRalphBartonPerry's"WhatDoWeMeanbyDemocracy?".Ethics,
125(2),517.
Perryarguesthatallcitizens,regardlessoftheirsocialstatus,shareresponsibilitiesto
maintainsocialharmonyandpointsoutthepurposeofagovernmentistosecureequality,
liberty,andpopulargovernment.Regardingliberty,Perryadvocatesfornegativefreedom.
Indeed,Perrywrotethatthegovernmentneedstoguaranteeeachpersonthelargestpossible
spherewithinwhichhemayactinaccordwithhisdesiresandjudgment.Regarding
equality,Perryproposesfourmoralfactorsthatsustainthenotionofequality,whichinclude
compassion,emulation,selfrespect,andfraternity.Theauthordoesnottakeanyeconomic
theoriesintoaccountwhenhemakeshisclaims.

(January21,2004).WhatisDemocracy?HillaUniversityforHumanisticStudies
Theauthorwhodeliversthelectureidentifiescomponentsthatconstructdemocracy.
Elementsincludeafairmethodforeachpersonwhoweightedthesamepowerunderafair
institution,rightsofcitizens(particularlytherighttovotethatarevoluntary),freedom(
press,associate,move,andassemble),andtheruleoflaw.Thedutiesofcitizensinclude
citizensmustnotadoptunconventionalmeanssuchasviolencetoreachtheirgoalsand
respecttheneedtomakecompromises.

Newsmax.(2015).ProsandConsofElectoralCollege.
Theauthorofthearticlearguesthattheprosofanelectoralcollegeincludeprotecting
minorityinterests,shapingapoliticalcultureofatwopartysystem,anddirectingpowerto
thestate.Theauthorarguesthattheelectoralcollegerespectsthelowerpopulationsandmore
ruralareas.Regardingtwopartysystem,specificissuescanbediscussedcomparetoasmall
numberofpoliticalpartiesallowsforgeneralizedplatforms.Thestateshavetherightto
controlbasedoneithertheunityruleorCongressionalDistrictMethod.Thecons,however,
arethatawinningpopularvotedoesnotmeanthecandidateisgoingtowin,andapersonina
differentstateweighteddifferentdegreeofpower.

WILLIAMS,J.K.(2012,November15).Oneperson,onevote?Notexactly.NewYork
AmsterdamNews.p.28.
JasminK.Willamsexplainsthebasicstructureoftheelectoralcollegeandarguesits
numerousunfairpoints,includingpopularvotesvs.electoralvotesandtheproblemswith
faithlesselectors.Inthearticle,WilliamsexplicitlywroteGorereceivedmoreofthepopular
votebutlostbecauseoftheelectoralvotetoexpressdissatisficationtowardtheinstitution
andhowdemocracy,thesysteminwhichcitizensareseenasthemostimportantexistence,
hasbeenviolatedbythesystem.Regardingfaithlesselectors,Williamsbroughtupan
exampleinwhichElectorsin27statesareboundbylawtovotefaithfully,whilethosein24

states,includingNewYork,arenot.Whatisthepurposeofhavinganelectorwhenheorshe
disregardscitizenspublicopinion?

FairVote(2015)ProblemswiththeElectoralCollege
Theauthorarguesthattheelectoralcollegeharmsdemocracywithnumerousreasons.First,
thesystemplacesvariousdegreesofpowerindifferentstates.Second,itisaninstitutionthat
takesadvantageoverthemajority(popularvotesdonotleadtoawinningofnationalvotes).
Third,only29electorsareboundedbystatelawtovoteasthevoterwished.Fourth,theHOR
hastherighttodecidethewinningcandidateifthereisatie.Thisisaproblembecausethe
twopartysystemoftenleadstothepurelypartisanbattle.

ScienceBuzz(2016).ProtectingMinorities
Theauthorprovidesafictionalmodelthatdescribesthedifferencebetweenpopularvotesand
electoralvotesintermsofpresidentialcandidatescampaignmethod.Theauthorargues
electoralvotesdefinitelyforcecandidatestocareabouttheminoritygroup.

Howard,S.F.(Oct05,2012)TheAntiDemocraticElectoralCollege.TheHuffingtonPost
Theauthorarguesthattheelectoralcollegeunderminesdemocracyfornumerousreasons.
First,stateswithasmallerratioofpopulationshavemorerepresentativesperpopulation
comparedtostateswithlargerpopulations.Second,swingstateshavemoreinfluencesthan
statesthatarecertaintovoteforapoliticalpartyinselectingthepresident.Thirdistheissue
offaithlessvoters

RichardE.BergAndersson(June22,2012)THE"FAITHLESSNINE"PresidentialElectors
whohavedefectedinthepast
Richardenumeratesfaithlesselectorsinrelevantyearsfrom19482004.Headdressesthe
casewiththeunknownelectorinMinnesotawhocasthisorhervoteforSenatorJohn
Edwardswithsurprise.However,hedidnoturgeformorelegislationsthatwouldsolve
problemsoffaithlesselectors.