Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “Electoral College Reform” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Electoral College Reform”. The research also analyzes many aspects of “Electoral College Reform” and tries to gauge its effect on “Politics in USA”. Finally the research describes various factors which are related to “Electoral College Reform” and tries to describe the overall effect of it.

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Discussion and Analysis1

Conclusion3

Electoral College Reform

Introduction

The Electoral College is the body responsible for selecting a particular political representative system by indirect suffrage. In the system, of indirect election voters do not directly elect the candidate but to voters, who in turn have the task of choosing the candidate. After choosing the electors should form an electoral college vote to proceed, and; eventually negotiate and deliberate, in order to determine what ultimately the elected candidate.

Voters in the US do not, technically, elect the President or the Vice President. Rather, the Constitution provides for a "college of electors", chosen by each state in a manner decided by its legislature, every four years. Each state has a number of electors equal to its number of senators (two) and representatives (apportioned according to population). The District of Columbia receives three electors, bringing the total to 538. Currently all states choose by popular vote, with each political party running a slate of electors who are all but guaranteed to vote for that party's candidates. In all but two states - Maine and Nebraska - the party that receives a plurality of popular votes names all of the electors for that state. (Shaw, 2006, 333-375)

The chosen electors meet in their state capitals and formally cast ballots for presidential and vice presidential candidates. In order o win the election, a candidate must receive a majority (270). Should this not occur, the House of Representatives chooses the President from among the top three finishers, by majority vote, with each state given one vote. The Senate chooses the Vice President from the top two vote getters in the elections, again by majority vote.

Discussion and Analysis

The most important exemplar of a contemporary electoral college is perchance that which elects the American president. If no candidature has an overall preponderance in the Electoral College the House of Representatives then votes, by state, to determine who is to become president, and the Senate, voting as individuals, elects the vice-president. So complete is the domination of US politics by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party that the most any third-party candidate, such as Ralph Nader or Ross Perot, is likely to achieve is to deprive both principal candidates of a majority in the election and thus force the election into the House: however, it is rare for such candidates even to win any seats in the college. (Longley, 1 992, 123-145)

The states are not equally represented in the US Electoral College. Each state is allocated the same number of electors as it has members of the House of Representatives, plus two (although ...