Video Glossary: Electoral College

Posted on July 15, 2012 by mypoliscilab | 5 Comments

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5 Responses to Video Glossary: Electoral College

Rhonda Mendes | July 20, 2012 at 12:59 am | Reply

When we go to the election booth every four years in November even though the names for president are listed on the ballot, our vote won’t even be counted. When the Electoral College system was created by the Constitution, it was more neutral. It was believed it would be best to have the people that were better educated elect our president and vice president. The thought behind this was the public wasn’t aware enough to make the hard but necessary decision for who should be our next president. “Most presidents take a familiar journey to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: They run for president through the electoral process”. (page 389)

I agree with Professor Reece, this system is really outdated. I believe if our vote actually did count for president that a lot more people would show up to the polls and vote. This might be wishful thinking on my part, but we need to do something so people will realize how important it is to vote. People will take the time to complain about things but will not take the time to vote and make a difference.

With the advances in our media, via news, television, and internet to name a few, this has changed the dynamic makeup of how quickly information in transferred and how connected the citizens of the United States would be with each other. In addition to this, people are more educated than ever before thus proving we are fully capable of not needing the Electoral College to elect our next president. Just think, if the electoral vote was terminated years ago prior to the 2000 election, what would have changed for our county if Al Gore was elected as president since he won the popular vote over George W. Bush which won the electoral college vote?
Antonio Munoz | July 20, 2012 at 2:46 am | Reply

If you remember a few years back when George W. Bush was Elected you would of thought that Bush got more American votes then Al Gore, But it was the opposite. The reason Bush became president was because the president is not elected directly by the citizens, but by the electoral college. I believe we should abolish the electoral college and let the people decide directly who the president should be. The electoral college is an outdated institution that has long outlived its usefulness. The electoral college made sense back in 1789, not now when we can find quick and easy information about the presidents.
- Dianne Alexander | July 20, 2012 at 3:27 am | Reply
  
  Back in 1879 the Electorial College was an effective way of every state being able to input their votes by in todays modern society thiere roles are no longer needed they are only overriding the votes of citizens making thee voting process the minority vote instead of the majority. The Electorial College was set into place in the past because it was hard for citizens to get their vote individually to the voting poles. Today there are voting poles all over the US making the voting process a lot easier for vote to be counted fairly. The Electorial College is officially an out dated
Stacey Giron | August 2, 2012 at 6:00 pm | Reply

I think we should get rid of the electoral college vote. The citizens vote for who they want as president. So what is the purpose of us voting if the our next president will be determined by electoral college vote. I believe a president should be decided by popular vote. That is the reason we vote. By having electoral college vote it makes me feel like my vote doesnt matter and it has no opinion or purpose. We vote to make this country a better place, and to have a president in office that we believe will make a difference in this country, but what is the purpose if electoral college can determine who will become president. I believe this should change.
Carla Oliva | August 2, 2012 at 8:27 pm | Reply

Electoral college was created by the Constitution. The electoral college is what determines who becomes president, not the popular vote. The book says, “…the Founders wanted the president to be selected by the nation’s elite, not directly by the people…” (pg 307). I believe they made the electoral college because they did not really trust the people to make good decisions like Professor Reece said, so the people would not make any grave decisions. They wanted educated people who knew of what exactly of what they were doing. Maybe at the time it sounded good but now, at this day and age, we have many educated people that can make their own decisions. “Today the electors almost always vote for the candidate who won their state’s popular vote.” (307) If that is true, then why not get rid of the electoral college and just go with the popular vote.