Pros And Cons Of Abolishing The Electoral College

In recent years, the Electoral College has raised eyebrows and made some question the integrity of the institution itself. Critics argue that the Electoral College is “undemocratic” and “unfair” (Goldstein, 1996). Others argue that abolishing the Electoral College would “undermine [the] important principles of American democracy” (Goldstein, 1996). But what exactly is the Electoral College and how does it work? In this essay, I will explain what the Electoral College is and how it came to be. Then I will list the pros and cons of the Electoral College and explain why it should be abolished. According to We the People, the Electoral College is a group of electors “…from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president” (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, & Tolbert, 2014, p. 394). So, when U.S. citizens go to the polls, they are not voting directly for the president (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, & Tolbert, 2014, p. 394). Instead, they are choosing “electors selected by each state’s party” that make a pledge to “support that party’s presidential candidate” (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, & Tolbert, 2014, p. 395). But how did the Electoral College form? And who created it? The idea of the Electoral College began during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Turner, 2007, p. 412). According to One Vote for the Electoral College, by John Turner, the delegates of the Philadelphia convention “feared that depraved men…would erode or destroy America’s dearly won liberty” (Turner, 2007, p. 412). The delegates believed that the public could be easily manipulated by a sinister individual and therefore needed the Electoral College to make sure that only a qualified individual becomes president. However, some critics think otherwise. Critics argue that the Electoral College is “undemocratic” and “unfair” because a candidate could lose the popular vote and still become president through the electoral vote (Goldstein, 1996). For example, according to Electoral College, by Joel Goldstein, in 1888 “Benjamin Harrison won the presidency, although Grover Cleveland won the popular vote (by a margin of less than 1 percent)” (Goldstein, 1996). And that was just one example of many. Goldstein states that on “16 occasions a candidate has …show more content…
414). If the Electoral College was abolished then it would expose “the nation to dangerous forces that could tear it apart” (Turner, 2007, p. 414). Turner believes that the Electoral College should stay because it defends minority interests and maintains the system of representation.
With everything considered, I believe the Electoral College should be abolished because it is in the best interest of the U.S. majority. The main reason why I am against the Electoral College is the fact that it counts too much on the votes of the electors. I feel like my vote does not really matter because the electors are going to have the final say anyways. Also, I do not trust the electors fully because some of them have been unfaithful in the past.
All in all, I believe more people would show up on Election Day, if we abolish the Electoral College completely and make the people’s vote be the final deciding vote. Therefore, I believe the Electoral College should be replaced with the popular vote. If the fate of the next president rested solely in the hands of the people, then the public would rise to the occasion and take more interest in the