Reforming the Electoral College

Paper Summary:

The paper argues that since the Electoral College does not serve its original purpose of electing the president that best suits the wants of the American public, it should be repealed or at the very least reformed. The paper asserts that reforms will make elections more competitive, which will encourage more Americans to participate in the process. The paper believes that with higher participation rates from the American public, a better governmental system will be produced.

From the Paper:

"Recently the Electoral College has received much attention. Prior to the 2000 election, the Electoral College system was rarely questioned by the American public. Many Americans probably did not even realize they were not directly voting for presidential hopefuls until then, because before the 2000 election the popular vote and the electoral vote had supported the same candidates since 1888. With another close election in 2004, further doubt was cast on the effectiveness of the Electoral College to elect the president that best suited the needs of the country and the wants of the American public."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dover, Edwin D. The Disputed Presidential Election of 2000. Westport,Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2003.
• Engstrom, Richard L, and Mark E Rush. Fair and Effective Representation? Debating Electoral Reform and Minority Rights. Lanham, New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC., 2001.
• Jondahl, Lynn. "Does the Electoral College serve a useful purpose in today's world, or should the institution be abolished?" Michigan Prospect. 11 June 2006<http://www.michiganprospect.org/mirs_html/december_2000.html>.
• Longley, Lawrence D, and Neal R Peirce. The Electoral College Primer. New Haven:Yale University Press, 1996.
• Longley, Lawrence D, and Alan G Braun. The Politics of Electoral College Reform.Crawfordsville, Indiana: R. R. Donnelley and Sons Company, 1972.

More papers on Reforming the Electoral College:

• Essay # 55722 : "The Electoral College"
• Argumentative Essay # 128503 : "Keep the Electoral College System"
• Persuasive Essay # 121207 : "Electoral College in the U.S."

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