Argumentative Essay On The Electoral College

Words: 1816
Pages: 8

Five times in the history of the United States, the voice of its citizens has been directly defied. Five times, a president has been elected via the Electoral College that went against the popular vote. This ‘stabilizing’ institution that is used in the election of the president, can override the voice of the people and select a different candidate as president. It has the ability to decide the holder of one of the most powerful positions in the United States, and, in its current state, inaccurately represents the population. It is merely a tool for the two-party system to silence third parties, and in some cases, the majority opinion of the public. When exploring the inner workings of the Electoral College, it becomes clear that the institution …show more content…
The Electoral College is an undemocratic institution that overrides that decision. It does not provide voters with an equal voice, it does not grant rural regions more attention during campaigns, and the institution is dominated by partisan interests. The College does not perform any of the duties the founding fathers intended it to, therefore it is not even achieving its original task, merely oppressing the voice of the populace. The intention of instilling a more educated decision-making process is also irrelevant today as education in the United States is wider reaching than in the eighteenth century with the introduction of a public-school system. As the United States is engaged in struggles over more crucial issues such as national debt and the war on terror, it would be foolish to suggest that the College should be entirely abolished and the election system restructured immediately. Rather, it is more beneficial and reasonable to simply reform the institution to equalize state representation and limit partisan influence, until the nation can return later and adjust the system further. Regardless, a change must be made. A proper presidential election system is vital for the United States as it selects one of the most powerful people in America, whose actions reflect and affect the entire