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The American Electoral College

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The Electoral College
Peter I. Chacko
The American Electoral College is the most confusing part of the American government. In addition, Kenneth Davis, author of Don’t Know Much About History, noted, “Grown men turn weak and stammer when asked who makes up the Electoral College.” However, there will be an effort to clear this enigma up for those who “turn weak and stammer” (2011, p. 653). America’s election system is important because their citizens need to know what they are doing on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The Electoral College has an interesting structure, procedure, and history, while also serving America well.
The Electoral College is a voting method used by the United States of America. On the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November on a leap year, eligible American citizens go to a …show more content…

They did not want the people to decide because they were not informed. They believed this because much of the U.S. was rural in 1789. Others considered Congress picking the president as an erosion of the separation of powers. The Convention compromised. The people would elect their party's electors, and then vote (Davis, 2011, p. 653). However, there have been a few unexpected results of this system. Four times in history, presidential candidates lost the popular vote, but won the Electoral College and the election.
Although controversial, the Electoral College has both advantages and disadvantages. In his series on Exploring Constitutional Law, Douglas O. Linder, explains the Electoral College protects minorities from the majority. He shows that the states are important in electing our president. However, he states that most Americans think that the popular vote makes more sense (n.d). A president can lose the popular vote and win the election, which some people think is unfair. Still, as the adage goes, "You don't fix what ain't

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