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The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College

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The Electoral College is one of the most controversial features of the American political system. It has been around for many years and has played a significant role in politics. This complex system comes with many advantages and disadvantages. The Electoral College is a system that is used every 4 years when voters nominate a set of electors who are responsible for electing the President and Vice President. The number of votes a state receives in the Electoral College is based on the state’s population. The presidential candidate who reaches 270 electoral votes is declared the winner. This system was designed in order to prevent large states from overpowering smaller states. However, there are many flaws that come with this unique system. …show more content…

Due to how the system was designed, third party candidates struggle to win enough electoral votes. Moreover, the electoral college should be removed from America due to the challenges third party candidates face. For instance, in the 1992 Presidential election, it is demonstrated how many votes each candidate received. Bill Clinton received 43% of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes while George H.W. Bush received 37% of the popular vote but only 168 electoral votes. However, a third party candidate, Ross Perot, gains 18% of the popular vote but does not gain any electoral votes. This data demonstrates the low chances of a third party candidate being able to gain any electoral votes. The system clearly disproportionately gives out electoral votes, making it especially difficult for third party candidates to win any elections. Additionally, in the 2000 presidential election, a third party candidate, Nader, went up against Gore and G.W. Bush. While Gore obtains 266 electoral votes, Bush receives 271, automatically making him the winner. On the other hand, the third party candidate, Nader, received a total of zero electoral votes, even though he gained 2,882,955 popular votes. This information displays the lack of proportion used while granting electoral votes. This is important because it demonstrates the inequality and disadvantages third parties face while running for presidential elections. Overall, the Electoral College does not grant advantages towards third party candidates, as they are often

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