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The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College

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The electoral college is an institution that can be found deeply rooted in the functionality of both the state and federal government. Due to this fact, calls for the abolition of the electoral college may cause for many changes to occur in these systems of government. In order to be able to decide whether or not we as a nation should update our electoral system, we must compare both the positive and negative effects that the abolition of the electoral college would have on these institutions. To start the paper, I would first bring to attention the history behind the winner-takes-all system and the intention of the states to move to this system. I would explain that the electoral college promises two electoral votes to every state, and how this disproportionately advantages smaller states. Getting rid of the electoral college would effect the amount of power that the smaller states …show more content…

Feld. 2005. “Thinking about the Political Impacts of the Electoral College.” Public Choice 123(1-2): 1–18. doi: 10.1007/s11127-005-3210-4. This source would be used to explain the electoral colleges role in the bicameral process.
Johnson, B. J. 2005. “Identities of Competitive States in U.S. Presidential Elections: Electoral College Bias or Candidate-Centered Politics?” Publius: The Journal of Federalism 35(2): 337–55. doi: 10.1093/publius/pji017.
This source would be used to explain the ability of the electoral college to create a competitive atmosphere between states. I would also go farther in depth about the complicated relationship between states and how the changing of that very relationship would most likely cause for a change in the US democratic system.
Nelson, Michael C. 1974. “Partisan Bias in the Electoral College.” The Journal of Politics 36(4): 1033–48. doi: 10.2307/2129405.
I would use this source to further explain the partisan bias that can be found within the electoral college, and what states have been trying to do to rectify

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