Electoral College Dbq Essay

Since 1800 there have been over 700 proposals to either revise or eliminate the electoral college. The electoral college was added to the Constitution in 1787 to guarantee the best candidate was elected. The electoral college consists of electors who officially cast their votes for President. The number of electors for each state is determined by the number of congress members each state has. While there are no qualifications to become an elector, electors must follow the people's directive. So whichever candidate wins the most popular votes will receive that state's electoral vote. Ultimately, delegates at this time did not believe U.S. citizens had enough information to make the best decision; instead, they established the electoral college

"In 1824, the House of Representatives voted to choose John Quincy Adams for the presidency rather than Andrew Jackson, who had the most popular and electoral votes" (Document G). Congress believed Andrew Jackson was aggressive and didn't think he'd be a good president. In Andrew Jackson's case, this made him more determined. He and his supporters were determined to win the 1828 election. He succeeded and was later elected in 1828 and again in 1832. But Congress was proven right; he was a very controversial president. Not only did Andrew Jackson own enslaved people, but he also treated them very harshly. He had forced the Native American population out of their ancestral land. Many people lost their lives at the hand of Andrew Jackson. It was clear that Jackson was arrogant and wholly disregarded constitutional restraints. A problematic candidate had been elected into

"Even when the popular vote margin is wafer-thin, the winner-take-all electoral vote tends to look like national decisiveness" (Document E). When the majority of the population votes for the Democratic candidate, but the Republican candidate is elected into office, citizens may feel unheard or even ignored. The neglect is similar to going to a coffee shop and asking for oat milk instead of cow's milk. This decision may be best, but when the barista brings back the drink with cow's milk in it, one may feel like what they need doesn't matter. That feeling of excitement and relief of knowing everything will be fine is ripped away instantly. Looking at the numbers of the popular vote and understanding that the people have spoken, that they have chosen their perfect candidate, to elect another candidate. The confidence and the reassurance citizens may have to know this candidate will attend to their needs is turned against them. The feeling of being ignored instills an understanding that citizens have no say in these significant elections and that even if they speak up, their voice doesn't matter. Historically, there have been "Five times the candidate who gained the most (popular) votes did not win the presidency." (Document G). Ultimately, this displays the idea that the people's vote does not matter; in fact, this