SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - What Are Your Thoughts On the Electoral Voting System?

Platapus · 09-27-08, 06:24 PM

1972 was the last time an elector (from Virginia) cast 1 vote for the Libertarian party.

The biggest complaint I have with the Electoral College is that it keeps the US essentially a two party state.

I posted the following on another related thread, but it does have applicability with this thread also.

There have been more proposed amendments to the Constitution concerning the Electoral College than for another issue. Over 700 proposals.

http://www.archives.gov/federal-regi...llege/faq.html

The consensus seems to be that the Electoral system is crap but probably the best crappy system we can find. As with many issues with the United States, it is a delicate balance between citizen rights (democracy) and State rights (Representative).

Since this country is slowly but firmly moving away from being the United States of America toward being the United Federation of America the issue of State rights is becoming mooter (I just made that workup )

Technically there is no reason not to have the President and Vice President elected by direct citizen vote. Politically though there are issues. The smaller states will feel more left out of the political game when the candidates concentrate solely on the highest population centers of the country. Why would any candidate spend the money and more importantly the time to campaign in Alaska for instance. Whether this is a valid point or not can be debated.

The bottom line seems to be that while a lot of people recognize the problems with the Electoral College, the system does work and the current political machines are geared for operating within an Electoral system. Since Congress is one of only two bodies that can change the system, and the political machines that run congressional elections like the Electoral system, fat chance of any changes.

That leaves the states being the only other body that can make this change. Smaller states sure aint goin to give up the Electoral system so it would be doubtful to get the necessary 2/3rds of the states (33 states) to propose the amendment nor get the necessary 3/4ths of the states (38 states) to ratify the amendment.

So we seem to be stuck with the Electoral system. The Electoral system was brought into existence like a bastard child -- half improvised, half compromised.

I would not count on either Congress nor the States changing it any time soon.

09-27-08, 06:24 PM	#8
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,386 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	1972 was the last time an elector (from Virginia) cast 1 vote for the Libertarian party. The biggest complaint I have with the Electoral College is that it keeps the US essentially a two party state. I posted the following on another related thread, but it does have applicability with this thread also. There have been more proposed amendments to the Constitution concerning the Electoral College than for another issue. Over 700 proposals. http://www.archives.gov/federal-regi...llege/faq.html The consensus seems to be that the Electoral system is crap but probably the best crappy system we can find. As with many issues with the United States, it is a delicate balance between citizen rights (democracy) and State rights (Representative). Since this country is slowly but firmly moving away from being the United States of America toward being the United Federation of America the issue of State rights is becoming mooter (I just made that workup ) Technically there is no reason not to have the President and Vice President elected by direct citizen vote. Politically though there are issues. The smaller states will feel more left out of the political game when the candidates concentrate solely on the highest population centers of the country. Why would any candidate spend the money and more importantly the time to campaign in Alaska for instance. Whether this is a valid point or not can be debated. The bottom line seems to be that while a lot of people recognize the problems with the Electoral College, the system does work and the current political machines are geared for operating within an Electoral system. Since Congress is one of only two bodies that can change the system, and the political machines that run congressional elections like the Electoral system, fat chance of any changes. That leaves the states being the only other body that can make this change. Smaller states sure aint goin to give up the Electoral system so it would be doubtful to get the necessary 2/3rds of the states (33 states) to propose the amendment nor get the necessary 3/4ths of the states (38 states) to ratify the amendment. So we seem to be stuck with the Electoral system. The Electoral system was brought into existence like a bastard child -- half improvised, half compromised. I would not count on either Congress nor the States changing it any time soon. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.