(Daily360.com) – Every time we have a presidential election, we hear debates about the electoral college system. The framework, which allocates a certain number of electoral votes to each state based on population, aims to distribute power equitably among the states. Its critics claim, however, that it is undemocratic and that a popular vote would be fairer.
While there is a valid discussion to be had here, there are many reasons why dismantling the electoral college would be a bad idea.
Keeping a Focus on Smaller States
The primary reason why we need to retain the electoral college is so smaller, less populous states get to have a voice on the national stage. This was what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they introduced the system.
If we were to replace the electoral college with a popular vote framework, there would be a huge shift in how presidents (and presidential candidates) look at smaller states. Imagine a presidential hopeful was planning a series of rallies, and they wanted to speak to a total of 500,000 people. Would they travel to several Midwestern states over several days? Or would they simply campaign in New York City, where they could hit that number in an afternoon?
If we do away with the electoral college, smaller states will no longer have a say in how things happen in the White House.
Ensuring Cultural Diversity in America
A major criticism of the electoral college is that it makes a lot of votes irrelevant. If you live in a “deep blue” state like California, it doesn’t matter what you put on your ballot; your state’s electoral votes are almost certainly going to a Democrat.
While some view this as a drawback of the electoral college, you can also think of it as an advantage. America is an extremely diverse country, but certain viewpoints and cultural ideas tend to dominate in a given area. For example, liberal ideals are usually more prevalent in cities, while conservative views are more common in rural communities.
To preserve this diversity, we need to limit the power of individual areas to dominate the national conversation.
Will the Government Abolish the Electoral College
In truth, the discussion about doing away with the electoral college is largely academic. The system enjoys constitutional protection, and amending the constitution is an arduous process requiring bipartisan support in Congress. However, it’s not impossible. If you support the electoral college, you should keep that in mind whenever you go to the ballot box.
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