Electoral College System Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Electoral College System?
The Electoral College System is a unique aspect of the American political system which provides citizens with representation in national elections. It is an indirect system which assigns electors to each state based on population, who then cast their votes for the Presidential candidate of their choice during the general election. This method of voting has been part of the United States since its founding and continues to be an important factor in our democracy today. The Electoral College System works by assigning electors based on a state’s population. Each elector represents one vote, so when all the votes are tallied, those with a majority of electoral votes (270) win the Presidency. This system has been controversial throughout history due to its complexity and lack of direct representation for citizens; however, it remains an essential part of our nation’s political process today. One advantage that comes from using this system is that it ensures smaller states have more power than larger ones in terms of deciding who will become President. Without this method, large states such as California would have too much influence over who becomes President because they account for such a large chunk of the total U.S population; thus, small states would be ignored completely in presidential elections. Consequently, the Electoral College System allows all states to have equal representation when electing a President regardless if they are small or large in size or population. Despite its advantages, there are several drawbacks to using this system as well. For one thing, it can lead to situations where someone can win more popular votes but not become President due to how electoral votes are distributed (this happened most recently with Donald Trump winning over Hillary Clinton even though she won more popular votes).