In Article two Section one of the Constitution, the provision establishing the Electoral College can be found.
What is the Electoral College and why is it supposedly needed?
Our Founding Fathers created the Electoral College system as a process to insulate the selection of the President from the whims of the public. The House of Representatives and the Senate are the groups that formally elect the next President. When you vote for a presidential candidate, you are really voting to instruct the electors from your state to cast their vote for the same candidate.
These delegates cast their votes after the popular vote is tallied up from their state.
The reason the United States Government says that the Electoral College is still in place today is quite simple. They state that if it was based on the popular vote, there would be no need for people in states like Wyoming, South Dakota and New Hampshire to even show up to vote as the election would be over after votes from Texas, California and New York were tabulated. Consequently, this makes many of us as U.S. citizens feel like our vote counts for nothing. Instead of voting for our next President we are actually voting for electors of our states to pick our next president for us.
"A popular election in this case is radically vicious. The ignorance of the people would put it in the power of some one set of men dispersed through the Union, and acting in concert, to delude them into any appointment." -- Delegate Gerry, July 25, 1787
"The extent of the country renders it impossible, that the people can have the requisite capacity to judge of the respective pretensions of the candidates." -- Delegate Mason, July 17, 1787
"The people are uninformed, and would be misled by a few designing men." -- Delegate Gerry, July 19, 1787.
Question: Is it right for us American citizens to vote to persuade the minds of our state’s delegates? On the other hand, should the popular vote by the citizens be the deciding factor in choosing our next President? Do you feel like your vote counts?
Brad: Personally, I feel that my vote doesn’t count as much as I wish it would. I do understand that these electors know more than the average citizen, when it comes to politics, but what’s the point in us voting to persuade somebody else? If they, supposedly, know more about the subject, how could a little vote like mine (an average citizen) change the mind of a delegate who is, allegedly, much more educated on the topic than I am?
Jessica: My opinion is we should not have the Electoral College votes. Many elections have been turned over because of the fact of the Electoral College votes. The election in 1888 with Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland is a prime example. Harrison had 5,439,853 popular votes and won 233 electoral votes. Cleveland won the popular vote with 5,540,309 votes but only had 168 Electoral College votes. The Electoral College vote should not determine our next President. It’s not what the people really want, it’s the states. I feel as if my vote does not count because when it comes down to the Electoral College vote, it only matters what our House of Representatives and Senate wants. How do we know if they really voted for the President we want? They have the right to vote for whomever they want as their President, so why try persuading them? If they have to vote for the most popular candidate, where did their rights go?
Jonathon: On the topic of Electoral College votes I may not have much opinion. Though I believe that since I take time out of my schedule every four years (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), my vote should do more than just pick someone else to vote for me. Though it’s true that big populated states would take over less-populated states, it should matter more than just someone else’s vote. This is why I feel the Electoral College should be more the people than the representatives, who, as some might say, are just corrupt, and vote for who they do for the money they were paid. I do understand that not all are the same, but there are people who are corrupt, and bribes play a part in the power they hold.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Welcome, everyone!
Hello, everyone!
This is where 10% of your grade begins. The rules for the discussions are as follows:
1. You will be posting a blog on an issue. What you will do is EMAIL to me the blog on the issue you wish to cover and the commentary you wish to add to the topic (naturally, you've got to start the conversation). I will post it up on the blog site for your classmates; whereupon, the discussion will begin.
2. You will also be responsible for CONTRIBUTING your thoughts, comments, theories, comparisons, rants, raves, inquiries, outrage, etc. on each of the blogs posted by your classmates. It's a give-and-take discussion, as well it should be.
3. Your blog postings and responses must NOT be anonymous. It wouldn't make much sense to grade an anonymous contributor when I wouldn't know to whom I'd grant the grade, would it?
4. Since your blog postings and commentaries aren't going to be anonymous, I expect you to respond thoughtfully and intelligently. Please note, however, that I will not censor your writing. I strongly adhere to the ideology of freedom of speech. I simply ask that you refrain from using vacuous vulgarities and brash insults directed at your fellow commentators. That's not adequate argumentation, in any case.
5. Your blog issue will be on a CURRENT topic that's debatable. This may require you to start reading the newspaper and newsworthy magazines, watching the tube, browsing the internet, and so forth. Direct your blog commentators to certain stories/articles on the topic as well, to assist in your discussion and their contributions.
6. Bear in mind, folks, I'll be contributing, too! Don't let MY vantage dissuade you from posting either (in good argumentation, no side is 100% right or wrong!). That certainly ISN'T what freedom of speech entails. In other words, feel free to disagree with my views. Just be prepared to back up your claim!
7. Have a good time with this. What I hope this blog will do is free your mind a bit and give you some ideas as to research paper topics you might not have thought of before!
8. Find out what my other 1102 class is up to by visiting
http://enc1102weeklyissues.blogspot.com/
(They'd love to have you there.)
So, without further adieu... Let's begin with something easy --
Each of you introduce yourself and give us ONE pet peeve -- one thing that irritates you -- big or small -- that really gets under your skin.
I'll start:
I'm MacKenzie Jennings, and I can't stand it when people actually have conversations on their cell phones while at the movies. It's even worse when they reveal the plot twists while on the phone.
This is where 10% of your grade begins. The rules for the discussions are as follows:
1. You will be posting a blog on an issue. What you will do is EMAIL to me the blog on the issue you wish to cover and the commentary you wish to add to the topic (naturally, you've got to start the conversation). I will post it up on the blog site for your classmates; whereupon, the discussion will begin.
2. You will also be responsible for CONTRIBUTING your thoughts, comments, theories, comparisons, rants, raves, inquiries, outrage, etc. on each of the blogs posted by your classmates. It's a give-and-take discussion, as well it should be.
3. Your blog postings and responses must NOT be anonymous. It wouldn't make much sense to grade an anonymous contributor when I wouldn't know to whom I'd grant the grade, would it?
4. Since your blog postings and commentaries aren't going to be anonymous, I expect you to respond thoughtfully and intelligently. Please note, however, that I will not censor your writing. I strongly adhere to the ideology of freedom of speech. I simply ask that you refrain from using vacuous vulgarities and brash insults directed at your fellow commentators. That's not adequate argumentation, in any case.
5. Your blog issue will be on a CURRENT topic that's debatable. This may require you to start reading the newspaper and newsworthy magazines, watching the tube, browsing the internet, and so forth. Direct your blog commentators to certain stories/articles on the topic as well, to assist in your discussion and their contributions.
6. Bear in mind, folks, I'll be contributing, too! Don't let MY vantage dissuade you from posting either (in good argumentation, no side is 100% right or wrong!). That certainly ISN'T what freedom of speech entails. In other words, feel free to disagree with my views. Just be prepared to back up your claim!
7. Have a good time with this. What I hope this blog will do is free your mind a bit and give you some ideas as to research paper topics you might not have thought of before!
8. Find out what my other 1102 class is up to by visiting
http://enc1102weeklyissues.blogspot.com/
(They'd love to have you there.)
So, without further adieu... Let's begin with something easy --
Each of you introduce yourself and give us ONE pet peeve -- one thing that irritates you -- big or small -- that really gets under your skin.
I'll start:
I'm MacKenzie Jennings, and I can't stand it when people actually have conversations on their cell phones while at the movies. It's even worse when they reveal the plot twists while on the phone.
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