The Electoral College, explained

Vox
31 Oct 202008:08
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe Electoral College in the United States, a system distinct from popular voting, allocates presidential votes based on state representation in Congress. This system has historically favored certain states and populations, leading to discrepancies in voting power. Despite attempts to abolish it, the Electoral College remains, influencing the focus of presidential campaigns on 'swing states' and perpetuating a system where some votes hold more weight than others.

Takeaways
  • 📊 National polls do not accurately predict the winner of the U.S. presidential elections, as the Electoral College system is used instead of the popular vote.
  • 🏛️ The Electoral College is composed of delegates from each state, with the number of delegates based on the state's representation in Congress (House of Representatives and Senators).
  • 📈 The U.S. is unique in using the Electoral College, with most democracies electing their leaders through a popular vote.
  • 🤔 The Electoral College has been a point of contention among Americans for a long time, with both political parties attempting to abolish it.
  • 🗳️ Each state's electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state, regardless of the margin of victory.
  • 🔄 Swing states, where the election outcome is uncertain, have more influence over the election and receive more attention from candidates.
  • 🌟 The Electoral College was designed to balance power among states with different populations and has historical roots in the compromise over the counting of enslaved people.
  • 🔄 Over time, the influence of the Electoral College has shifted, but it continues to give certain states and voters more power in the presidential elections.
  • 🏢 The most recent Republican presidents have won the Electoral College without winning the popular vote, and currently, the Democrats are advocating for its abolition.
  • 🔄 The criticism and support for the Electoral College have evolved with changing political landscapes, but the system's impact on the balance of voting power remains a central issue.
Q & A

  • Why do national polls not accurately predict the winner of a U.S. presidential election?

    -National polls do not predict the winner because the U.S. uses the Electoral College system to elect the president, not the popular vote. The outcome depends on the electoral votes from each state, with a focus on swing states that can sway the election.

  • What is the Electoral College and how is it formed?

    -The Electoral College is a group of delegates from each U.S. state that formally elects the president and vice president. It consists of a number of electors equal to the total number of a state's Senators and Representatives in Congress, with each state having at least three electors.

  • How does the Electoral College system affect the influence of individual voters across different states?

    -The Electoral College system creates discrepancies in the influence of individual voters. In states with larger populations, like Texas, each elector represents more people than in smaller states like Vermont. This means that a single vote in a smaller state can have a greater impact on the election outcome.

  • What is the role of swing states in U.S. presidential elections?

    -Swing states, which can vote for either party in an election, play a crucial role because they are often the deciding factor in close elections. Candidates focus their campaigns on these states to sway the electoral votes in their favor.

  • How does the Electoral College system award electoral votes within each state?

    -Most states use a winner-take-all system, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state gets all of that state's electoral votes, regardless of the margin of victory.

  • What historical compromise was made during the formation of the U.S. Constitution regarding the representation of enslaved people?

    -The 'three-fifths clause' was a compromise made during the formation of the U.S. Constitution, stating that enslaved people would be counted as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of determining the population for electoral vote allocation.

  • How has the Electoral College system influenced the political strategies of presidential candidates?

    -The Electoral College system has led candidates to focus their campaigns on swing states, where the election outcome is uncertain. This means that some states, like California and Texas, receive less attention because their electoral votes are considered 'locked' for a particular party.

  • What were the reasons behind the attempts to abolish the Electoral College in 1816 and 1969?

    -The attempts to abolish the Electoral College in 1816 and 1969 were blocked by Southern senators who saw it as a safeguard for their interests. The system historically benefited the Southern states by overrepresenting them in the Electoral College, despite the large populations that could not vote due to discriminatory practices.

  • How has the demographic shift in the U.S. affected the Electoral College's influence on elections?

    -The demographic shifts in the U.S. have changed which states the Electoral College benefits. States with fewer electoral votes but larger populations, which tend to vote Democratic, have less influence per voter. Conversely, states with more electoral votes but smaller populations, which are often whiter and less diverse and tend to vote Republican, have more influence.

  • Why are Democrats currently leading the charge to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote?

    -Democrats are leading the charge to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote because they are the ones primarily disadvantaged by the current system. In recent history, Republican presidents have won the Electoral College without winning the popular vote, which has led to calls for a system where every vote counts equally.

  • What is the historical pattern of the Electoral College's defenders and its beneficiaries?

    -Historically, the biggest defenders of the Electoral College have been those who benefit the most from it. From the Southern states during the time of slavery to the more Republican-leaning states today, the system has consistently shifted power towards certain groups of voters.

Outlines
00:00
🗳️ The Misunderstood Importance of National Polls in US Elections

This paragraph discusses the common focus on national polls during US presidential elections and clarifies their limited predictive value. It emphasizes that the outcome of the election is determined by the Electoral College, not the popular vote. The Electoral College is composed of delegates from each state, and voters essentially choose which candidate their state will support. The system has led to instances where candidates win the presidency without a majority of the popular vote, a situation that has occurred twice in the last 20 years. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the Electoral College, attempts to abolish it have been unsuccessful, highlighting its entrenched role in American politics.

05:06
🏛️ The Electoral College: Origins, Representation, and Controversies

The second paragraph delves into the structure and historical context of the Electoral College, explaining how it is based on representation in Congress with each state's number of representatives determined by population and every state having two senators. It illustrates the disparities in representation by comparing Texas and Vermont. The paragraph also discusses the impact of the Electoral College on the influence of individual voters, which varies significantly by state. It touches on the 2016 election results and the concept of 'swing states,' which are critical to winning the presidency due to their unpredictable voting patterns. The paragraph concludes by examining the Electoral College's historical role in perpetuating inequality and its ongoing benefits to certain groups, particularly in less diverse and Republican-leaning states.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡National Polls
National polls refer to surveys that measure the voting preferences of the entire electorate across the United States. In the context of the video, these polls are depicted as less reliable predictors of election outcomes because they do not account for the Electoral College system, which is the actual method for choosing the U.S. president. The video emphasizes that despite a candidate leading in national polls, they may not win the presidency if they fail to secure the necessary electoral votes from swing states.
💡Swing States
Swing states, also known as battleground states, are states in the U.S. where the political competition between the major parties is nearly equal, and the outcome of the election is uncertain. These states are crucial in the Electoral College system because they can sway the election in favor of either party. The video highlights that candidates focus their campaigns on these states because winning them can lead to securing the required 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
💡Electoral College
The Electoral College is the system used in the United States to elect the president and vice president. It consists of a group of electors chosen by each state, who then cast their votes for the presidential candidates. The Electoral College is based on the representation each state has in Congress, with each state having a number of electoral votes equal to the sum of its Senators and Representatives. The video explains that this system has historically favored certain states and populations, leading to a situation where not all votes carry the same weight in an election.
💡Popular Vote
The popular vote refers to the total number of votes cast for a candidate in an election. It is different from the Electoral College system, where the outcome is determined by the number of electoral votes a candidate receives. In the U.S., it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but lose the presidency, as the video explains has happened twice in the past 20 years. The popular vote is a key point of contention in discussions about the fairness and effectiveness of the Electoral College system.
💡Representation in Congress
Representation in Congress is based on the population of each state, with each state having a number of representatives proportional to its population and two senators regardless of population size. This system forms the basis of the Electoral College, where each state's electoral votes are derived from its Congressional representation. The video explains that this leads to a discrepancy where some votes are more influential than others, depending on the state's population and the number of electoral votes it has.
💡Winner-Take-All
The winner-take-all system is a rule in many U.S. states that awards all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state. This system can amplify the impact of swing states, as a narrow win in a populous state can result in a significant haul of electoral votes. The video points out that this rule contributes to the focus on swing states, as winning by even a small margin grants the candidate all the electoral votes from that state.
💡Demographics and Political Views
Demographics refer to the statistical characteristics of a population, such as age, race, and gender, while political views are the opinions and beliefs individuals hold about politics and governance. The video explains that shifting demographics and political views can change the political landscape of a state, turning it from a solidly partisan state into a swing state or vice versa. These changes are significant because they affect which party is likely to win the state's electoral votes and thus the outcome of the presidential election.
💡Influence on Elections
Influence on elections refers to the ability of individuals or groups to affect the outcome of an election. The video discusses how the Electoral College system gives certain voters more influence than others, with swing state voters having a disproportionate impact on the election. This is because the focus of candidates and resources is concentrated on these states, which can determine the election's winner.
💡Three-Fifths Clause
The Three-Fifths Clause was a provision in the United States Constitution that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining the population for taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. This clause was part of a compromise between Northern and Southern states during the drafting of the Constitution. The video explains that this clause historically gave the pro-slavery Southern states more influence in the Electoral College, despite the disenfranchisement of the enslaved population.
💡Political Safeguards
Political safeguards are measures designed to protect the political interests and representation of certain groups or regions. In the context of the video, the Electoral College is described as a political safeguard for the Southern states, particularly before and after the abolition of slavery. It has been used to maintain the political power of certain states and populations, often at the expense of others.
💡Voting Rights
Voting rights refer to the legal rights of citizens to cast their vote in elections. The video discusses the historical struggle for voting rights in the United States, particularly for Black Americans who were initially denied the right to vote through discriminatory practices such as poll taxes and acts of violence. The Electoral College system, as it was originally designed and as it functions today, has implications for the equality of voting rights across different states and populations.
Highlights

National polls do not accurately predict the winner of a presidential election in the United States.

The concept of swing states is crucial in determining the outcome of a presidential election.

The United States uses the Electoral College system, which is unique among democratic nations.

The Electoral College is composed of delegates from each state, reflecting the distribution of representatives and senators in Congress.

A candidate can win the presidency without securing the majority of the popular vote.

The majority of Americans have been dissatisfied with the Electoral College system for a long time.

Both political parties have attempted to abolish the Electoral College in the past.

The Electoral College system creates significant discrepancies in the influence of individual voters across different states.

The winner of the presidential election is the candidate who secures 270 or more Electoral College votes.

States like Texas and Vermont have vastly different numbers of electoral delegates despite their population differences.

The Electoral College can lead to a situation where a voter in one state has significantly more influence than a voter in another.

Candidates often focus their campaigns on swing states, as these have a greater impact on the election outcome.

The Electoral College system has historical roots in the compromise over the counting of enslaved people in the population for electoral votes.

Efforts to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote have been blocked by senators in the past.

The Electoral College has consistently shifted power away from certain groups and towards others since its inception.

The current Electoral College system benefits states with fewer people but more electoral votes, which tend to be whiter and less diverse.

The Democratic party is currently leading the charge to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote system.

The Electoral College system ensures that certain voters have more power in electing the president, and its defenders are often those who benefit the most.

Transcripts

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