Is the Electoral Voting System Really Democratic

Voting in the US

Introduction

The winner-takes-all or first-past-the-post system used in the United States is also known as a plurality voting system. It is a simple and straightforward system where the candidate who receives the most votes in a district wins that district's election. The same principle applies at the state level, where the candidate who wins the most districts across the state wins the state's electoral votes. This paper will discuss the electoral system in the US and compare it to others to see which is most democratic.

The US System

In the United States, each state is allocated a number of electoral votes based on its population. The total number of electoral votes is 538, and the candidate who wins at least 270 electoral votes becomes the president. In most states, the winner of the popular vote also wins all of the state's electoral votes, which is why this system is referred to as a winner-takes-all system.

However, there are a few states that use a proportional allocation of electoral votes, where the winning candidate receives only a portion of the state's electoral votes based on their share of the popular vote. These states include Maine and Nebraska.

One criticism of the winner-takes-all system is that it tends to favor the two major political parties, as third-party candidates and independent candidates often struggle to win elections (Gillespie, 2012). Additionally, in close elections, the candidate who wins the most electoral votes may not necessarily win the popular vote, which has led to some controversy and debate over the legitimacy of the system.

Despite its flaws, the winner-takes-all system has been used in the United States since the country's founding, and it has been effective in providing a relatively stable and predictable system of electing presidents.

Different Electoral Systems

Proportional representation (PR) is a system where political parties receive a share of seats in the legislature that is proportional to the number of votes they receive. In this system, the number of votes a party receives determines the number of seats they have in the legislature. This system is used in many European countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands.

Mixed proportional representation (MMP) is a hybrid system that combines aspects of the winner-takes-all system and PR (Ferrara et al., 2005). In this system, voters cast two votes: one for a candidate in their district and one for a political party. The candidate who wins the most votes in the district wins the district's seat, and the party vote determines the allocation of seats in the legislature.

Compared to the winner-takes-all system, both PR and MMP systems tend to produce more representative legislatures, with a wider range of political parties and viewpoints represented. These systems also tend to encourage higher voter turnout and reduce the likelihood of "wasted votes," where a voter's preferred candidate has no chance of winning.

In contrast to PR and MMP, the American electoral system tends to favor the two major political parties and often excludes smaller parties and independent candidates. This system also tends to produce winner-takes-all outcomes, which can create a situation where a candidate who wins the popular vote may not win the election.

Furthermore, the American electoral system does not require candidates to win an absolute majority of votes, which can lead to situations where a candidate who is not preferred by the majority of voters can still win the election. This in turn can create division in society, where one half of the population may feel that its interests are not represented at all while the other half enjoys representation at the federal level.

Which System is Most Democratic

There is no perfect electoral system, and each system has its advantages and disadvantages. However, many scholars and experts believe that proportional representation and mixed proportional representation tend to produce more democratic outcomes by providing more opportunities for a wider range of viewpoints to be represented in government. These systems also tend to encourage higher voter turnout and reduce the likelihood of wasted votes. Therefore, I believe that proportional representation and mixed proportional representation are more democratic than the winner-takes-all system used in the United States.

In a winner-takes-all system, smaller political parties are often marginalized, and there may be limited representation for groups that do not align with the two major political parties. On the other hand, PR and MMP systems provide greater opportunities for smaller political parties to win representation in government. This can lead to a more diverse range of political viewpoints being represented, which can help to better reflect the will of the electorate.

Also, under the winner-takes-all system, voters who support a candidate that does not win their district's election may feel like their vote has been wasted. This can lead to voter apathy and a sense of disenfranchisement. In contrast, PR and MMP systems tend to encourage higher voter turnout as voters are more likely to feel that their vote counts towards the overall allocation of seats.