Why the Electoral College Should Be Abolished
This paper argues that the United States Electoral College system should be abolished and replaced with a direct popular vote. Beginning with the contested 2000 presidential election, in which Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the presidency, the paper examines the historical origins of the Electoral College, its theoretical justifications, and its practical shortcomings. It analyzes how the "winner-take-all" allocation of electoral votes disenfranchises voters in smaller states, encourages candidates to focus campaign resources on populous battleground states, and creates the possibility of contingent elections. Drawing on scholars including George Edwards, Dan Felsenthal, and Moshe Machover, the paper concludes that the Electoral College is an outdated, inegalitarian institution incompatible with modern democratic principles.
- Introduction: Thesis: replace Electoral College with popular vote
- Origins and Composition of the Electoral College: How electoral votes are allocated and counted
- Theoretical Concerns: Critiques of Electoral College's founding justifications
- Practical Difficulties: Real-world failures and manipulation risks
- Conclusion: Electoral College is outdated and undemocratic
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper establishes its thesis clearly in the introduction and uses the 2000 presidential election as a concrete, compelling hook that grounds the argument in real political stakes.
- It addresses both theoretical and practical objections in separate, well-organized sections, giving the argument a logical two-pronged structure that strengthens its overall persuasiveness.
- The paper engages seriously with pro-Electoral College arguments — on voter competence and state rights — before systematically refuting them with cited scholarly evidence, demonstrating intellectual fairness.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates effective use of the counter-argument and rebuttal technique. Rather than ignoring opposing viewpoints, the author explicitly presents the strongest cases for the Electoral College (e.g., protection of small-state interests, concerns about voter literacy) and then deploys empirical research — such as Felsenthal and Machover's study of campaign resource allocation — to dismantle each claim systematically. This approach strengthens the credibility of the thesis.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a classic five-part argumentative structure: an introduction that presents the thesis and roadmap; a historical background section on the Electoral College's origins and mechanics; a theoretical critique addressing foundational justifications; a practical critique focusing on electoral failures and manipulation; and a brief conclusion that restates the core claim. Each section builds on the previous one, moving from historical context to abstract principle to real-world evidence.
Introduction
The Presidential Election of 2000 once again raised doubts about the effectiveness of the Electoral College system. A straight accounting of the popular vote showed that Democratic candidate Al Gore had a lead of over 500,000 votes over his opponent, George W. Bush. The Supreme Court was thus forced to assume the role of electoral arbiter for Florida's vote count, which resulted in Bush's victory via Electoral College votes.
This paper argues that the scenario described above is just one of the reasons why the Electoral College should be abolished. The United States should instead adopt a popular vote system, in which each citizen receives one vote.
The first part of this paper examines the composition of the Electoral College and the conditions that led to its creation. The subsequent sections detail why the current political and social climate no longer necessitates the Electoral College system. First, this paper points out that concerns such as slavery and presidential independence are no longer relevant today. Second, it argues that many pro-Electoral College arguments regarding state rights do not hold water. The paper then looks at the issue empirically, by investigating how the Electoral College disenfranchises the popular vote and could raise further complications requiring "contingent elections."
The founders of the Constitutional Convention created the Electoral College system, but they most likely did not intend the problems that this cumbersome system has produced. They also likely did not intend for the system to become the antithesis of egalitarian institutions. This paper therefore maintains that the Electoral College should be replaced with a more democratic system.
Works Cited
Edwards, George. Why the Electoral College is Bad for America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004.
Felsenthal, Dan and Moshe Machover. The Measurement of Voting Power. Northampton: Edward Elgar, 1998.
Grofman, Bernard and Scott L. Feld. "Thinking About the Political Impacts of the Electoral College." Public Choice (2005) 123: 1–18.
Kimberling, William. The Electoral College. U.S. Federal Election Commission, 2004.
Wilson, James Q. and John DiLulio. American Government: Institutions and Policies. 10th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
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