POLSCI 242 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Jay Nixon, Path Dependence, John Boehner
8 May 2018
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POLISCI 9.25 Lecture Notes – Electoral College
Boehner is resigning
NC has approved legislation to hold primary March 15
o Has traditionally held primaries in May
o Front-loading
Electoral College
Articles of Confederation – there is no executive or executive elections
Proposals
o 1. Direct election – greatly advocated by Wilson from Pennsylvania
▪ Usually voted down
o 2. Selection by Congress
o 3. State legislators
▪ Various forms argued
▪ Was in play at one point in time, but was abolished
o 4. Selection on electors
▪ 1868 – first year with complete state-wide electors for all electors
o No actual logical reason for why we settle on what we do – Constitution was a product of a
lot of compromise
▪ Even though we refer to our Founders with great esteem
Why not direct election?
o Tyranny of the majority
o Role of the states
o Masses were illiterate and uneducated – cautious of how much we can trust the general
public
o Back then, electors were expected to vote for the common good, to prevent tyranny of the
majority, because there were no parties
o Nowadays, votes were party-oriented
o
Amending the process
o 12th Amendment – explicitly votes for vice-president and president
o 23rd Amendment – voting rights for DC
o Other reforms?
o Most Americans dislike the electoral college – hard to reform because it may require a
Constitutional amendment
Electors are selected by the state parties and most states have a winner-take-all process
o Usually chosen if they are loyal
o Have been instances in which electors diverged from the chosen – not obligated to vote
for the individual that wins the state
▪ Someone who does this faithless elector
Notable elections – individual who wins popular vote does not win the election because they lose
the electoral college
o 1800 and 1824 – House determines President
▪ 1824 Jackson won the popular vote but not the election
▪ Why is this rare?
• PARTIES
• Prior to 1824, there was no mass party
o 1876 Hayes-Tilden race: Tilden wins popular but loses election
▪ Hayes and Tilden had a compromise that ended Reconstruction
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Nc has approved legislation to hold primary march 15: has traditionally held primaries in may, front-loading. Selection on electors lot of compromise: even though we refer to our founders with great esteem. Why not direct election: tyranny of the majority, role of the states, usually voted down, 2. State legislators: various forms argued, was in play at one point in time, but was abolished. Articles of confederation there is no executive or executive elections: 1. Notable elections individual who wins popular vote does not win the election because they lose: 1800 and 1824 house determines president. Constitutional amendment: usually chosen if they are loyal public. Useless measure win: states vary in the number of electoral votes, so it matters which states you, democrats are in a better position for electoral college. What does this mean for 2016: 2000, base democratic 242, base republican 180, florida 29 votes, battleground 166, strategies.
