The Problem Within the United States Presidential Election

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During the United States Presidential Elections we are inundated with propaganda that insists we carry out our civic duty and cast a ballot which will help to determine who our nation’s next leader will be. The President of the United States is undoubtedly the most influential individual in our country so, of course, citizens must take the election process very seriously. Yet, how much influence do the voters of this democratic nation truly have on such an important decision? Unfortunately, many people are unaware of a voting process that takes place during each election. This process does not necessarily include the citizens of the United States and is known as Electoral College. It is the Electoral College that impedes on our nation’s democratic presidential election process and challenges its integrity as well.
The Electoral College plays a critical role in the election of the President of the United States of America. First introduced in 1787, the founding fathers implemented this system as a way to ensure a more efficient voting process (Soros). During this time the Electoral College did serve a noble purpose and in fact, was the most efficient way of voting in a time when mass transportation and technology did not exist. By participating in this process, townships were able to send a representative to cast a collective vote for that area. The modern Electoral College still operates in a similar fashion and yet, fails to serve a modern-day purpose. It challenges the democratic principles which the United States was founded on and may even operate illegally. Today, “forty-eight of the fifty states appoint (their) electors through a "winner take all" method of election” which is “not simply undemocratic, but potentially illegal...

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...Rpt. from "Deformed Reform: The Cure for the Electoral College That Is Worse Than What Ails Us." Slate.com. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
Ross, Tara. "The Electoral College System Is a Brilliant Constitutional Device." Federal Elections. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "The Electoral College." The Federalist Society Online Debate Series. 2008. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Solomon, Burt. "What Were They Thinking?." National Journal 32.47/48 (2000): 3662. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
Soros, Jonathan. "It's Time to Junk the Electoral College." Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition 15 Dec. 2008: A17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Nov. 2013.
“What is the Electoral College?”. The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. Web. 18 Nov. 2013

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