Discussion 4 Electoral College

Introduction:

In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost the presidency to then-Republican candidate Donald Trump despite winning almost 3 million more votes in the popular vote. In 2000, Vice President Al Gore lost the presidency to then-Republican candidate George W. Bush by a slim margin of 537 votes in Florida. As a result of these recent elections in which the candidate with the most votes ended up losing the presidency, the call to end the electoral college has gained momentum with the state of California leading the effort and 2020 presidential candidates such Elizabeth Warren calling for the abolishment of the electoral college system as part of her platform. Critics of the electoral college argue that the current election system is undemocratic and inherently racist for the Founding Founders wanted to protect the interests of southern slave states and prevent the tyranny of the “majority” (mobocracy). Defenders of the electoral college system defend the system because it gives voice and represents the minority population in small states and rural America. So where do you stand on this topic of the electoral college?