Democracy within the Electoral College - Essay Example

? Democracy within the Electoral College The majority of the global republics has been at the forefront inenhancing and promoting democracy. By definition, democracy is seen as a government by the people, for the people, and with the people. In this respect, democracy involves equal say bestowed upon every citizen as far as governance is concerned (Chang, 2007). Amongst such nations is the United States of America. The United States of America has been on the forefront in promoting and enhancing democracy. In a bid to achieve this objective, USA has had various ways of electing the president. General elections and the electoral colleges are the main avenues for identifying or selecting the president. In every presidential election, the two methods are used (Dahl, 2001). However, the Electoral College method usually supersedes the general election method, that is, a person with the majority of votes from the general election may fail to be the president on the basis of the Electoral College method. The Framers of the American Constitution settled on the Electoral Colleges method as a way of deciding the winner of a presidential election amidst it flows. It is important to understand how democratic the Electoral College method is within the selection of a president. This would include how the framers would evaluate the Electoral College on the basis of their founding philosophies and writing. In addition, it is important to understand what the framers would think about American government today and the intentions they had as well as the objectives and aims that they (framers) wanted to accomplish in establishing a new nation. Lastly, a deeper understanding of this concept would require a comparison of the theories and structures in the classical era with those in present day realities concerning the Electoral College. Firstly, it is true that the framers of the American Constitution were baffled on how to develop, create, or conceive the executive within a nation (Chang, 2007). Their main problem was the identification of the best method that would assist in selecting the executive of a nation. If the framers were given a chance to evaluate the American government in the contemporary society, they would definitely amend the constitution (Dahl, 2001). The constitution as prepared by the framers does not reflect their views, intentions, and accomplishments as highlighted later in this discussion. It is an event that whereas the framers would have wanted an American society where the executive is selected by encrypted electors, the reality is that the American executive is selected by the manipulated, partisan, political agents, and non-representative electors. The framers would view the American government as not only undemocratic but also formed on the basis of any protected interests. Electors are usually appointed by the states in correspondence to the number of senators and other legislative representatives (Williams, 2011). It is believed that the appointment of the electors aims at protecting the interests of the smaller states, which on the basis of the framers is against the bill of rights entrenched within the constitution. Proponents for the removal of the electoral system argue that the government is formed for the people and not the states (Dahl, 2001). Besides, this was the main intention and objective of the framers. The objective of the framers in entrenching the Electoral College system within the selection of the president was to have men and women of virtue and outstanding characters to select the president. Many individuals such as James Madison continue to believe that the apportionment of the electors within the Electoral Colleges goes beyond the protection of American citizens as entrenched within the Bill of Rights (Williams, 2011). One question that James Madison asks is whether the less populated states have additional rights or interests that make them entitled to special protection against the unequal representation. In this question, it is evident that the framers’ intention has not been met (Chang, 2007). In evaluating the Electoral College system especially with respect to the contemporary society, the framers would be ashamed of their acts to develop such a system within the constitution. The framers would believe that the system has been manipulated to suit the specific interests of individual parties. Therefore, it is evident that the framers of the constitution would evaluate the Electoral College system as ineffective and inefficient in enhancing and promoting democracy within the United States of America. One of the main intentions of the framers of the American Constitution in as far as the Electoral College system is concerned was to bestow the selection of the executive on the hands of a group of wise, outstanding, and virtuous American citizens (Williams, 2011). This intention aimed at removing the selection of the president from the hands of popular majorities. In their views, the framers believed that the group in-charge of selecting the president should have the capability of analyzing the qualities of the needed president against those of the contenders. Moreover, the framers wanted a group of individuals that could not easily be corrupted. In order to accomplish this, the framers of the constitution established that the electors would be appointed by the legislatures (Dahl, 2001). These were the main intentions and accomplishments that the framers of the constitution had in mind whilst incorporating the Electoral College concept. Nonetheless, one question that still needs to be answered in a deep sense is, “how do the theories and structures that resulted from the intentions and accomplishments of the framers of the American constitution compare to the theories and structures of the present day realities about the Electoral College?” Even though numerous debates have been proposed concerning the same, it is pretty obvious that the classical theories and structures resulting from framers’ intentions and accomplishments widely differ from the today’s realities (Williams, 2011). It is evident that within the contemporary American government, the Electoral College is considered a failed agenda even though the framers actually considered it a successful concept. Many reasons justify the failure of the Electoral College system. For instance, in the contemporary realities it is believed that the system is undemocratic especially with respect to the fact that the person with majority votes may lose the election. Besides, comparing the theories and structures of the classical period and contemporary period reveals the defects within the appointment of the electors (Chang, 2007). Whereas the framers viewed the appointment as a legislative process or making it done by the people, the contemporary reality is that such processes have been manipulated by various states. Many states have altered the system of selecting the electors in a bid to fulfill the desires of short-term partisans. As such, the contemporary reality is that the electors have been turned into party agents who are partisans and cannot therefore provide an effective analysis (Williams, 2011). This is against what the framers wished for; to have electors that cannot be corrupted and are not only responsible, wise, and outstanding but also virtuous. In conclusion, it is evident that the framers of the American constitution had good intention in creating the Electoral College system in selecting the executive. However, such intentions and accomplishments have turned to be the demons that continue to haunt the American democracy. The intentions and accomplishments have been turned into personal interests where electors are now not only political agents but also partisans and corrupt. As such, it becomes difficult for the intentions and accomplishments desired by the framers of the constitution to be attained. Therefore, there are enough reasons and evidences to believe that the Electoral College system has not achieved its desired purpose; thus, have to a large extent caused the deterioration of the American democracy. It is on this basis that opponents of the Electoral College system would want to amend the constitution. Fortunately, if the framers were brought from the 18th century to the contemporary America, they would definitely amend the constitution to remove the Electoral College system. References Chang, S. (2007). Updating the Electoral College: The National Popular Vote Legislation. Harv. J. on Legis., 44, 205. Dahl, R. A. (2001). How democratic is the American Constitution? New Haven, CT: Yale University Publishers. Williams, N. R. (2011). Reforming the Electoral College: Federalism, Majoritarianism, and the Perils of Subconstitutional Change. Geo. LJ, 100, 173. Read More