The Electoral College: a Critical Analysis

This paper looks critically at several of the principal arguments employed for and against the continued use of the Electoral College, as opposed to a system of direct popular vote. The Electoral College does not merely diverge from our common American practices of direct popular vote, but it does so in ways that arbitrarily benefit some states at the expense of others. While federalism clearly has desirable features for the United States, and a two-party system may be desirable, neither is threatened by the removal of the Electoral College. Many of the criticisms of the College appear to indicate a skepticism toward holding a large-scale national election, but, to the extent that such skepticism is justified, the Electoral College system, which is essentially a national election with some arbitrary twists, is not a reasonable alternative.