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ENGL 2010 ONL Spring 2021 35293

Professor Curtis

2 February 2021

THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE ON THE U.S. SYSTEM

In 1787, the Founding Fathers of the United States came together to discuss the need for a fair

and successful way to select the next president. These men were fearful of the president’s direct

election, mainly because they were concerned citizens would be unable to decide on a reliable

leader. Also, they feared a dictator could seize power, exploit public opinion, and establish the same

situation that the U.S. had conquered. After a lengthy discussion, the founders decided that the

president would not be elected by the people alone. They created a system where the states

appointed the president, commonly known as the Electoral College. James W. Ingram, a professor at

SDSU teaching about the American presidency, published an article about the electoral college and

how it is the best way to choose a U.S. president. This topic has become controversial since it was

published, and I am here to prove why Ingram’s argument is entirely valid. It is essential that the U.S.

maintains the Electoral College; therefore, I agree with Ingram’s perspective.

Because of the Electoral College, the country is evenly proportional to the population when

selecting the president. This is not quantified on a numerical level but instead is gauged from the

idea that each state matters as much as the next, inspiring candidates for the primary office to

campaign not just in heavily populous places but also in weaker states with lower populations.

According to Ingram, ”Third-party candidates highlight neglected issues but increase the probability

nobody wins a majority. The problem with electing the candidate who achieves only a popular vote
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plurality is that someone supported by a small minority of people and states could win, provided

everyone else has even fewer votes.” (Ingram). Since minor parties have trouble recognizing

presidential elections, two-party structures require minority parties to choose from main parties or

help develop a third party. This helps to generate fresh, better ideas while also retaining an efficient

setting. The Electoral College works so that each state's vote is proportional to the state's population

and electorate size; respectively, each state gets exactly two votes. Elected senators and

representatives are chosen by state populations.

Taking everything into account, I agree with Ingram’s argument. The Electoral College was

intended to be representative of the state as a whole. The states’ diversity should be fully

represented as other dimensions of diversity in our multicultural republic. The states’ variety should

be equally defined as other diverse qualities in our diverse nation. “The Electoral College had

functioned for 200 years, and has only failed once, when George W. Bush won the popular vote, but

lost the electoral vote. The Electoral College is a tool to facilitate the states’ power, not the

individual” (Schwartz). Despite much debate on abolishing the Electoral College, no alternative has

been proposed and approved. This remains in place as the way we decide who our country’s leader

will be. Therefore, as a united community, we need to support Electoral College to a united and

better government.
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Works Cited

Ingram, James. “Electoral College Is Best Way to Choose U.S. President - The.” San Diego Union-Tribune, 14

Jan. 2017, www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/sd-utbg-electoral-college-

president-20170113-story.html. EX: 2 Feb. 2021.

Schwartz, Jerry. “EXPLAINER: They Lost the Popular Vote but Won the Elections.” AP NEWS, 31 Oct. 2020,

apnews.com/article/AP-explains-elections-popular-vote-743f5cb6c70fce9489c9926a907855eb. EX: 2

Feb. 2021.