Critics of the Electoral College claim that it is undemocratic and antiquated. Defenders argue that it forces candidates to campaign nationally, and protects the interests of rural Americans. And the fight has recently become a partisan issue. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has called for the elimination of the institution. In an analysis of what might happen in 2020, the New York Times’ Nate Cohn writes that, “It is even possible that Mr. Trump could win while losing the national vote by as much as five percentage points.” (Although even Trump himself criticized the Electoral College as undemocratic in 2012.) Using the Electoral College to select presidents has major consequences for politics. They’re just not the ones that people usually think of. CONT.
Julia Azari (Marquette), LSE USAPP