2007-01-25 14:23:49 · 4 answers · asked by max c 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
If we went with the total popular vote we might as well just not vote in Idaho, Vermont, New Hampshire, Nevada, and other small population states.
The electoral system is used to create fairness for all to vote on their local level.
2007-01-25 15:35:57 · answer #1 · answered by Brick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was the "most vote" pollicy for a long time, but to make "every vote count" more, we put in the electorial voting. Why so? Because, California and all of the other larger states were over weighing the total vote count SO MUCH that they pretty much had the final say. So small states as I am in (Tennessee), along with like Hawaii, and Rhode Island, or any other very little populated state, got very little say, as California was out weighing then like 10/1. So, we came up with the electorial system, so now even some small states get some say.
2007-01-25 22:39:20 · answer #2 · answered by Ben C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the president was originally voted by representatives, not directly by the people... back when people thought of themselves more as a citizen of their state than of the U.S.
This changed to give people more power in national politics and in who represents us internationally (president names ambassadors and negotiates all treaties, though they have to be approved by congress) but there seems to have been an unfortunate effect of switching people's attention away from local politics... the balance of power between federal and state governments has definitely shifted, for better or for worse, and state governments have less oversight from their people because they are actually more insulated from their voters than the federal government in a nation with nationalized media.
So basically the answer is that an immediate switch from presidents being voted by representatives to being voted by the people would have been seen as an attack on federal authority and the balance of power. For better or worse. The way they should do it is a matter up for discussion... I'd like it to be direct vote because, living in Kansas, I don't feel like my vote for a Democrat counts, and I don't feel like either party is saying anything to us, because one side counts on our vote and the other discards it.
2007-01-25 22:55:15 · answer #3 · answered by Aleksandr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
american voters cannot be trusted......its best to let those who know better determine who you want to run the country
2007-01-25 22:39:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋