The Past, Present and Future of the U.S. Electoral College

Abstract

Author aims to explain the institutional framework of the United States presidential election. One of the unique features of American political system is the Electoral College – an indirect mechanism of voting in which the citizens’ votes are aggregated and weighted in relation to their federal entity (i.e. fifty states and one federal district). Throughout the paper, author will not only present historical genesis and basic settings of this electoral mechanism, but also examine the effects and consequences of the system through history, including a number of controversies contributing to the rising criticism and frequent calls to reform. In that sense, the main arguments in favor and against the reform of Electoral College will also be analyzed. Finally, the paper will conclude with a brief examination of system’s effects on strategies of presidential candidates and voting results in the outcome of 2016 election.