6533b870fe1ef96bd12d03c6
RESEARCH PRODUCT
On Introducing Proportionality in American Presidential Elections: An Historical Analysis, 1828-2008
Jose M. Pavíasubject
Electoral reformeducation.field_of_studySociology and Political SciencePresidential systemNational electionPopulationEconomicsProportionality (law)Electoral collegePublic administrationeducationdescription
It is well known that the President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College and not directly by the population. Every time a candidate who does not win the most popular votes is elected President, detractors of the Electoral College call for its abolishment and supporters extol its undoubtedly merits. This article investigates what would have happened if a solution halfway between both extremes (a direct national election and the current system) had been used in historical Presidential elections; namely, a proportional rule with thresholds to assign electors in each state. This system would generate electoral colleges closer to popular will, reduce the risk of electing a minority president and impose the need of more balanced regional support to be elected, although increasing the risk of a third candidate emerging.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-01 | The Political Quarterly |