Did the election of 2000 follow the process for electing a president that was set down in the Constitution of the United States of America?
Absolutely. The election in 2000 followed all the rules and regulations set down by the framers of the constitution during the continental congress in 1787.The reason that many people question that is because he won not by popular vote, which would have elected Al Gore to office, but by Electoral College, a system thought up by the founders of the Constitution. This system usually elects the President that would have won by popular vote, but in times when the popular votes are very close, certain states can cause this to happen, because, although they tried to make it even, in some states your vote counts more for an electoral college vote, and in some it’s less.
Why does the Electoral College system allow presidents to be elected by the Electoral College when (s)he didn’t win the popular vote?
The Framers of the U. S. Constitution did not purposely make it so that the President could be elected by the Electoral College votes when the popular vote leaned the other way. They had reasons for the Electoral College system, but this outcome was more of a side-effect of this compromise that they made. Many of the delegates for the Constitution thought that the President should NOT be elected straight from the people. They said that people were easily corrupted. Also, transportation was hard back then, making travel slow and costly. This made it hard for candidates to travel between states and campaign. Some of the Framers were worried that the people wouldn’t vote for the best candidate, but that most local one, because they knew more about them. Many of these people thought that the President should therefore be elected by the congress, however, they were worried that this would give them power over the President, because they could then say, “You are here because I voted for you.” Many of the others thought that the people had the right to elect their own leader. They knew that we had parted from Britain because there was a tyrant as a leader and to make sure that the people were happy with the leader, they themselves would have to elect the President. The compromise was known as the Electoral College and it had the side affect previously stated above.
Do you believe the Electoral College is a valid way to elect the president today?
Although some people still believe that the Electoral College is still a good way to elect the President, I believe that it is out of date and no longer a quality way to elect the President of the United States of America. Sure, the solution of the Electoral College was a good one when the Framers of the U. S. Constitution put together the laws for our nation. Back then, almost 224 years ago, travel was slow and they were unsure that the people would not just vote for the local candidate. This concern disappeared years ago when travel got faster so candidates could campaign throughout our nation; it no longer applies to our nation. Our nation cannot have rules and laws that do not uphold the beliefs and well-being of a majority of the people of the United States of America.
Years ago at the Constitutional Convention the delegates from the states created this rule as a compromise. But the reasons for that compromise have scattered on the wind of time. No, it’s not that we don’t know what they were; it’s that they just don’t exist any more. Take, for example, the reason that the people could not find out about candidates from other parts of the country. During the time of the constitutional convention travel was hard and it took days to travel around. Candidates would not be known to all the people and the delegates feared that people would only vote for the local candidate they knew. And through this, there might be no clear majority in the country. That is no longer an issue. It only takes several hours to travel from one coast to the other. The candidates can travel from city to city. Radio and television can bring them straight into your home and you can listen to their speeches and watch them shake hands with people across the country, while sitting on the couch.
The Electoral College is an out-of-date solution that doesn't function any more. Just think about it. Is it supporting the common good? If it isn't pleasing even half of the people, it isn't (obviously). And does it please a majority of the people? Not when a Presidential Candidate wins an election when LESS than half of the people voted for them. The Electoral College is no longer a valid way to elect the President. Maybe you should think on that.