Has the Electoral College Outlived its Usefulness?

Five American presidents - two in the last 20 years - have assumed office without winning the popular vote. The most recent example, President Trump’s election in 2016, renewed vigorous debate about the Electoral College’s role in American politics. Supporters argue that the Founders wisely established the college to safeguard the republic against mob rule and ensure voters in less populous states have a voice in presidential elections. But opponents claim the college was created to protect the institution of slavery and that, in the modern era, it subverts the will of people and unfairly prioritizes voters in rural and swing states. As the nation looks to another Electoral College decision in 2020 and the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the landmark “faithless elector” case, we ask: Has the Electoral College Outlived Its Usefulness?
This debate is presented in partnership with the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law as part of the Newt and Jo Minow Debate Series.
Arguing Yes
Jamelle Bouie - Columnist, New York Times
Kate Shaw - Law Professor & Supreme Court Contributor, ABC News
Arguing No
Tara Ross - Author, "Why We Need the Electoral College"
Bradley A. Smith - Law Professor & Former Chairman, Federal Election Commission
Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates
Timestamps:
(06:23) Jamelle Bouie argues that the Electoral College has outlived its usefulness.
(10:43) Tara Ross argues that the Electoral College has not outlived its usefulness.
(14:39) Kate Shaw argues that Electoral College has outlived its usefulness.
(18:54) Bradley A. Smith argues that Electoral College has not outlived its usefulness.
(30:55) If given the opportunity to create an Electoral College today, would it be sensible to do so?
(34:25) Why is the Electoral College so malfunctional?
(43:00) Emily Stewart asks for the reaction to an argument that abolishing the Electoral College would result in cities and more populous blue states dominating the election process.
(48:07) What would be the impact on future elections if Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico were to become states?
(57:07) Can the Electoral College be reformed to ensure highly qualified electors who make the best decisions on behalf of the population?
(1:09:36) Robert Bennett, Professor of Law at Northwestern University, asks how uniformity would be achieved if the Electoral College were replaced with nationwide popular voting.
(1:16:24) Debaters present their closing statements.
#opentodebate #debate #electoralcollege #vote #voting #americanpolitics
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[@Turuial]

Yes. Yes, it has.

[@jacobstamm]

Usually I can see both sides of an argument, put myself in the shoes of either position. Not this time. It’s really simple, folks. One person, one vote. Less unaccountable bureaucracy, more democracy. The Electoral College needs to go.

[@azd685]

Once again this page tries to debate an issue that has an utterly obvious answer. I don't really see the utility of this.

[@Yelin7]

It doesn't have an obvious, objective answer, even if you have strong views on it.

[@azd685]

@@Yelin7 I guess you could be right, I might have misinterpreted the question slightly. I was reading it as "is the electoral college the right way to elect a president in a representative democracy", and to that the answer is objectively no by any understanding of what representative democracy is supposed to look like.
But the electoral college certainly hasn't "outlived its usefulness" as a tool to subvert the will of the people and stymie political progress, so that's a fair point.

[@Yelin7]

Thanks for that spin. I'd urge you to reexamine what "objective" and "subjective" means