Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America

by George C. Edwards III

Overview

The electoral college is the extraordinarily complex mechanism by which Americans choose their president. Is there any justification for such a system, which may elect the candidate who does not receive the most votes? Today, with two of the last five presidential elections having gone to the popular vote loser and the debacle following the 2020 election, the electoral college's flaws are more apparent than ever. In this fourth edition of the definitive book on the electoral college, George Edwards employs rigorous analysis and systemic data to show how the system violates core democratic principles and does not provide the benefits its advocates claim. With a new chapter focusing on the 2020 election, Edwards addresses justifications for the electoral college that were popular among Trump supporters following the 2016 and 2020 elections. Edwards concludes by offering a straightforward approach to selecting the president that maximizes political equality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300133615
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Fellow at the University of Oxford and University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus at Texas A & M University. He is a senior figure in the study of the presidency and has written or edited twenty-seven books. He was also editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly and general editor of the Oxford Handbook of American Politics. He was a founder and served as president of the Presidency and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association and has held senior appointments at Oxford, the University of London, Sciences Po-Paris, Peking University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the US Military Academy at West Point.

Table of Contents

1. Raising Questions; 2. How the Electoral College Works; 3. The Electoral College and Political Equality; 4. Contingent Elections; 5. The Origins of the Electoral College; 6. Protecting Interests; 7. Maintaining Cohesion; 8. Preserving the Party System; 9. Conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

‘The most recent election and its sordid aftermath have only strengthened George Edwards’ powerful critique of the Electoral College as a device for selecting presidents. Deftly dismantling the arguments offered by its defenders, Edwards makes a persuasive case that electing presidents by popular vote is not only more democratic but also an eminently workable step toward a healthier national polity. Readers will come away ready to amend the Constitution.’ Gary Jacobson, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of California San Diego

‘A valuable update, incorporating new material from the 2016 and 2020 elections. Building on a detailed account of the workings and defects of the Electoral College, Edwards assembles mountains of evidence to eviscerate the arguments made in support of an archaic electoral system that violates the democratic principle that all votes should count equally.’ Alexander Keyssar, Matthew W. Stirling, Jr, Professor of History and Social Policy, Harvard University and author of Why Do We Still have the Electoral College?

From the Publisher

“[An] excellent new book.”—Timothy Noah, Slate

Slate - Timothy Noah

“The most exquisitely precise and sweeping case I’ve ever seen for abolition of the Electoral College and adopting a straightforward vote of the people.”—Neal Peirce, Seattle Times

Seattle Times - Neal Peirce

"Time will tell whether the argument that the current system is so flawed and dangerous that the nation needs a constitutional amendment establishing a national direct election can gain momentum. But Edwards makes that case forcefully, as well or better than any other I know, and that is a genuine service."—Brian J. Gaines, Rhetoric and Public Affairs

Rhetoric and Public Affairs - Brian J. Gaines

“This crisp handbook . . . outlines the origins of the electoral college . . . and demonstrates the many ways it violates democratic norms.”—New Yorker

New Yorker

“Edwards . . . methodically presents the case for eliminating the electoral college and replacing it with national popular elections. With excellent descriptions of how the elector system works, it is the most cogent and up-to-date criticism I have read. . . . The case that Edwards builds against the electoral college is strong, even overwhelming. Why the Electoral College is Bad for America will be widely cited in debates about our method of electing presidents.”—Alexander Keyssar, New York Review of Books

New York Review of Books - Alexander Keyssar

“Edwards . . . throws the kitchen sink, the stove and some old socks at the Electoral College. . . . His case is compelling. . . . [A] meticulous analysis.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, New York Observer

New York Observer - Glenn C. Altschuler

“I’ve come across few books as timely or as relevant as the one in which Professor Edwards suggests that the country now finds itself confronted not only with an absence of a coherent national politics but also with a constitutional crisis. . . . Edwards sets out to prove that the Electoral College is both needlessly complex and inherently unjust. . . . His principal lines of argument deserve extensive debate in both the news media and the Congress.”—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper’s Magazine

Harper’s Magazine - Lewis H. Lapham

"An argumentative treatise, based on solid empirical data and sound logic, this book should generate considerable debate—the kind that the country should have had following the election of 2000 and Bush v. Gore."—Stephen Wayne, Georgetown University

Stephen Wayne

“The most exquisitely precise and thorough case ever made for abolition of the electoral college system and substitution of a direct vote.”—Neal R. Peirce, from the foreword

Neal R. Peirce

“The best book available on the electoral college. Edwards has crafted an entirely new and up-to-date book. He provides both an excellent review of the workings of the electoral college and an incisive analysis of the failings of the institution.”—Marty Wattenberg, University of California, Irvine

Marty Wattenberg

"Dispensing keen political insights as he goes, George Edwards punctures the fallacious arguments used by supporters of the electoral college whenever criticism of that splendid anachronism grows hot, as it once again has."—Jack Rakove, Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science, Stanford University

Jack Rakove