Reasons to Keep the Electoral College

Under the Electoral College system, it is possible for a presidential candidate to lose the nationwide popular vote, yet be elected president of the United States by winning in only a handful of key states. Did the Founding Fathers—the framers of the Constitution—not realize that the Electoral College system effectively took the power to select the American president out of the hands of the American people? In fact, the Founders always intended that the states—not the people—select the president. Article II of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to elect the president and vice president to the states through the Electoral College system. Under the Constitution, the highest-ranking U.S. officials elected by the direct popular vote of the people are the governors of the states. Beware the Tyranny of the Majority To be brutally honest, the Founding Fathers gave the American public of their day little credit for political awareness when it came to selecting the president. Here are some of their telling statements from the Constitutional Convention of 1787. A popular election in this case is radically vicious. The ignorance of the people would put it in the power of some one set of men dispersed through the Union, and acting in concert, to delude them into any appointment. — Delegate Elbridge Gerry, July 25, 1787 The extent of the country renders it impossible, that the people can have the requisite capacity to judge of the respective pretensions of the candidates. — Delegate George Mason, July 17, 1787 The people are uninformed, and would be misled by a few designing men. — Delegate Elbridge Gerry, July 19, 1787 The Founding Fathers had seen the dangers of placing ultimate power into a single set of human hands. Accordingly, they feared that placing the unlimited power to elect the president into the politically naive hands of the people could lead to a tyranny of the majority. In response, they created the Electoral College system as a process to insulate the selection of the president from the whims of the public. Small States Get Equal Voice The Electoral College helps give rural states with lower populations an equal voice. If the popular vote alone decided elections, the presidential candidates would rarely visit those states or consider the needs of rural residents in their policy platforms. Due to the Electoral College process, candidates must get votes from multiple states—large and small—thus helping to ensure that the president will address the needs of the entire country. Preserving Federalism The Founding Fathers also felt the Electoral College system would enforce the concept of federalism—the division and sharing of powers between the state and national governments. Under the Constitution, the people are empowered to choose, through a direct popular election, the men and women who represent them in their state legislatures and in the United States Congress. The states, through the Electoral College, are empowered to choose the president and vice president. A Democracy or Not? Critics of the Electoral College system argue that by taking the selection of the president out of the hands of the public at large, the Electoral College system flies in the face of democracy. America is, after all, a democracy, is it not? Two of the most widely recognized forms of democracy are: Pure or Direct Democracy — All decisions are made directly by a majority vote of all eligible citizens. By their vote alone, citizens can enact laws and select or remove their leaders. The power of the people to control their government is unlimited.Representative Democracy — The citizens rule through representatives whom they elect periodically to keep them accountable. The power of the people to control their government is thus limited by the actions of their elected representatives. The United States is a representative democracy operated under a republican form of government, as provided for in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, which states, The United States shall guarantee to every State in the Union a Republican form of Government... (This should not be confused with the Republican political party which is merely named after the form of government.) A Republic In 1787, the Founding Fathers, based on their direct knowledge of history showing that unlimited power tends to become a tyrannical power, created the United States as a republic—not a pure democracy. Direct democracy works only when all or at least most of the people participate in the process. The Founding Fathers knew that as the nation grew and the time required for debating and voting on every issue increased, the public’s desire to take part in the process would quickly decrease. As a result, the decisions and actions taken would not truly reflect the will of the majority, but small groups of people representing their own interests. The Founders were unanimous in their desire that no single entity, be it the people or an agent of the government, be given unlimited power. Achieving a separation of powers ultimately became their highest priority. As a part of their plan to separate powers and authority, the Founders created the Electoral College as the method by which the people could choose their highest government leader—the president—while avoiding at least some of the dangers of a direct election. But because the Electoral College has worked just as the Founding Fathers intended for over 200 years does not mean that it should never be modified or even abandoned completely. Changing the System Any change to the way America chooses its president will require a constitutional amendment. For this to come about: First, a presidential candidate must lose the nationwide popular vote, but be elected through the Electoral College vote. This has already happened exactly four times in the nations history: In 1876, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, with 4,036,298 popular votes won 185 electoral votes. His main opponent, Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, won the popular vote with 4,300,590 votes but won only 184 electoral votes. Hayes was elected president.In 1888, Republican Benjamin Harrison, with 5,439,853 popular votes won 233 electoral votes. His main opponent, Democrat Grover Cleveland, won the popular vote with 5,540,309 votes but won only 168 electoral votes. Harrison was elected president.In 2000, Republican George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Democrat Al Gore by a margin of 50,996,582 to 50,456,062. But after the U.S. Supreme Court halted vote recounts in Florida, George W. Bush was awarded the states 25 electoral votes and won the presidency through a 271 to 266 vote margin in the Electoral College.In 2016, Republican Donald Trump lost the popular vote with 62,984,825. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton received a total of 65,853,516 popular votes. In the Electoral College, Trum p was granted 306 votes to Clintons 232. It is sometimes reported that Richard M. Nixon received more popular votes in the 1960 election than winner John F. Kennedy, but official results showed Kennedy with 34,227,096 popular votes to Nixons 34,107,646. Kennedy won 303 Electoral College votes to Nixons 219 votes. Next, a candidate that loses the popular vote but wins the electoral vote must turn out to be a particularly unsuccessful and unpopular president. Otherwise, the impetus to blame the nations woes on the Electoral College system will never materialize. Finally, the constitutional amendment must get a two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress and be ratified by three-fourths of the states. Even if the first two critera were met, it remains highly unlikely that the Electoral College system would be changed or repealed. Under the above circumstances, it is probable that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would hold a strong majority of seats in Congress. Requiring a two-thirds vote from both houses, a constitutional amendment must have strong bi-partisan support—support it will not get from a split Congress. (The president cannot veto a constitutional amendment.) To be ratified and become effective, a constitutional amendment must also be approved by the legislatures of 39 out of the 50 states. By design, the Electoral College system grants the states the power to elect the president of the United States. How likely is it that 39 states are going to vote to give up that power? Moreover, 12 states control 53 percent of the votes in the Electoral College, leaving only 38 states that might even consider ratification. No Bad Results Even the harshest critics would have trouble proving that in more than 200 years of operation, the Electoral College system has produced bad results. Only twice have the electors stumbled and been unable to choose a president, thus throwing the decision to the House of Representatives. And who did the House decide on in those two cases? Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.

Value Chain Analysis - 1651 Words

Customers Name: Lecturers Name: Title: Date: 1.0 Introduction. Information technology is an emerging concept and various organizations are adopting the concept in their businesses. In order to remain at the fore front in the current dynamic world, then an organization should adopt the various application of information technology. This will put the organization at the forefront in terms of innovation as well as give the organization a competitive advantage (Hitt amp; Robert, 2011, p.10). Value chain analysis is a model that was developed by Michael Porter to help an organization develop a strategy for its organization. Michael porter suggested that organization activities can be grouped into two major categories which include†¦show more content†¦* Operations. The company has a well secured online transaction system where customers get to create an account and using their accounts, they can stream movies and television series of their choice. * Outbound logistics. These are activities that will ensure the consumer gets the final product. The company uses an online outbound logistic with the internet being the main means of delivering the product to the consumer. * Marketing and sales. The company has various marketing strategies. Through the advertisements placed on their websites, the company is able to market its products. Also, the company runs some offers where registered members are given a discount if they watch a certain number of video streams. * Ser vices. The company has high standard of services and security of information is of high integrity. Consumers’ online accounts are safe, and consumers are always guaranteed of the service they are interested in (Pride amp; Ferrell, 2012, p.25). The company’s support activities include the following; * Technology development. The company has a high state of the art technological platform that ensures timely delivery of services to consumers. The company has its operations in most countries that have high speed internet speeds. Since the company deals with online streaming, the company uses high internet connections speeds like the fibre optics. This is aimed at having the timely delivery of service to theShow MoreRelatedValue Chain Analysis And Analysis1589 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscuss and explore the value chain analysis and the internal analysis in the strategic management. The focus of this report is to study the value chain analysis in detail along with the advantages and disadvantage of the value chain analysis. Also, the internal analysis is also discussed along with its pros and cons and the SWOT analysis of Next Plc. This report also discusses the way in which organizational resources are mixed to develop com pany’s abilities, Value Chain Analysis Keane (2008) statedRead MoreAn analysis of porters value chain1188 Words   |  5 Pagesfirms can gain a competitive advantage, it is useful to model the firm as a chain of value creating activities. For this purpose, Porter identified a range of interrelated generic activities common to a wide range of firms. The resulting model is known as the value chain. According to Porter (1985), Competitive Advantage arises out of the way firms organise and arrange discrete activities. Through using the Value Chain, the activities performed by a firm competing in a particular industry canRead MoreValue Chain Analysis For Costco1000 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this paper is to do a value chain analysis of Costco, identify their resources and capabilities, to conduct a SWOT analysis to identify the opportunities in which they are lagging and to form a strategy to move forward using the recourses and capabilities in the direction of utilizing those opportunities. Value Chain Analysis for Costco Conducting a value chain analysis provides a snapshot for identifying a firm’s relative competitive performance, core competencies, and for focusingRead MoreSwot Analysis : Value Chain1514 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Value chain analysis has proven to be a useful tool for knowing how an organization can create the greatest value for its customers. Michael Porter (1985) in his book competitive advantage states that â€Å"understanding how a business creates value are essential elements for developing a competitive advantage.† [1]. According to porter (1985) value chain is â€Å"the process view of an organization, the idea of seeing an organization as a system, made up of subsystems each with inputs, transformationRead MoreCompany Analysis : Value Chain Analysis Essay1291 Words   |  6 PagesValue chain represents the internal activities a firm engages in when transforming inputs into outputs. Value chain analysis is a process where a firm identifies its primary and support activities that add value to its final product and then analyze these activities to reduce costs or increase differentiation. Value chain analysis is also a strategy tool used to analyze internal firm activities. Its goal is to recognize, which activities are the most valuable (i.e. are the source of cost or differentiationRead MoreValue Chain Analysis of Aggreko2672 Words   |  11 PagesUniversity of Stirling Pre-Masters Skills for Business Environment Value chain analysis of Aggreko Name: Rita Date: 2011 Tutor: David Dick Value chain analysis of Aggreko 1. Introduction Currently, along with the increasingly development of globalization, every walks of life has to confront with the fierce competition. Even electric power market is no exception as well. Furthermore, more and more companies have not satisfied with the domestic market, they have focused onRead MorePorters Value Chain Analysis1879 Words   |  8 PagesThe value chain shows the internal steps a company or organization takes to transform inputs into outputs (Jurevicius, 2013). As the products pass through each stage or activity, value is added until they ultimately are ready to reach the consumer. Value chain analysis a process where a firm identifies its primary and support activities that add value to its final product and then analyze these activities to reduce costs or increase differentiation (Jurevicius, 2013). The use of value chain analysisRead MoreMcdonalds Value Chain Analysis5751 Words   |  24 Pagesservice restaurant industry in terms of market share and brand value. Com mitted in quality, service, cleanliness, and value, McDonald’s must deliver its product to consumers with consistency and efficiency. This report will explore how McDonald’s corporation maintains its operational excellence through support from integration of sophisticated technologies. It suggests that to be able to apply technology in organization, value chain process must be defined and by then, information technology canRead MoreUps Value Chain Analysis864 Words   |  4 PagesValue Chain Model and Competitive Force Model BUSA 310: Dr. Chris Lee Carl Field Justin Kelly Jacob Augustine Monique Becker Value Chain Model [pic] Value Chain Model of United Postal Service United Postal Service (UPS) and every business has a Value Chain Model in order to be able to make sure that you have the best values for your internal and external customers. We have two activities, which are the Support and Primary. The UPS Support activities involve the Firm InfrastructureRead MoreAnalysis Of Ford s Value Chain Essay932 Words   |  4 PagesValue chain analysis Ford understands its value chain and regularly monitors and analyzes it as part of its â€Å"materiality analysis† (Corporateford.com., 2014, October 5). The value chain provides for Ford a road map for the identification of key impacts, stakeholders, stages of importance, and the value created which have a multinational effect impacting social, economic, and environmental factors (Corporateford.com., 2014, October 5). First is the Ford product planning and design stage of the value

Question 2 Free Essays

The passage written by Walter Lippmann, titled â€Å"The indispensible opposition† uses examples of to develop his argument. In the first paragraph the author started off with expressing what liberty of opinion means to him and to other people as well. He mentions how â€Å"political freedom- that is to say, the right to speak freely and to act in opposition-. We will write a custom essay sample on Question 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now . † In the third paragraph he mentions that â€Å"opinion is a luxury† he said this because we tend to not speak for ourselves only because we just learn how to tolerate those around us because they too have ‘rights’. This matters because in this paragraph he states his point of view, and this is how he forms his argument. In paragraph four, the author used a historic fact to support his argument. This is essentially important because he knows that people will question as to why he only used his opinion. He mentions â€Å"freedom of speech, and as a matter of practical human experience there is much more compelling reason for cultivating the habits of free men. As a conclusion our author concluded that as of right now, he believes that we missed the true of meaning of having the freedom to speak for ourselves, because often times we tend to tolerate another being’s â€Å"annoying† doing, just like when a baby next door is crying, we tend to just let it go, or even when a neighbor is playing a loud music, the author also believes that this is an act of laziness and lack of strong serious conviction, he believes that humanity needs a little push when it comes to speaking and standing up for themselves, or ourselves. He also believes that some shouldn’t take it too far as to where we offend people, he believes we need to balance. This is how Lippmann supported his argument about freedom. How to cite Question 2, Papers

Health Fitness Program Essay Example For Students

Health Fitness Program Essay The current health situation in the state of Mississippi is disastrous. The state of MS has the highest percentage of obesity in the United States. The State Health Fact says that in 2001, 61% of Mississippians were obese compared to 56% for the rest of the U.S. Female obesity in the state was a whopping 54% as compared to the rest if the U. S. at 47%. Likewise, the obesity rate for males was 69% as compared to 65% in the rest of the U.S. These figures are alarming, and the MS State Health Department says it is only getting worse. In 2002, 36% of adults were obese and in 2003, 30% of MS high school students were reported to be obese. That equals 66% obesity for the entire state. With the state of MS in downward spiral for health, people need a lifestyle change. My goal is to start a Corporate Fitness plan. Under the current market situation, the companys position is the creation and implementation of wellness programs. The basic market need is the reduction of corporate costs and the increase in employee efficiency that can be achieved through long-term wellness programs. The profile for Corporate Fitness (CF) customer consists of the following: the immediate geographic target is the state of Mississippi; the demographic makeup is 54% female, 69% male, and 36% of these individuals are adult; the behavioral factors are that the targets recognize the need for physical activity in their lives and are willing to utilize fringe benefits that are offered by their employer as part of their compensation package. Upon reviewing the possible competition, the two main competitors of Corporate Fitness are local YMCAs, whose market is primarily lower-income families and/or students who want accessibility and affordability of fitness facilitates, and local fitness centers and gyms, whose market is primarily middle to upper class who generally are fitness seekers that have a daily regimen. Through threat and opportunity analysis, our companys threats are more likely going to be from the state residents than from other businesses. Although these threats are identified, other threats to consider are a lack of immunity to an economic downturn; potential competition from larger, well established competitors; and a change in society where individuals begin to take far more responsibility for their health. With MSs current state of obesity, we do realize that we are facing a complete lifestyle change by the workers of MS. We also realize that we will be trying to intervene in peoples lives, although positively, and despite this, they will be naturally resistant to change because of human nature. With MS in an epidemic of obesity, the opportunities are endless. Some of the opportunities are outlined as follows: There will be participation within a growing market; An anticipated increase in clients will follow with the acceptance of CFs program by a single company; and the ability to influence future quantitative studies that support the debate that long-term wellness programs have a significant, positive impact on a companys bottom line. We at Corporate Fitness believe this untapped resource is the equivalent to discovering the cure for several of the most deadly diseases in modern society since obesity is at the heart of most of these ailments. Our major marketing concern is to be careful not to drive anyone away with this new service we are offering. Our managers realize that dealing with individuals health and weight is a very personal matter that some people are just not willing to discuss or deal with. Knowing this information, we want to focus on the Healthy Lifestyle change, promoting life and good health rather than a Youre out of shape and obese change. Objectives for Corporate Fitness are to provide their customers with a health care cost management program for employees that will increase employee productivity and decrease overall business costs. .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .postImageUrl , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:visited , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:active { border:0!important; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:active , .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144 .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc9e5f3c5a21a6ec3ed3b774d636e1144:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Drunk Driving Essay Corporate Fitness seeks to accomplish the following benefits that are important to their customers: Customization CF will offer a totally customized solution for each company as well as each individual employee within the company. Convenience Customers will not use the service if it is not convenient. CF recognizes this and strives to make their services as convenient as possible .