Adam Ruins Everything - Why the Electoral College Ruins Democracy

truTV

9 Nov 201504:46

Summary

TLDRThe video humorously critiques the Electoral College system in the U.S., highlighting its undemocratic aspects. It explains how smaller states have disproportionately more electoral power than larger ones, and how swing states dominate presidential elections, leaving many voters' voices unheard. The script also reveals the complex and often overlooked role of electors, who can vote independently in some states. The video touches on the founding fathers' intentions, the system's flaws, and historical attempts to abolish it, all while maintaining a comedic and engaging tone.

Takeaways

📊 The Electoral College system disproportionately favors smaller states, giving voters in states like Wyoming more influence than those in larger states like California.
⚖️ Wyoming has one electoral vote for every 135,000 voters, while California has one for every 411,000 voters, creating an imbalance in voter power.
🌍 The entire election outcome is often determined by a few swing states, leading to most of the country being ignored by presidential candidates.
🗳️ Swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio dominate election focus, while up to 80% of votes nationwide may have little impact on the result.
💡 Many states, including Texas and California, have significant minority votes for the 'other' party, but the winner-take-all system invalidates these votes.
🏛️ Electors are the individuals who actually cast votes for the president, and they are often party insiders or former politicians.
🤷‍♂️ In 24 states, electors aren't required to vote according to the popular vote, and there have been over 80 instances where electors didn't follow the public's choice.
😮 An example from 2004 shows an elector mistakenly casting a vote for the wrong candidate, demonstrating the system's potential for error.
📅 The Electoral College has been criticized for centuries, but efforts to abolish it have faced significant political resistance.
🔙 The Founding Fathers originally designed the Electoral College, but they didn't intend for most Americans, including women and non-landowners, to have voting rights.

Q & A

What is the main criticism of the Electoral College presented in the script?
-The main criticism is that the Electoral College is undemocratic because it gives unequal power to voters depending on their state, with smaller states having disproportionately more influence compared to larger states.
How does the voting power in Wyoming compare to California in the Electoral College?
-In Wyoming, one electoral vote represents approximately 135,000 voters, whereas in California, one electoral vote represents around 411,000 voters. This means Wyoming voters have roughly three times more power in the Electoral College compared to California voters.
What are swing states, and why are they significant in the Electoral College system?
-Swing states are states that do not consistently vote for the same political party, making them critical for candidates to win. They are significant because they determine the outcome of the election, leading presidential candidates to focus their campaigns almost entirely on these states, while ignoring others.
How does the Electoral College affect the way presidential candidates campaign?
-Presidential candidates focus their efforts on swing states, like Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, because these states determine the election's outcome. This results in most of the country being largely ignored during campaigns.
What percentage of votes in recent elections had no impact on the outcome, according to the script?
-According to the script, up to 80% of all votes cast in recent elections had no impact on the outcome due to the focus on swing states.
Why are most states considered 'purple,' according to the script?
-Most states are considered 'purple' because they have a significant number of voters supporting both political parties. For example, millions of Texans voted Democrat, and millions of Californians voted Republican in 2012, showing that these states are not purely 'red' or 'blue.'
What would happen if electoral votes were awarded proportionately instead of using the winner-take-all system?
-If electoral votes were awarded proportionately, candidates from both parties would receive a share of each state's electoral votes. For example, in 2012, 16 of Texas's electoral votes would have gone to Obama, and 20 of California's would have gone to Romney, providing more representation for minority party voters in each state.
Who are the electors in the Electoral College, and what role do they play?
-Electors are individuals, often retired politicians or party affiliates, who cast the official votes for president on behalf of their states. When people vote in a presidential election, they are actually voting to select these electors.
Can electors vote differently from the popular vote in their state?
-Yes, in 24 states, electors are not legally bound to vote according to the popular vote, and there have been over 80 instances where electors voted differently from what was expected, sometimes due to mistakes or personal decisions.
What is the historical context of the Electoral College as explained in the script?
-The Electoral College was designed by the founding fathers, who intended for a complex system of electing the president. They did not originally envision universal suffrage, excluding most Americans, including women and people without property, from voting.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Electoral College: An Undemocratic System

This paragraph introduces the concept of the Electoral College and critiques it as an undemocratic system. It explains how the system gives more power to voters in smaller states like Wyoming, where each electoral vote represents fewer people compared to larger states like California. As a result, voters in smaller states have more influence in presidential elections, creating an imbalance that makes some votes count more than others.

🎢 Swing States: A Flawed Focus of Presidential Elections

This section highlights how the Electoral College creates 'swing states' where election outcomes are decided by a few key states. It describes how presidential candidates focus on swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, while ignoring most of the country. The result is that the majority of votes cast in non-swing states don't impact the election's outcome, diminishing the importance of votes in states that are solidly red or blue.

🎨 Purple States: The Reality Behind Red and Blue States

This paragraph explores the misconception of states being entirely red or blue. It mentions that many states, including Texas and California, have millions of voters who support the minority party, making them 'purple.' If electoral votes were distributed proportionally based on the popular vote, the results in some states would be more representative of the diverse political views within them, rather than the current winner-takes-all system.

🗳️ Electors: The Real Decision Makers

Here, the focus shifts to the electors, the individuals who actually cast the votes for president. When citizens vote, they are selecting their state's electors, who then vote for the president. Surprisingly, in 24 states, electors are not bound to vote for the candidate chosen by the popular vote, which has led to cases of electors casting votes for the wrong candidate, as happened in 2004 with an elector in Minnesota.

🤯 Efforts to Abolish the Electoral College

This section discusses how the Electoral College has been criticized for centuries, with many attempts made to abolish it due to its undemocratic nature. Despite these efforts, it remains in place because of the political difficulty in changing the system. The paragraph closes with a humorous reflection on the flawed nature of the system, followed by a transition into a comedic commentary from the speaker.

⏳ The Founding Fathers' Intentions

This final paragraph explores the intentions of the Founding Fathers when creating the Electoral College. The speaker challenges the reverence often given to the Founding Fathers, pointing out that their original system didn't grant voting rights to many Americans, including women and people of color. This historical perspective shows how the system was designed in a very different time and for a very different electorate.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Electoral College

The Electoral College is a process established by the United States Constitution for the selection of the president and vice president. It consists of electors chosen by each state who meet to cast votes for the president and vice president. In the video, it is criticized as an undemocratic system because it gives more power to voters in smaller states, which can lead to a candidate winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote.

💡undemocratic

The term 'undemocratic' refers to a system or process that does not support or uphold democratic principles, such as equal representation or majority rule. In the context of the video, the Electoral College is labeled as undemocratic because it can result in a situation where the candidate who receives fewer votes overall can still win the presidency due to the distribution of electoral votes.

💡electoral votes

Electoral votes are the votes cast by the electors in the Electoral College. Each state has a number of electors equal to its total number of senators and representatives in Congress. The video points out the disproportion in the value of electoral votes among states, with smaller states having more influence per voter than larger ones.

💡Wyoming

Wyoming is used in the video as an example of a small state with relatively more electoral power per voter. With a low population, it has three electoral votes, which translates to one for every 135,000 voters, giving its residents more influence in the Electoral College compared to those in more populous states.

💡California

California is highlighted in the video as an example of a large state with less electoral power per voter. Despite its large population, it has 55 electoral votes, or one for every 411,000 voters, which means it takes three times as many Californians to earn one electoral vote compared to Wyoming.

💡swing states

Swing states, also known as battleground states, are states where the outcome of an election is uncertain and can potentially sway the overall result. The video argues that the focus on swing states can lead to candidates ignoring the rest of the country, as they concentrate their efforts on winning these key states.

💡red states

Red states are those that traditionally vote for Republican candidates in U.S. elections. The video uses the term to illustrate the point that despite the general 'red' or 'blue' labels, many states have a mix of political preferences, and the Electoral College system can overshadow the will of the people within those states.

💡blue states

Blue states are those that traditionally vote for Democratic candidates in U.S. elections. Similar to red states, the video points out that the binary classification can be misleading, as even blue states like California have a significant number of voters who support Republican candidates.

💡electors

Electors are the individuals who are chosen by political parties and who officially cast votes in the Electoral College. The video humorously describes them as often being retired politicians or party favorites, emphasizing the potential for the Electoral College to be influenced by a select group rather than the general populace.

💡faithless elector

A faithless elector is an elector who does not vote for the presidential candidate for whom they had pledged to vote. The video mentions an instance where an elector voted for the wrong person, illustrating that while electors are expected to vote according to the popular vote in their state, there have been instances of them voting against the popular will.

💡founding fathers

The founding fathers are the individuals responsible for the creation of the United States Constitution. The video suggests a critique of the Electoral College by implying that while these figures are often revered, their creation of the Electoral College system may not have been in the best interest of democratic principles.

Highlights

The Electoral College is a ridiculous and undemocratic system that gives more power to voters depending on their state.

Voters in smaller states like Wyoming have significantly more power in the Electoral College compared to larger states like California.

In Wyoming, each electoral vote represents 135,000 voters, whereas in California, it represents 411,000 voters, making Wyoming voters three times more powerful.

The Electoral College creates 'swing states' where the entire election is determined by a few states, allowing candidates to ignore the majority of the country.

Presidential candidates only focus on swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, ignoring other regions of the country.

In recent elections, up to 80% of votes in the U.S. had no impact on the outcome due to the focus on swing states.

Although some states are traditionally red or blue, many states are actually more politically diverse or 'purple.'

In 2012, millions of Texans voted Democrat, and millions of Californians voted Republican, showing the states' political diversity.

If electoral votes were awarded proportionally, 16 of Texas's votes would have gone to Obama in 2012, and 20 of California's would have gone to Romney.

The 'winner-takes-all' system discourages voters from supporting their state’s losing party, as their votes will have no impact.

When citizens vote, they are actually voting for their state’s electors, not directly for the president.

Electors are often retired politicians or political insiders, and in 24 states, they can vote for whoever they want, not necessarily who the state voted for.

In 2004, an elector from Minnesota cast a vote for 'John Ewards' instead of John Edwards, showing that errors can occur in the Electoral College process.

Attempts to abolish the Electoral College have been ongoing for centuries but have been politically impossible to achieve.

The founding fathers designed the Electoral College system, but they didn't intend for most Americans, including women and minorities, to have the right to vote.