Taming the Electoral College / Robert W. Bennett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bennett, Robert W., Author.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 p.)

Place of Publication:

Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, [2022]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Taming the Electoral College explores poorly understood aspects of the electoral college, including two possibilities in particular that could pose the most serious danger for American democracy. These are, first, determination of the president by "faithless electors" who ignore the popular vote in their states, and, second, choice of the president in the House of Representatives, which is required if no electoral college majority votes in favor of a single candidate. In any given election, neither of these outcomes is likely, but the 2000 election showed that we would do well to take both of them seriously and take action now to prevent them from occurring. Both possibilities could be dealt with by constitutional amendment, but amendment is difficult to achieve, particularly as it bears on the electoral college process. This engaging book instead offers nonconstitutional solutions to the two possibilities, as well as to a variety of other problems that lurk in the shadows of the electoral college process. It also offers a way to work toward popular election of the president without a constitutional amendment.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

2. A Critical Short History of the Electoral College, Part I: From the Constitutional Convention Through the Twelfth Amendment

3. A Critical Short History of the Electoral College, Part II: Operating Under the Twelfth Amen

4. Evaluating the Electoral College: The Nationwide Popular Vote Alternative

5. The Contingent Procedure for Selection of the President by the House of Representatives

6. The Case of Two Candidates Ending Up in an Electoral College Tie

7. The Problem of Faithless Electors

8. Electoral Votes for Third-Party (or Independent) Candidates

9. Miscellaneous Pitfalls in the Electoral College Process

10. Popular Election of the President Without a Constitutional Amendment

11. Conclusion

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 31. Jan 2022)

ISBN:

1-5036-2597-4

OCLC:

1294423735