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An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to particular offices. Often these represent different organizations, political parties or entities, with each organization, political party or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way. The United States has been the only democracy in the 21st century that still uses an electoral college to select its executive president. The other democracies that used an electoral college for these elections switched to direct elections in the 19th or 20th century.[1]:215

Examples

The United States Electoral College is the only remaining electoral college in democracies where an executive president is indirectly elected.[2][3]

President of the United States

More resolutions have been submitted to amend the U.S. Electoral College mechanism than any other part of the constitution.[4] Since 1800, over 700 proposals to reform or eliminate the system have been introduced in Congress. Proponents of these proposals argued that the electoral college system does not provide for direct democratic election, affords less-populous states an advantage, and allows a candidate to win the presidency without winning the most votes. None of these proposals have received the approval of two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states required to amend the Constitution.[5] Ziblatt and Levitsky argue that America has by far the most difficult constitution to amend, which is why reform efforts have only stalled in America.[6]

Historic examples

The following examples are of electoral colleges used by democracies or dictatorships that were replaced by other mechanisms of election like direct elections during periods of democratization.

Latin America

Before 1840, all presidents in Latin America were indirectly elected by legislatures or electoral colleges.[7]:202

Brazil's military dictatorship chose its president by an electoral college starting in 1964 comprising senators, deputies, state deputies, and lawmakers in the cities. The electoral college was replaced with a two-round system direct election in 1989, after the restoration of democracy.[8]

Colombia eliminated its electoral college in 1910.[7]:205

Argentina had an electoral college for its president starting with its 1853 Constitution[9][non-primary source needed] until amended in 1949 by President Juan Perón who replaced it with direct elections by popular vote starting in 1951. After the Revolución Libertadora the 1957 reform repealed the 1949 Constitution and the electoral college was used again in the elections of 1958 and 1963. The elections of March 1973 and September 1973 used direct elections by popular vote and a not used two-round system according to the Temporary Fundamental Statute enacted by the military junta in 1972. The elections of 1983 and 1989 used again the electoral college. The constitution was amended in 1994 and the electoral college was replaced with direct elections by popular vote, using a two-round system since 1995.[8]

Paraguay had an electoral college that was established by the 1870 Constitution, which was used to elect its president. The constitution was replaced in 1940 and the electoral college was replaced with direct elections by popular vote since 1943.[8]

Chile had an electoral college established by the 1828 Constitution, which was used to elect its president in the elections from 1829 to 1920. The constitution was amended in 1925 and the electoral college was replaced with direct elections by popular vote since 1925.[8]

Europe

Norway, from 1814-1905, used regional electoral colleges to elect legislators to the Storting, before switching to direct elections.[7]:199-201

France had its president elected by the legislature from 1875 to 1954. The first presidential election of the Fifth Republic which elected Charles de Gaulle was the only presidential election where the winner was determined via an electoral college.[8] The electoral college was replaced after the 1962 referendum, with direct elections by popular vote, using a two-round system since 1965.

Finland had an electoral college for the country's president from 1925 to 1988, except 1944 (exception law), 1946 (parliament) and 1973 (extended term by exception law). The electoral college was replaced by direct elections (consisting of two-round voting) since 1994.[10]

In Spain, during the Second Republic period (1931–1936–39) the president was elected by an electoral college comprising the Parliament members and an equal number of democratically elected members ("compromisarios").[citation needed]

South Korean dictatorships (1972-1981)

During South Korea's dictatorships of the Fourth and Fifth Republics from 1972 until 1981, the president was elected by an electoral college until democratization resulted in direct elections starting in 1987. Additionally, during the Fourth Republic, one-third of members of the National Assembly were nominally elected by the same electoral college which elected the president, though in practice they were appointed by the president.[11]

Apartheid South Africa (1961-1983)

In apartheid-era South Africa from 1961 to 1983, the state president of South Africa was appointed by all the members of the House of Assembly of South Africa and the Senate of South Africa.[12] After the adoption of the 1983 Constitution, the new House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and House of Delegates would designate 50, 25, and 13 of their members to the electoral college respectively.[13] The electoral college would disappear along with the apartheid government, with the president of South Africa being elected by the South African Parliament in 1994, which is still the method of election to this day.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Levitsky, Steven; Ziblatt, Daniel (2023). Tyranny of the Minority: why American democracy reached the breaking point (First ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN 978-0-593-44307-1.
  2. ^ Ziblatt, Daniel; Levitsky, Steven (5 September 2023). "How American Democracy Fell So Far Behind". The Atlantic. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. ^ Collin, Richard Oliver; Martin, Pamela L. (1 January 2012). An Introduction to World Politics: Conflict and Consensus on a Small Planet. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 244. ISBN 9781442218031.
  4. ^ Bolotnikova, Marina N. (6 July 2020). "Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?". Harvard Magazine.
  5. ^ Neale, Thomas H.; Nolan, Andrew (28 October 2019). The National Popular Vote (NPV) Initiative: Direct Election of the President by Interstate Compact (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. ^ Levitsky, Steven; Ziblatt, Daniel (2023). "Chapter 7". Tyranny of the Minority: why American democracy reached the breaking point (First ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN 978-0-593-44307-1.
  7. ^ a b c Levitsky, Steven; Ziblatt, Daniel (2023). Tyranny of the Minority: why American democracy reached the breaking point (First ed.). New York: Crown. ISBN 978-0-593-44307-1.
  8. ^ a b c d e Ziblatt, Daniel; Levitsky, Steven (5 September 2023). "How American Democracy Fell So Far Behind". The Atlantic. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  9. ^ The Constitution of Argentina of 1853, 32nd to 63rd Articles – Retrieved 16 January 2015
  10. ^ Isotalus, Pekka (2001). "Presidential Campaigning in Finland and Americanization". World Communication. 30 (2): 13.
  11. ^ Kim, Sunhyuk (2010). "Collaborative Governance in South Korea: Citizen Participation in Policy Making and Welfare Service Provision". Asian Perspective. 34 (3): 166. ISSN 0258-9184.
  12. ^ Africa, enacted the Parliament of South. Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1961.
  13. ^ Africa, enacted the Parliament of South. Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1983.
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