Effects of Institutions: The Electoral College.
(1-A) Perhaps one of the most deceiving aspects of the United States presidential election is the widespread belief that presidents are elected by popular vote. In truth, presidents are elected by a specific number of individuals who make up an electoral college. This distinction reveals that when citizens cast their votes for president, they are in actuality voting for a candidate's electoral representation (who are party-selected individuals not working for the federal government) (Sahr, "Operation."). The procedure for distributing electoral votes within the state is chosen "by a process determined by each state" (Fiorina 49). The vast majority of states employ the "winner-take-all" method, in which the candidate receiving a plurality of the states" popular votes will get all of the electoral votes (Fiorina 297). However, there are two states, Maine and Nebraska, which distribute the electoral votes among the state senators and the congressional districts (Lecture, February 6). Each state selects the same number of electors as it has senators and representatives in Congress, creating a sum total of 538 members of the electoral college. When the results from the states" general election are confirmed, the electors representing the winning candidate travel to the state capitol and cast their vote (Sahr, "Operation."). The presidential candidate receiving a majority of the electoral votes (270) becomes the president of the United States. If no majority decision can be made, the president is then chosen by the House of Representatives (Fiorina 49). Thus, the president is elected by a set of chosen representatives and not by direct vote of the American people.
As the presidential election of 2000 demonstrates, the electoral college has a .
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tremendous influence on the election process as a whole. However, this impact is evident before the election even takes place.
