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In the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election, there have been many calls for reform of the Electoral College system used by the United States. Most of those calling for reform feel it is unjust for a candidate who receives the most votes to be denied office in favor of a less popular candidate. In the last installment of Congress Watch, I demonstrated the scope of the problem and suggested a possible remedy. Click here to read that discussion.
Unnoticed in all this hubbub is the ongoing discussion in the U.S. Congress of this very problem. Even before the election, members of Congress brought forward legislation to address perceived problems in our electoral system. House Joint Resolution 113 and Senate Joint Resolution 56 propose an amendment to the Constitution that would abolish the Electoral College and provide for the popular election of the President. In the House of Representatives, prominent supporters of this amendment include Ray LaHood, Jim Leach, Rod Blagojevich and Bob Wise. Senators Richard Durbin and Tim Johnson are leading the charge for the Constitutional amendment in their chamber. What's interesting in the pattern of Congressional support is precisely the lack of a pattern. Naysayers have argued that representatives of small states would block ratification of such an amendment, since small states benefit from the current system (for more on this point, see here). Yet of the six supporters listed above, three come from states with fewer than 10 electoral votes. Some others have suggested that Republicans would not support a change in the Electoral College system because it would lend advantage to the Democrats, whose supporters tend to reside in states with large populations. Yet a full third of Congressional supporters are Republican. If this pattern of support persists in its expansion, then a constitutional amendment indeed seems possible. As I've pointed out elsewhere, there are solutions to the electoral/popular problem out there that don't require the abolition of the electoral college. Indeed, more moderate action has also been proposed in the Congress. Peter DeFazio (a Democrat from Oregon) and Jim Leach (a Republican from Illinois) have introduced legislation in the wake of the election that would establish a commission, the purpose of which would be to study the Federal election process and recommend remedies. The purview of this commission would be quite broad, including ballot access, ballot design, voting irregularities, primaries and debates as well as the Electoral College. With the ability to collect evidence, hold hearings and make recommendations, such a commission could serve as a focal point for reformist energies. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Electoral Reform in the U.S. Congress in Congress Watch is owned by James Cook. Permission to republish Electoral Reform in the U.S. Congress in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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