2020 Election

[masterpanthera_t]

(11-06-2020, 02:59 PM)Dill Wrote:
But does the EC make our system less representative of states? That is a question still important to me.

That our federal system is not what we learned in high school, and/or is messy, has changed over time etc., is not in itself reason to weaken state power vis a vis federal. 

And it still seems to me that going directly to a popular vote for the Exec would create a serious imbalance in power between rural and urban STATES.  For me its about THAT and not whether a farmer's individual vote counts more than a city dweller's. 

I am happy that so-called NATIONAL parties must pay attention to small "battleground" states every election. 

As I said in a previous post, when people are asking why an individual farmer's vote in North Dakota should count more than an individual bank teller in New York City, it seems to me they have simply erased the dual system and are regarding the US as a French/Japanese-style unitary government. Unfair that Arturo's vote should count more than a Parisian's. So it's unfair if a North Dakota farmer's vote count's more than the NY bank teller's, but perfectly fair if a load of Caly/NY votes opens a public lands in ND to strip mining.

I don't claim to have this all sorted out. I am still pondering comparisons with other federal systems comprising regional governments with strong, distinct identities, and powers protected from the central gov. (e.g. Germany and Switzerland) and so, in theory, am open to dissuasion.

My response is going to be unfairly brief for the points you bring up, but I believe the answers lie in BmorePat's responses to similar points earlier in the thread. Basically, he argues for doing away winner take all so that individual votes within a state carry a proportional weight within the state, but NOT doing away the EC, so that states still maintain a voice in the election of the President. Along with equal representation baked into the Senate, this gives a fair weightage to all citizens from all states. But the key lies in abolishing winner take all. Correct me if I've misrepresented your position Pat.

EDIT: Other points regarding different versions of government, I'm ignoring because that is not something in which I'm well versed.