Would A National Popular Vote Be Better Than The Electoral College?

For Americans and people around the world, one of the great mysteries is the electoral college. The Founding fathers created the electoral college as a compromise between allowing the Senate to elect the President and the people. Unlike most of the world, U.S. voters are not voting for the President in their elections. Instead, they are voting for a group of electors from their state to cast a vote for the President. The complexity of the electoral college system has led to calls for the U.S. to the simpler popular vote model.

How Does the Electoral College Work?

In 1787, politicians in the U.S. had become deadlocked about how they would elect a President. The options available included a first past the post-winner-takes-all popular vote. The second option was for Congress to vote on who would be in charge of the nation.

A bitter split emerged between the northern and southern states regarding the best way to elect a President. To balance the needs of the north and the south, the Electoral College was created. The winner of the popular vote in each state is voted for by a group of electors who usually follow the result of the popular vote as they elect the President.

Rogue Voters

Electors have occasionally turned against the voters of their state. In 2016, two electors changed the name of the winning candidate in their states as part of a “not trump” campaign. A legal battle ensued that ended at the Supreme Court. The decision from the Supreme Court explained the Founding Fathers did not require the Electoral College electors to follow the results of the popular vote.

Why Switch to a Popular Vote?

Way back in 1934, politicians fell just two votes short of switching from the Electoral College to the popular vote. Support remains high among Democrats for a switch, but Republican voters feel the Electoral College gives them a better chance of winning The White House.

The biggest argument for switching to the popular vote is how Presidential candidates spend their time on the campaign trail. In Presidential elections in the 21st-century, candidates have focused their time and attention on four states. These swing states hold the keys to The White House because the other 46 states and the District of Columbia vote along party lines. Presidential candidates have spent the majority of their time and money in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio in the 21st-century. By prioritizing these states, candidates are ignoring the majority of voters they hope will vote along traditional party lines.

Losing the Popular Vote but Winning the Election

In 2016, President Donald Trump won the electoral college and took The White House. The problem for Democrats was that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by three million, without taking the swing states needed to win the election. President George W. Bush also won the Electoral College while losing the popular vote to Vice President Al Gore in 2000.

Several states have introduced legislation to allow the popular vote to be used to elect the President. 33 states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation to require electors to cast their vote with the people. The legal framework has already been passed in 15 states and the District of Columbia in preparation for a switch to using the popular vote in Presidential elections. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement requiring state electors to follow the results of the popular vote.

Using the popular vote is growing in popularity, but changing the Constitution is a drawn-out process. Although the majority of voters support changing the election model, political leaders show little enthusiasm for the change.

RNC Chairman: Roles and Responsibilities

The Republican National Committee is the primary driving force behind our nation’s conservative political party. It is vital to the election pursuits of Republican politicians on the national and state levels.

The first rule in the organizational guidelines of the Republican National Committee clearly signifies the critical role the RNC plays in the general management of the party. There are two key positions in the RNC that are elected. Both the chair and co-chair of the RNC are full-time paid positions.

Republican National Committee Overview

The first Republican National Committee was formed in 1856. Originally, the RNC was composed of a single member from each U.S. state and territory. The RNC equally represents each state regardless of population.

In 1952, various guidelines were included to expand committee membership to reflect Republican sentiment in individual states. Since 2011, there are 168 members on the RNC. One chairman of the RNC went on to become President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.

Numerous Republican state governors have served as RNC chair. Across the last decade, the demographic of the Republican Party has been changing. This has been a central focus of the RNC, especially the chairperson.

The RNC’s key role is to provide direction and leadership to the Republican Party. It is the most powerful single body behind conservative politics in the United States. Let’s look at the roles and responsibilities for the person elected to chair this vital part of the Republican Party.

The Role and Responsibilities of the RNC Chair

The duties and responsibilities of the individual who has been designated as the RNC chair span an array of areas. Many have assumed the chair role on a national level after serving as the chairperson for an individual state.

Current RNC chairperson, Ronna McDaniel first served as chair to the Michigan Republican Party before assuming her current role as RNC chair. Let’s explore the role the RNC chairperson plays, including some important responsibilities.

The Face of the RNC

While the more prominent elected members of the Republican Party are more visibly recognizable as the face of the party, the RNC chairperson generates a massive amount of media exposure. They must have a strong public presence. As such they don’t get too deep into more fringe political issues that could lead to backlash, such as restrictions on residential water usage or the regulation of emerging pet products.

During various election cycles, the RNC chairperson will make numerous public appearances across multiple media outlets. The chair will do interviews addressing the election strategy and policy focus of the Republican Party. One key role of the chairperson is as the face of the RNC.

Election Strategy

The RNC chairperson must be a skilled communicator. This person will speak publicly concerning the vision of the Republican Party. There will be calls to debate contentious policy differences with the individual elected to chair the Democrat National Committee.

The ability of the RNC chairperson to articulate election strategy across the entire Republican Party is critical. This individual chairs vital meetings of all RNC members. Election strategies are made by group decision, but it is the RNC chair’s duty to formulate a plan for explaining this strategy to the voting public.

Fundraising and Recruitment

The RNC Chairperson works closely with the RNC board to coordinate fundraising and recruitment. They help establish the goals and develop a strategy for meeting these goals. Together with board members, the chairperson helps to design the RNC’s message.

The RNC chairperson helps organize the public efforts to build campaign donations and recruit new voters to the Republican Party. These are two of the most important responsibilities of the RNC chair.

It is the responsibility of the RNC chairperson to nominate the RNC, a chairman for the Republican Finance Committee. Blended with strong public communication skills, the RNC chairperson is a vital part of fundraising and recruitment.

Appointment of Counsel

Another important responsibility of the RNC chairperson is to appoint a general counsel to the Republican National Committee. This individual, including a staff, serves as counsel to various RNC committees and sub-committees. The council is approved by RNC vote but serves at the will of the RNC chairperson.

Member of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee

The RNC chairperson is also the lead member of the important RNC Executive Committee. This committee has the power to utilize all executive and administrative functions of the RNC. The Executive Committee coordinates the election of officers to the RNC.

Executive Committee members, including the RNC chairperson, orchestrate the time, date, and location for the Republican National Convention. This committee is also entrusted with filing the nomination for the President and Vice-President for the Republican Party.

The Republican National Committee is a vital force within the Republican Party. It is the national organization that formulates the conservative party’s strategy. The RNC is the voice of conservative politics, and the RNC chairperson is the face of that voice. While not as visible as the actual candidates themselves, the RNC chairperson is a vital cog in the Republican Party.