Is the Electoral College Good for America?
Join Professor George Edwards for an analysis of the consequences of the Electoral College for democracy.
George Edwards, Texas A&M University
The Electoral College is a unique means of electing a chief executive, but is it a good one? Is it consistent with democracy? Leading expert George Edwards analyzes the consequences of the Electoral College for democracy and explains why it allows the candidate who loses the popular vote to win the election. Then he explores possible justifications for this violation of democratic principles. Does the Electoral College protect interests that require protection, preserve the party system, maintain national cohesion, or provide a foundation for federalism? Edwards answers these questions and offers an alternative means of selecting the president.
Recorded:
Duration:
About the speaker
Dr. George C. Edwards III, Texas A&M University
George C. Edwards III is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus at Texas A&M University. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Oxford. A leading scholar of the presidency, he has written or edited 26 books on American politics, including Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, 2020 Presidential Election Edition. He is also editor of Presidential Studies Quarterly and general editor of the Oxford Handbook of American Politics series.
Dr. Edwards has served as president of the Presidency Research Section of the American Political Science Association, which has named its annual Dissertation Prize in his honor and awarded him its Career Achievement Award. He has served as both the Olin and the Winant Professor of American Government at Oxford and the John Adams Fellow at the University of London, and has held senior visiting appointments at Sciences Po-Paris, Peking University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.