'One Difficulty…of a Serious Nature': The Overlooked Racial Dynamics of the Electoral College

Autor:	William D. Blake
Rok vydání:	2019
Předmět:	Sociology and Political Science Dynamics (music) Political economy Political science 0502 economics and business 05 social sciences 050602 political science & public administration General Social Sciences Electoral college 050207 economics 0506 political science
Zdroj:	The Forum. 17:315-343
ISSN:	1540-8884 2194-6183
DOI:	10.1515/for-2019-0019
Popis:	This paper explores the racial origins and legacy of the Electoral College through historical and quantitative analyses. At the Constitutional Convention, the Electoral College served the interests of Southern slaveowners by perpetuating the advantage of the Three-Fifths Compromise. Following Reconstruction, Southern states that disenfranchised African Americans received an even larger voice in the Electoral College. Republicans tried to counter these moves by admitting unusually small states into the union. The ironic consequence of this non-racial decision is that, today, these states are heavily White and have citizens with higher levels of racial resentment. A MM-regression analysis of every election from 2000 on indicates the Electoral College has consistently awarded more votes per capita to states with Whiter populations and more racially conservative attitudes. The racially-disparate power exerted by these states makes it more difficult to enact racially-egalitarian policies. This paper adds a new perspective to the normative debate over the Electoral College, which typically focuses on democratic fairness and federalism concerns.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::f17c15ffb7cf8baef7b7b9b453f74687 https://doi.org/10.1515/for-2019-0019 Zobrazit plný text záznamu