1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910793756703321

Autore

Hardaway Robert M.

Titolo

Saving the electoral college : why the national popular vote would undermine democracy / / Robert M. Hardaway

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Westport, CT : , : Praeger, , 2019

New York : , : Bloomsbury Publishing (US), , 2023

ISBN

979-82-16-01095-1

979-82-16-14167-9

1-4408-6996-0

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xv, 195 pages)

Collana

Gale eBooks

Disciplina

324.63

Soggetti

Elections & referenda

Democracy - United States

Direct election - United States

Presidents - United States - Election

Electoral college - United States

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Preface  Acknowledgments  Chapter 1  Introduction: John F. Kennedy's Vision of Federalism Chapter 2  The Solar System of Government Power Chapter 3  Electing a President: The Framers' Vision Chapter 4  The Direct Election Illusion Chapter 5  The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Chapter 6  The Grand Compromise and the Unit Vote: Myths and Misdirection Chapter 7  Presidential Campaigns and Incentives: "That's Where the Votes Are" Chapter 8  Legitimacy and Certainty Chapter 9  The Recount Problem Chapter 10  Myths about the Electoral College: A Response Chapter 11  Reform: Proposals and Alternatives Chapter 12  Conclusion: The Case for Preserving Federalism  Appendix A. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact: California's Bill Appendix B. Selected Provisions of the U.S. Constitution Relating to the Electoral College  Notes Bibliography Index

Sommario/riassunto

The 2016 election caused many pundits and citizens alike to decry the Electoral College. This book explains the dangerous and unconstitutional implications of the National Popular Vote Bill, which is



quietly passing in state houses across the nation.  Ever since the Founding Fathers created the Electoral College, Congress has tried to overturn it. The latest attempt is taking place not in Congress, but in state legislatures around the country, where a well-financed campaign by a private California group calling itself "National Popular Vote" (NPV) is proposing an "interstate compact" to circumvent the process for amending the U.S. Constitution. If adopted by states representing a majority of electoral votes, the signatory states would bind themselves to ignore the popular votes within their respective states, and instead allocate their electoral votes to the candidate whom the media proclaimed to be the "national popular vote" winner.   In this new history of the Electoral College, law professor Robert M. Hardaway lays bare the constitutional loopholes that have allowed this movement to succeed in states representing approximately half the electoral votes necessary to purportedly bind those states to ignore the popular vote of the people within their respective states. The presentation of the information in this book to state legislatures considering the compact, resulted in complete reversal of preconceived perceptions about how presidential elections should be conducted.