Purposes and Effects of the Electoral College

Since the United States Constitution was ratified, there have been five Presidential elections where the candidate who won the popular vote did not have enough Electoral College votes to be elected as President.  These elections were as follows:   1824 – John Quincy Adams defeated Andrew Jackson1876 – Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel J. Tilden1888 – Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland2000 – George W. Bush defeated Al Gore2016 – Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.It should be noted that there is a significant amount of evidence to question whether John F. Kennedy collected more popular votes than Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 election due to severe irregularities in Alabama voting results. The results of the 2016 election have brought forth a great deal of debate with respect to the continued viability of the Electoral College.  Ironically, a Senator from California (which is the largest U.S. state—and an important consideration in this debate) has filed legislation in an attempt to start the process necessary to amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure that the winner of the popular vote becomes the President-elect—but is that truly what was contemplated by the intent of the founding fathers of the United States? The Committee of Eleven and the Electoral College In 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were extremely divided about how the President of the newly formed country should be elected, and this issue was sent to the Committee of Eleven on Postponed Matters.  This Committee of Elevens purpose was to resolve issues that could not be agreed upon by all the members.  In establishing the Electoral College, the Committee of Eleven attempted to resolve the conflict between state rights and federalism issues.   While the Electoral College provides that U.S. citizens could participate by voting, it also gave protection to the rights of the smaller and less populous states by giving each state one Elector for each of the two U.S. Senators as well as for each member of the U.S. State of Representatives.  The workings of the Electoral College also achieved a goal of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that the U.S. Congress would not have any input in the Presidential election whatsoever. Federalism in America   In order to understand why the Electoral College was devised, it is important to acknowledge that under the U.S. Constitution, both the federal government and the individual states share very specific powers. One of the most important concepts from the Constitution is Federalism, which, in 1787, was extremely innovative. Federalism arose as a means to exclude the weaknesses and hardships of both a unitary system and a confederation James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that the U.S. system of government is neither wholly national nor wholly federal. Federalism was the result of years of being oppressed by the British and deciding that the U.S. government would be grounded on specified rights; while at the same time the founding fathers did not want to make the same mistake that had been made under the Articles of Confederation where essentially each individual state was its’ own sovereignty and could override the laws of the Confederation. Arguably, the issue of state rights versus a strong federal government ended shortly after the America Civil War and the post-war period of Reconstruction. Since then, the U.S. political scene has been made up of two separate and ideologically distinct major partisan groups – the Democratic and Republican Parties. In addition, there are a number of third or otherwise independent parties. The Effect of the Electoral College on Voter Turnout U.S national elections have a significant history of voter apathy, which over the last several decades show that only about 55 to 60 percent of those eligible will actually vote.  An August 2016 study by the Pew Research Center  ranks the U.S. voter turnout at 31 out of 35 countries with a democratic government. Belgium had the highest rate at 87 percent, Turkey was second at 84 percent and Sweden was third at 82 percent. A strong argument can be made that U.S. voter turnout in Presidential elections stems from the fact that, due to the Electoral College, every vote does not count. In the 2016 election, Clinton had 8,167,349 votes to Trump’s 4,238,545 in California which has voted Democratic in every Presidential election since 1992. In addition, Trump had 4,683,352 votes to Clinton’s 3,868,291 in Texas which has voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1980. Further, Clinton had 4,149,500 votes to Trump’s 2,639,994 in New York which has voted Democratic in every Presidential election since 1988. California, Texas and New York are the three most populated states and have a combined 122 Electoral College votes. The statistics support the argument of many that under the present Electoral College system, a Republican presidential vote in California or New York does not matter, just as a Democratic presidential vote in Texas does not matter. These are only three examples, but the same can be stated as true in the predominantly Democratic New England states and the historically Republican Southern states. It is entirely probable that voter apathy in the United States is due to the belief held by many citizens that their vote will not have any effect on the outcome of the Presidential election. Campaign Strategies and the Electoral College When looking at the popular vote, another consideration should be campaign strategies and finances. Taking into consideration the historical vote of a particular state, a presidential candidate may decide to avoid campaigning and or advertising in that state. Instead, they will make more appearances in states that are more evenly divided and can be won to add onto the number of Electoral votes which are required to win the Presidency.   One final issue to consider when weighing the merits of the Electoral College is when does the U.S. Presidential vote become final. The popular vote occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every fourth even year that is divisible by four; then the Electors of the Electoral College meet in their home states on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December of the same year, and it isn’t until January 6th immediately following the election that the joint session of Congress counts and certifies the votes. However, this seems to be moot seeing that during the 20th Century, in eight different Presidential elections, there has been a sole elector who did not vote consistent with that Elector’s states popular vote. In other words, the results on election night reflect the final electoral college vote.   In every election where the individual who lost the popular vote was voted in, there have been calls for ending the Electoral College. Obviously, this would not affect the outcome of the 2016 election but it could have an impact on future elections, some of which might be unforeseen.

The Enron And Arthur Anderson Scandal - 1758 Words

According to Ronald F. Duska and Brenda S. Duska, the auditing profession has come under extreme criticism since the Enron/Arthur Anderson scandal came to light. This scandal took the financial industry and the business world by surprise due to the respect and value that Arthur Anderson commanded at the time and also considering the size and magnitude of the client involved, Enron. Arthur Anderson was one of the big five accounting firms in the world who engages in financial audits world over. These audits to the financial statements of Multinational Corporation like Enron are done with a single core purpose in mind, which is to express an opinion on the financial health of the corporation. These opinions according to the authors are very†¦show more content†¦The auditing profession by nature entails a person to be as trustworthy as they can possibly be since the need to be free from â€Å"undue influence† is not only expected but should exceed all expectations. The n eed for an auditor to have a clear mind, free from all distractions, can be compared to a surgeon attempting to perform a high-risk surgery where his actions would ultimately determine whether the person undergoing the surgery lives or dies. Saving lives is a universal principal and almost everyone acts upon it and so we have more lives saved than lost. Similarly stakeholders’ trust that auditors will act with integrity and honesty, which will enable them to see beyond the greed of money, therefore, act in the appropriate manner that will sustain the livelihood of the stakeholders. Relating to the importance of honesty, the authors highlighted Immanuel Kant theory, ‘Kant’s first categorical imperative, the universalizability principle: ‘act so you can will the maxim of your actions to be a universal law.’ Which supports the notion that it is also in the best interest for auditors to be ethical and trustworthy in order to sustain the functions of audi ting. 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To compete wit h other companys executives have turned to corrupt practices. Once respected businesses like Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Anderson have been found deceiving there customers, stockholders, and employees. C.E.O.s try to achieve the American dream and pursue capitalism to its fullest potential. In doing so, business leaders have lost their values and ethics, and make bad business decisions. The downfalls of a company are the consequence ofRead MoreRise Fall of Arthur Andersen, LLP1016 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ March 4, 2014 Rise Fall of Arthur Andersen, LLP Abstract Enron was a natural gas company that was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay. By 1992, Enron was the largest selling company of natural gas in North America. In October 2001 a scandal involving Enron was emerging. This scandal led to the fall of the company. 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Existentialism (512 words) Essay Example For Students

Existentialism (512 words) Essay ExistentialismExistentialism is a concept that became popular during the secondWorld War in France, and just after it. French playrights have often usedthe stage to express their views, and these views came to surface evenduring a Nazi occupation. Bernard Shaw got his play Saint Joan past theGerman censors because it appeared to be very Anti-British. Frenchaudiences however immediately understood the real meaning of the play, andreplaced the British with the Germans. Those sorts of hidden meaningswere common throughout the period so that plays would be able to passcensorship. Existentialism proposes that man is full of anxiety and desparewith no meaning in his life, just simply existing, until he made decisivechoice about his own future. That is the way to achieve dignity as a humanbeing. Existentialists felt that adopting a social or political cause wasone way of giving purpose to a life. Sartre is well known for the Theatreengage or Theatre commited, which is supposedly commited to socialand/or political action. On of the major playwrights during this period was Jean-PaulSartre. Sartre had been imprisoned in Germany in 1940 but managed toescape, and become one of the leaders of the Existential movement. Otherpopular playwrights were Albert Camus, and Jean Anouilh. Just likeAnouilh, Camus accidentally became the spokesman for the French Undergroundwhen he wrote his famous essay, Le Mythe de Sisyphe or The Myth ofSisyphus. Sisyphus was the man condemned by the gods to roll a rock to thetop of a mountain, only to have it roll back down again. For Camus, thisrelated heavily to everyday life, and he saw Sisyphus an absurd hero,with a pointless existance. Camus felt that it was necessary to wonderwhat the meaning of life was, and that the human being longed for somesense of clarity in the world, since if the world were clear, art wouldnot exist. The Myth of Sisyphus became a prototype for existentialism inthe theatre, and eventually The Theatre of the Absurd. Right after the Second World War, Paris became the theatre capitalof the west, and popularized a new form of surrealistic theatre calledTheatre of the Absurd. Many historians contribute the sudden popularityof absurdism in France to the gruesome revelations of gas chambers and waratrocities coming out of Germany after the war. The main idea of TheTheatre of the Absurd was to point out mans helplessness and pointlessexistance in a world without purpose. As Richard Coe described it It isthe freedom of the slave to crawl east along the deck of a boat goingwest. Two of the most popular playwrights of this time include SamuelBeckett, whos most famous piece was Waiting for Godot, and EugeneIoensco with Exit the King. Most absurdist plays have no logical plot. The absense of the plot pushes an emphasis on proving the pointlessexistance of man. Quite often, such plays reveal the human condition atits absolute worst. Absurdist playwrites often used such techniques as symbolism, mime,the circus, and the commedia dellarte, which are quite evident in the morepopular plays of the time, such as Waiting for Godot, The Bald Prima Donna,and Amedee.

Gold Star Process management free essay sample

You probably would not expect that a regional chain of small chili restaurants takes a formal view of process management, but Gold Star Chili, Inc. , based in Cincinnati, Ohio, does just that. Figure 5. 3 shows a process-based organization of the company. Three major core processes link the operation of the company to its customers and other stakeholders: 1. franchising, 2. restaurant, and 3. manufacturing/distribution. Sustaining these core processes are various support processes, such asresearch and development, human resources, accounting, purchasing, oper-ations, training, marketing, and customer satisfaction. Even restaurant oper-ations are viewed from a process focus. Key processes such as Cash Regis-ter, Steam Table, Drive-Thru, Tables, Bussers, and Management are designedto ensure that customer needs are served in a timely manner. Prior to open-ing each restaurant, training sessions ensure that these processes are per-formed correctly and according to company standards Franchisees are attracted by the relatively low investment required to join the Gold Star family of restaurants, the opportunity to operate a profitable business, and to benefit from the strong brand equity built into the Gold Star name. All department heads treat franchisees as internal customers, and have signed a pledge guaranteeing to return calls within 24 hours. If a franchisee reports a problem with product quality, Gold Star often handdelivers replacement product the same day. The franchising process is designed to ensure a smooth and successful start-up that meets company objectives. Because franchise process delays are costly, the process helps to eliminate variability, reduce cycle time, and cut down on problems that might occur during development and introduction.

How to create a brand extension of Nokia Phones with Nokia I

The Effects on Civilization essays

The Effects on Civilization essays Michael Adas points out in his book Machines as the Measure of Men, that eighteenth century French bourgeois definition of civilized grew to become the standard for Western culture. He argued this to be right due to European expansionist efforts growing further toward a globalize ideal. Societys attitudes toward time, work and nature had transformed due to the changing technology. Similarly, James Gleick focuses on our contemporary culture, in Faster, as being defined by particular experiences of time and work. The argument, that the Enlightenment thinkers predicted and or hoped for this type of society, and the argument that we are suffering with the consequences of revenge effect of the efforts initiated by the European authors of the philosophy of progress are two debates that could be easily argued. In my opinion I believe that we are suffering from the revenge effect. There is one thing about history that is always right, it will never change. Through textbooks, videos, magazines, etc., society has learned about our past cultures; the way they worked, slept, ate, and how they carried out day to day projects and controversies. Back in the 1800s society had no concept of time. People were just aware of night and day. They didnt have the advances in technology such as medicine that we have today. They didnt wake up in the morning, look at their clock and say to themselves, I just wasted the last hour of my life laying in bed. Most of them didnt have a wish list such as wanting to travel the world or buy a new car before they died. Most of them didnt even have a education to know what any of these luxuries were. I believe as new technology developed, enlightenment thinkers predicted that between our attitudes, work, beliefs, technology, etc. that society would put a greater burden on time, but would do it in ...

Victim Precipitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Victim Precipitation - Essay Example In his writings, Von Hentig pointed out that victim is also an influencing factor in a crime and the study of the victim's participation on the crime would beneficial as it will result in future crime prevention (van Dijk, 1997). Just like Von Hentig, Mendelsohn also pointed out the role played by the victims in crimes. One example of this is by aggravation. "For Mendelsohn, a defense counsel, victim precipitation was a mitigating circumstance in meting out punishment for the offender" (van Dijk, 1997). In modern times however, the term "victim" has many connotations. "It is not unusual to hear the word "victim" paired with a wide range of human experiences: cancer victims, holocaust victims, accident victims, victims of injustice, hurricane victims, crime victims, and others." These connotations sometimes brought up the "visual images of suffering, devastation and often individual heroism or endurance in the face of powerful destructive forces" (Karmen, 1990; Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). "One commonality has come to apply to virtually all usages of the term victim: That an individual has suffered injury and harm by forces beyond his or her control, and not of his or her personal responsibility" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). The concept of victim precipitation has become so controversial because it lessens the responsibility of the offender of a crime. Many victims don't like the idea that they are partly to be blame for the crime that somebody did to them. One essential criticism of victim precipitation concept in victimology is that blaming the victims as well as the offenders for the crime that occurred. Historically, Mendelsohn also believe in victim's participation in a crime in his early writings. With regards to women victims, this issue is particularly controversial. "This criticism against victimology was voiced most clearly by feminist researchers, for example in reviews of Amir's study of victim precipitation in rapes". "The notion that victims by their provoking behavior triggered their victimization by male victimizers - and in fact deserved to be victimized- is part of the patriarchal mindset which is at the root of many of such crimes. By focusing on the victim's involvement attention is diverted from the structural causes of violence against women" (van Dijk, 1997). Furthermore, the concept of victim precipitation also "emerged in cases of parricide and homicide of batterers by abused spouses" which further blur the clear distinction between the term "victims" and "offenders". Defenders of battered women realize the issue firsthand and help propagate the "battered woman syndrome defense to defend women who killed or seriously injured a spouse or partner after enduring years of physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse" (Theoretical Perspectives of Victimology and Critical Research, 2004). Furthermore, several lawyers, in defending adolescent offenders who murdered their parent, have also use the theories of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder to give a clear evidence of the underlying reasons for the crime. Criminal cases like these are