Oddbean

The electoral college is a scam. The president is a four year spokesperson for the unelected lifetime position controlling elite. That said, IMO it still matters who gets elected. A persident can create more than a few problems with what power they are temporarily granted, it just matter less than most people think.

The amount of control that federal government has can definitely be a problem, centralization allows broad control from those behind the scenes. (Bankers/elites). Just curious if your objection is the fact that the electoral college exists to balance the power in the country, or the that the votes that are given from the people are only a guideline for who the electoral college nominates that bothers you? https://i.nostr.build/yjBk.png I live in a country where more than half of the population lives on one side of the country, so the other half of the country is regularly ignored when it comes to federal politics, even though we are a huge part of the financial pool. I think the overall idea of balance isn't a bad idea.

I see. Without knowing the country and going off what you said, it seems to function well under that situation. IMO, America needs something that more directly affects the popular vote. It's a lot to type, so I've used AI to help accurately convey in detail some of my big issues with the electoral college in America. 1. Unequal Representation: The Electoral College system gives disproportionate weight to smaller states. For example, smaller states like Wyoming have more electoral votes per capita compared to larger states like California, meaning a vote in Wyoming carries more weight than a vote in California. 2. Swing State Focus: Presidential campaigns tend to focus on "swing states" where the outcome is uncertain, often neglecting states that are solidly Democratic or Republican. This leads to a situation where the political power of voters in swing states is significantly higher than those in non-swing states. 3. Potential for Minority Rule: There have been instances where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote, as seen in the 2000 and 2016 elections. This raises questions about the democratic legitimacy of the elected president. 4. Vote Disparities: The number of votes required to elect an elector varies widely from state to state. For instance, in 2016, it took approximately 324,829 voters in Florida to elect one elector, but fewer voters in other states to achieve the same result, highlighting a discrepancy in voter influence. 5. Disenfranchisement: The Electoral College can strip eligible voters of their political power and voice, particularly those in states that are not competitive in presidential elections.

Popular vote is always a bad idea. There is nothing good about direct democracy Tyranny of the majority. Just leave me alone I will not participate The US federal government was created by the states, but that is really really hard to tell today