Position Paper

Hector Marquez, Ashley Robinson, Jonathan Sample, Levon Avagyan Mekeda Webb-Ramseur Water History 11 14 October 2008 Position Paper

The election system as it is now in the United States is severely flawed. The number of circumstances where the misrepresentation and exploitation of the American people are possible is inexcusable. If nothing is done to repair the broken system, it will degenerate into an organization that resembles nothing close to democracy. The introduction of our amendment will both give better representation of the American people, and close loopholes where the populace could be exploited. With our amendment, the electoral system would be changed from one that values those that live in larger states more than others, to one where everyone is equally represented. The system would also be changed so that proportional representation would be introduced, meaning that different districts in a state could endorse different candidates, rather than the whole state having to endorse just one candidate. Doing this would also give a better chance to smaller parties, so that they would not have to win whole states, just the smaller districts, changing America from the two party system that it has become to a multi-party system that can represent the diverse wishes of America. The second part of the amendment would close up many loopholes, eradicating any chances of the Electoral College electing a candidate that the American people did not choose. By making an electoral vote be cast by the American people as opposed to one politician, the chances of that politician being swayed into doing something the

American people do not want are lessened. This amendment also puts down in writing what was previously just an unwritten custom, so that if a politician were to try and go against the American people’s wishes, there would be real repercussions as opposed to just a slap on the wrist. Also, the chances of a tie will be greatly reduced. Since the chances of 538 districts being split exactly down the middle is much less likely than a few large states having the same amount of electoral votes as many smaller states, the responsibility of choosing the President and VP will remain in the hands of the American people, and not the Senate and House of Representatives. These changes will also serve to revitalize the American public. People that were once disillusioned will now be more confident of their role in the election process. People would once again go out to vote in states that usually tilt strongly to the left or right of the political spectrum. With the new excitement about the proportional representation system in the electoral system, a complete turn to proportional representation in every facet of the government may not be a pipe dream anymore. The change from a winner-takes-all system to a system of proportional representation can only bring positive changes to America. A fairer election system, a written law to prevent the Electoral College from disobeying the people, and a revitalized voting population will bring elections to a new standard which was previously not possible. States will no longer be ignored during campaigns because they usually vote red or blue, but new avenues will be opened so that people who often thought voting was futile can know that their vote makes a difference. This Amendment is the change that could lead America into a complete system of proportional representation and a fairer government for all Americans.

Works Cited "U.S. Electoral College." NARA. United States. 17 Oct 2008 . "Bill of Rights and Later Amendments." US History. 1995. Independance Hall. 17 Oct 2008 . Amy, Douglas J.. "What is PR?." US History. 2005. Mount Holyoke College. 17 Oct 2008 .