
Contents
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Fraud and Recounts Fraud and Recounts
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Electoral Fraud Electoral Fraud
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Recounts Recounts
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Promoting National Harmony? Promoting National Harmony?
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Candidate Appeals Candidate Appeals
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Winning Support across Regions Winning Support across Regions
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Winning Support across Social Strata Winning Support across Social Strata
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One-State Dominance One-State Dominance
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Big-State Dominance Big-State Dominance
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Big-City Dominance Big-City Dominance
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A Proper Distribution? A Proper Distribution?
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Encouraging Moderation Encouraging Moderation
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Extra Influence for Some Interests Extra Influence for Some Interests
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Constitutional Consistency? Constitutional Consistency?
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Providing an Effective Governing Coalition Providing an Effective Governing Coalition
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Presidential Mandate Presidential Mandate
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Majority Election? Majority Election?
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Advantages of Majority Election? Advantages of Majority Election?
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Majorities into Mandates? Majorities into Mandates?
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Popular Vote Margin Popular Vote Margin
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The Meaning of Elections The Meaning of Elections
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Coattails Coattails
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Orientation of the Campaign Orientation of the Campaign
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Continuity and Change Continuity and Change
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Tides of Opinion Tides of Opinion
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Summary Summary
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Preserving Federalism Preserving Federalism
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A Federal Principle? A Federal Principle?
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Essential for Federalism? Essential for Federalism?
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A Diminished Role for State Parties and Politicians? A Diminished Role for State Parties and Politicians?
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Greater National Control of the Electoral Process? Greater National Control of the Electoral Process?
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Cite
Abstract
This chapter considers another set of justifications about the electoral college—this time based on maintaining the harmony and cohesion of the Republic. Instead of emphasizing what the electoral college does for the country, advocates call attention to alleged harm that alternative methods of presidential selection, especially direct election, would cause the nation. To begin, defenders of the electoral college charge that direct election of the president would encourage electoral fraud and vote recounts, sow national disharmony, and deny the president a mandate for governing. Most supporters of the electoral college also maintain that it is an essential bulwark of federalism and that electing the president directly would undermine the entire federal system. The chapter thus examines these charges and explores whether the electoral college actually has the benefits its advocates claim for it.
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