Question

Difficulty: EasyThird-Party Dynamics and Electoral Obstacles

The table below shows the popular vote results and electoral vote allocation for the state of Michigan in the 2016 presidential election.

Candidate (Party)Percentage of Popular VoteNumber of Electoral Votes
Donald Trump (Republican)47.50%47.50\%1616
Hillary Clinton (Democratic)47.27%47.27\%00
Gary Johnson (Libertarian)3.59%3.59\%00
Jill Stein (Green)1.07%1.07\%00

Based on the table, which of the following features of the presidential election system is demonstrated by Michigan's allocation of electoral votes?

  1. A
    The proportional allocation of electoral votes based on the national popular vote
  2. B
    The reservation of ballot placement exclusively to candidates from the two major parties under federalism
  3. The winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes in individual statesAnswer
  4. D
    The constitutional requirement that candidates must win a majority of the state's popular vote to receive electoral votes

Answer

The winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes in individual states
The correct answer is correct because Michigan, like the vast majority of U.S. states, uses a winner-take-all system for its electoral votes. Under this system, the candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote in the state (47.50%47.50\% for Donald Trump in this instance) receives all of the state's electoral votes (1616), leaving the other candidates with zero electoral votes despite their popular vote shares.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the popular vote percentages and the electoral votes awarded in the table.
The candidate who received the highest percentage of the popular vote (47.50%47.50\%) received 100%100\% of the state's electoral votes (1616), while all other candidates received 00 electoral votes.
To determine the rule governing how popular votes are converted into electoral votes in this state.
2
Identify the electoral mechanism that yields this specific distribution of votes.
The winner-take-all system, used by 4848 states and Washington, D.C., awards all of a state's electoral votes to the candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote within that state.
To match the observed data pattern with the correct constitutional or systemic concept.

Key Concept

Winner-take-all electoral system and its impact on candidate outcomes
Estimated Time:45s
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