Which of the following is a correct comparison of the Electoral College system and a proposed national popular vote system for electing the president?
| Electoral College System | National Popular Vote System | |
|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | Can result in a winner who did not receive the most individual votes nationwide | Guarantees that the candidate with the most individual votes nationwide wins the presidency |
| Row 2 | Encourages candidates to campaign equally in all fifty states | Focuses campaign attention exclusively on sparsely populated rural states |
| Row 3 | Operates under the participatory model of representative democracy | Operates under the elite model of representative democracy |
| Row 4 | Relies on electors acting as trustees to make independent voting decisions | Relies on voters acting as delegates to represent their local districts |
- ARow 2
- BRow 3
- Row 1Answer
- DRow 4
Answer
Row 1 correctly compares the Electoral College system and a national popular vote system.
The comparison in Row 1 is correct. The Electoral College's winner-take-all system in 48 states and Washington, D.C., allows a candidate to win the presidency by winning key states by small margins while losing other states by large margins, resulting in an electoral victory without a national popular vote victory. Conversely, a national popular vote system would directly sum all individual votes nationwide, ensuring the candidate with the most votes wins the presidency.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The difference between the Electoral College system and a direct national popular vote system, specifically how the winner-take-all allocation can disconnect the electoral outcome from the national popular vote.