Please respond to EACH of the following discussion topics and submit them to the discussion forum as a single post. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length. Then, make at least two thoughtful responses to your fellow students’ posts. If you haven’t recently, please review the Rules of Discussion.
In your initial discussion post this week present an argument that proposes one change to our electoral system. (Please note, it will not be acceptable to say you do not think any change should be made.)
Several possible changes to could be:
- Eliminating the Electoral College
- Instituting required Voter ID
- Mandatory voting.
- Instituting an Election Day Holiday in which all Americans do not have to vote.
- You may also get creative and come up with your own original change!
Just be sure to go beyond just stating what change you want to make, but present an argument for why we should make that change and how that change would improve our electoral system.
In your argument, do not use words like “fair” or “good” or “better” or “equal” – how do you measure what is or is not “fair”? What if you and I have different definitions of what is or is not fair (these are not universal terms)?
Please respond to the initial question by day 5 and be sure to post two additional times to peers and/or instructor by day 7. The initial post by day 5 should be 75 to 150 words, but may go longer depending on the topic. If you use any source outside of your own thoughts, you should reference that source. Include solid grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling.
Please Respond to the following 2 statements:
1. Myles,
Reading through the threads on this discussion so far, I see that many people already proposed the change that I was planning on proposing as well. This being the elimination of the electoral college. I agree with this, and would propose the same for the same reasons already stated by my peers. Because it has been suggested so thoroughly, I thought I’d go with something else for my suggestion that ties closely for the need to really hear the voice of the people of the country.
My proposal would be for transparency and a right to find information easily on a universal platform taking into account the differences in resources accessibility of the people. As stated in one of the course studies for this week, there are a number of resources that we can study and pick apart to find relevant information on politicians and political parties before voting. They are certain web sites and “primary sources” that we can find verifiable facts and patterns about politicians, etc. These are things that all voters should know. How troublesome it is then, that only by taking this course did I come across these resources. Shouldn’t everyone be able to have these made known at their fingertips? Furthermore, shouldn’t the people who do not have resources to higher education, internet, home computer (people of different socio-economic background, perhaps) have this knowledge available to them as well?
I’m proposing that the voting process and available information about candidates and their positions is streamlined for the American People. It needs to be a pamphlet that is sent out to all voters, giving information that candidates approve on their stances and plans if elected. It needs to be transparent and easy to read for people that are not necessarily college educated.
I have seen and read information pamphlets that come in voter packages. These are not sufficient. They do not address the real issues that people will be basing their votes upon.
2. Tamekia,
In the electoral system a change that I would like to make is the way presidency is chosen. I wouldn’t totally eliminate electoral college, but it would be some changes to the flaws. To assure the change that is made would be excepted by everyone, not just those in which is a part of the electoral system. Everyone would matter and their votes would count and be apart of how we choose who becomes president. I would be sure of the election becoming civil and done in a way to show honor and respect towards the people that cast their votes. I would make sure of everyone being aware that electoral college would be unprejudiced when it comes to counting everyone votes not just their votes from the people that’s only apart of their political parties. Everyone would have the opportunity to vote regardless of what, every vote will matter. Everything would be legitimate and just when it comes to making the presidency election. The citizens of the communities vote will matter, why let them vote if their vote don’t count? Why would the people vote if only electoral votes is how the decision of presidency is made? Although some places are over populated are under populated I still say that every vote should count! Just because there maybe 10,000 here and 4,000 there that still doesn’t say presidency should be electoral only. Everyone has the right to vote for whom they see fit so why continue to under mind the people votes by voting over them with electoral voting?
When it comes to making the decision of who would become president of the United States I feel it would be moderate for every vote to stand not 500 people to millions of people. How is it moderate for the citizen vote to be under mind or cast out if we have rights? To me it says our rights are limited to electoral because we know nothing are what’s best but electoral do! We vote because we expect it to matter on what choice we make not we vote and then it be cast out are they say “o well they voted but it don’t matter”, because their votes is nothing, that’s what electoral say to me and I say that needs to change!
