What is one argument in favor of maintaining the electoral college?

Study for the Taft Law School Bar Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Maintaining the electoral college is often argued to encourage a two-party system, which can lead to political stability. The design of the electoral college means that candidates tend to focus their campaigns on winning over a select number of swing states, rather than trying to gain support nationwide. This necessity for broad appeal can discourage the proliferation of multiple parties, as smaller parties often struggle to gain traction in state-by-state contests. The two-party system facilitates easier governance and may promote coherence in policies, as the party in power can usually command a significant legislative majority.

The other choices do not support the case for the electoral college as robustly. For instance, while some believe voter turnout could be increased, evidence does not strongly support this idea since the electoral college structure can lead voters in non-competitive states to feel their votes carry less weight, potentially decreasing turnout. Similarly, the electoral college does not inherently eliminate regional biases; indeed, it can intensify them by prioritizing the interests of certain states over others. Lastly, the argument regarding the distribution of popular support is contrary to the very essence of the electoral college, which does not accurately reflect the proportion of support candidates have across the entire population.

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