U.S. Electoral College

The definition of the US Electoral College is a complex system that was created to determine the President and Vice President of the United States. It consists of 538 electors, who are appointed by the states and the District of Columbia. These electors are typically chosen by the two major political parties, who then pledge their Electoral College votes to the Presidential candidate that their party has nominated. This system has been criticized for creating an unbalanced and outdated system, in which the two major parties have consolidated their political power, leaving independent candidates with an uphill battle. This system has caused many independent candidates to be shut out of the voting process, and has made it difficult for any new political parties to gain traction. It has also been argued that the Electoral College system has encouraged a two-party system, which has hindered the ability of the American public to have real choice in the election process. Ultimately, the US Electoral College should be reformed to allow for more independent candidates to be able to compete, and to help reduce the political power of the two major political parties.