The Electoral College - John Talks

The video discusses the Electoral College system in the USA, its historical context, and its criticisms. It highlights the disparity between rural and urban influence in elections and critiques the two-party system. The speaker suggests proportional representation as a solution, explaining its benefits and challenges. The video emphasizes the need for active participation in democracy and the potential for change.

What is the primary function of the Electoral College in the United States?

• To directly elect the president

• To select electors who vote for the president

• To ensure all states have equal representation

• To simplify the voting process

Why did the Founding Fathers implement the Electoral College system?

• To allow women to vote

• To ensure informed individuals made the final decision

• To simplify the election process

• To increase voter turnout

What is a significant criticism of the Electoral College mentioned in the video?

• It is too expensive to maintain

• It often results in a president who did not win the popular vote

• It is too modern and complex

• It gives too much power to urban areas

How does the Electoral College affect the influence of smaller states?

• It balances their influence with larger states

• It reduces their influence

• It gives them a disproportionately larger influence

• It makes them irrelevant

What is the speaker's view on the two-party system in the United States?

• It is the best system for democracy

• It is effective and should be maintained

• It provides a wide range of political choices

• It is broken and limits political diversity

Which political figures does the speaker express support for?

• Kamala Harris and Mike Pence

• Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell

• Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

• Joe Biden and Donald Trump

What alternative voting system does the speaker suggest?

• Direct democracy

• First-past-the-post

• Electoral College

• Proportional representation

How does ranked voting work according to the speaker?

• Voters choose candidates from a single party

• Voters vote multiple times for their favorite candidate

• Voters rank candidates in order of preference

• Voters select only one candidate

What is a potential disadvantage of coalition governments mentioned in the video?

• They are always more stable

• They can lead to the dominance of one party

• They can be detrimental to smaller parties

• They eliminate political diversity

What does the speaker encourage viewers to do regarding their political system?

• Rely on others to make changes

• Support the current system without question

• Be active and participate in democracy

• Ignore it and focus on personal matters