Electoral College Reform and the Two-Party System: Four Case Studies in Electoral College Reform

Abstract

Since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the electoral college has become one of its most controversial provisions. Beginning in 1800, members of Congress have submitted hundreds of amendments to replace the electoral college �� far and away more than any other topic. Despite all these attempts, the Twelfth Amendment represents the only successful reform. If electoral college reform has been such a popular idea over such a long period, why have reform movements so often ended in failure? This paper examines four major efforts at altering the electoral college: the Twelfth Amendment of 1804, the Lodge-Gossett Amendment of 1950, the Celler-Bayh Amendments of 1969 and 1970, and the National Popular Vote plan that began in 2006. While each of these reforms advocates a different substitute for the electoral college, the politics surrounding each movement demonstrate major similarities. Each movement gained momentum from potential crises in preceding presidential elections, and support for each proposal tended to develop along partisan lines. Even with the support of the majority party, however, factionalism within that party �� either along regional or ideological lines �� has been one of the major causes of failure among these proposed reforms.