Political Studies

The technical workings of the Electoral College are quite simple. Each state is allotted a number of electoral votes equal to the number of representatives it has in the House of Representatives plus the number of senators (two in each case). Each state determines how its electors will be chosen, with the stipulation that no elector may hold any other office of trust under the Constitution.

The electoral college system has evolved continuously since the first presidential election. Despite a number of close contests, this arrangement has selected the candidate with the most popular votes in 48 of 52 presidential elections since the current voting system was established. Three times, however, candidates were elected who won fewer popular votes than their opponents (1876, 1888, 2000). These controversial elections occurred because the system requires a majority of electoral, not popular, votes to win the presidency. This book examines the history of the electoral college, contemporary analysis and possible reform proposals.

The Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world. Its scope encompasses the disruptive technologies and activities that are changing basic patterns in American politics and the transformations that social media use is rendering in other political systems heretofore resistant to democratization and change.