US Democracy

[lobster]

Why is America's democracy self proclaimed as the greatest on Earth when it is possible to be elected to President winning only 12 of the 50 states?

[Bangkok]

There are lots of other reasons to ask the question - without looking it up, I suspect the most populous dozen states make up the majority of the US population.  Other reasons for asking the question could include

when the 2000 election was stolen

when the decision to include Nader on the Florida ballot in 2004 (against electoral law in Florida) was taken by a Republican and Nader will eat into the Democrat vote

When questioning aims and objectives of the incumbants in derided as unpatriotic

Oh, I could go on, but I need to finish this report before I finish the bottle

[Quizmonster]

As Bangkok suggests above, there are states which are vast and virtually empty of people and others which are little and crowded. It's as simple as that...the numbers of people rather than the amount of land involved...which is what democracy is all about.

[sprogglin]

except its not about numbers of people is it?  the popular vote doesn't count in the election.  how something so important can hinge on such a dated system is criminal, like much of the blubbering, bewildered, cowardly, misguided, lying, zealot Bush administration.

[archbishop]

A Three and half million majority in the popular vote and winning the electoral college seems pretty fair and democratic to me. Also the highest turnout ever with 110 million Americans voting.

[Quizmonster]

Dear Sprogglin, the electoral system in Britain - and virtually everywhere else in the democratic world - does not depend on the totality of numbers of people either!

It's still quite possible for far more people to vote Labour and yet for us to end up with a Conservative government...or vice versa. In a populous city constituency, 12,000 people might vote Labour, but the Tory wins if he/she gains 12,500 votes...naturally enough. In the rural constituency next-door, Labour might win the seat despite the fact that only 3,000 supporters wished for that result, simply because only 2,500 voted otherwise. 

The American system is no more faulty than our own. The plain fact is that - as His Grace the Archbishop suggests above - George W Bush received more votes than any other President in the history of that nation...and good luck to him, I say.

[bernardo]

The largest 12 states have 59% of the population, so "only" is a bit of a misleading word as used in the question.  An important factor to consider is that the USA is a federal structure, and the office is the President of the United States of America - not of the People.  It is important to maintain the autonomy of each state in running its own bit of the election.

 

Incidentally (due to the redistribution of congressional districts), it is now possible for a candidate to be elected by winning only 11 states, let a lone 12.  The largest 11 states have 271 votes and the 39 others have 264 (plus 3 for DC).

[hackindonna]

USA make the people believe that they are the DREAM COUNTRY and that they are the best democracy.......which is not true...im not againt USA i think that is a great country but sometimes they show a false reality