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originally posted by: greenperson
America is exceptional. The US is the only country that uses electoral college system. European countries like Russia, Ukraine, France typically use popular vote system. In such a system, if a candidate does not get a majority in the first round, then it gets to a second round where the top 2 candidates in the first round duke it out. Such a system is costly. In the US it is more often than not that no one gets a majority in the first round, because there are 4 parties R, D, L, G. The electoral college system is suitable for the US, so don't fix what isn't broken.
originally posted by: happyperson
A popular vote system does not guarantee democracy. See Russia, Ukraine.
originally posted by: DupontDeux
originally posted by: greenperson
America is exceptional. The US is the only country that uses electoral college system. European countries like Russia, Ukraine, France typically use popular vote system. In such a system, if a candidate does not get a majority in the first round, then it gets to a second round where the top 2 candidates in the first round duke it out. Such a system is costly. In the US it is more often than not that no one gets a majority in the first round, because there are 4 parties R, D, L, G. The electoral college system is suitable for the US, so don't fix what isn't broken.
The electoral system is past its prime, but it is not broken as suchs.
The first past the post-system is ridiculous however, and is THE main reason that the US has a de facto two party system.
Edit: The excellent CGP Grey explains it beautifully: