Does Our Vote Matter? How the Electoral College Works | ASMR

Short answer is Yes. The long answer is this video.
0:00 Intro
2:01 Short description of Electoral College
2:41 History of Electoral upsets (Winner of popular vote doesn't win Presidency)
6:46 Manta Sleep mask shout out. You can buy one here: bit.ly/2J0s0E3
Use checkout code LETSFINDOUT for 10% off until 12/15/2020.
7:21 The 2000 Election: Swing States
11:48 Pledge of Allegiance tangent
16:22 Meaning of a republic/ Intention of Framers of Constitution
20:30 Function and mechanisms of Electoral College
30:12 Brief case for and against Electoral College (i'm for it, for now)
43:25 Districts: How the 538 Electoral votes are divided up among the States and Washington DC
1:10:35 The 2000 election: Why the popular vote matters (in swing states)
1:16:22 Why Election Day is a Tuesday in November
1:21:09 Walking through the Election Day voting experience... and why it's not what you think it is
1:27:40 The definition of the US Presidential election
1:31:30 How Electors are actually chosen (Bill Clinton and Joe Biden's brother are Electors)
1:46:30 "Faithless Electors": how your vote could lose value
1:53:14 The 1824 election: How elections can be manipulated by faithless electors
2:00:00 Contingent elections
2:04:56 Benjamin Franklin anecdote
2:06:19 Huge thank you for watching and supporting...
The TL;DW is that the United States of America was founded as a federal republic whose sole purpose was and is/should be the representation of the citizens of the distinct States that united in 1776... just the representation, though. Not the direct input.
It was never designed as a democracy, and never has been. It was agreed among most of the "Framers" of the Constitution that a direct, popular vote for President meant that 51% of citizens could be cajoled into voting for a great showman but incompetent leader.
In 1776, the States had essentially evolved into their own countries, but had to form a federation (now the oldest extant one in the world) or be conquered by the 18th century European superpowers (England, Spain, and France). Because of their colonial origins though, they demanded to retain their sovereign right to make laws that represented the will of their people.
So, the electoral college was created and cemented into the U.S. Constitution as a way for each State's directly-elected officials (representing the voice of the people, and liable to be voted out of office if failing to do so) to personally vet and select "Electors" from their State whose sole task was to deliberate and vote for a President. Each State would receive a number of Electors equal to the number of representatives they have in the U.S. Congress. (This is 2 senators for every State, and a number of Representatives proportional to the State's population.)
Which ever Presidential Candidate wins the majority (greater than 50%) of electoral votes wins. If no majority is met (could happen if a third or fourth candidate is voted for), the House of Representatives casts 1 vote per State to elect the President.
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[@samhaji9074]

I still don't understand how you keep making such informative videos and go through all that time consuming editing. Respect to you bro, for real.

[@LetsFindOut1]

I appreciate that Sam!

[@donovanwhitley775]

I was bedridden from a bad concussion for 8 months last year and learned a ton from your videos, in fact my 2019 was predominately summarized with your videos

[@LetsFindOut1]

wow thats terrible and encouraging at the same time. i wish you a healthy, robust recovery donovan. it's an absolute honor to be told my content's been helpful in the process. take care man

[@euphoricgnat]

this has taught me way more than school ever did

[@airbiscuit3774]

This guy is like a teacher, but for every subject

[@wjosh8893]

He is the cool supply teacher who makes you want to learn

[@JamesElliottVlogs]

As a foreigner to the United States (I’m Australian) I found this extremely informative and relaxing. Keep this up man!

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks james. i appreciate the encouragement man🙏🏽

[@AmusementLabs]

Wuh oh.... Already know the comments section is gonna get interesting...

[@LetsFindOut1]

im sure it's coming, but i can only hope i attract some useful dialogue over all

[@jamiec9142]

Hopefully none of those same "this is an ASMR channel!!11!" comments.

[@valentinoesposito1068]

Lol I'm all for it, hit me with the controversy I'm ready😤

[@brenofabricio6200]

Brazilian here! Really interesting even for us to find out how your election system works, keep up the great work!

[@isabelabga]

Oi brazilian guy

[@leocioffi7032]

Hey ya

[@mh1647]

This was the chillest comment section on a political video ever

[@gortimustidditus]

Me: politics is stressful :( Let's find out: I got u fam

[@asmr-running7140]

Really great work segueing into the intro card in this one; gives the whole thing a very professional, cinematic feel.

[@skillerx13]

This is why I really enjoy this channel. Even when talking about a subject matter that is as dicey as U.S politics, its just as informational as any of the other videos. As long as you dont fall asleep as fast as I do, you can actually learn something along the way even if you have an opinion that disagrees. Knowledge is a wonderful thing and so is this channel. Thanks for teaching me something new with every video.

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks for that skillerx. glad you enjoyed it

[@MissWhisperingMe]

I was trying to make sense of the electoral college and the popular vote just this morning. This video came at an excellent time. Thank you for your educational, engaging, and ~relaxing~ content.

[@arturogongora15]

Finding this channel was a real blessing for me. I hope this channel continues to grow, my brother you have a real talent. I’m hoping you continue on the Universe subjects ! 💯

[@LetsFindOut1]

absolutely will continue astronomy topics. this was just a rabbit hole i couldn't return from without making a somewhat intelligible video on. thanks for the support man

[@arturogongora15]

@@LetsFindOut1 love your vids man. Not only do I fall asleep to them but I will literally listen to them during the day as a sort of podcast. Super informative, your opinions, theories and facts are unmatched. 💯

[@RoshiiMusic]

Thanks for the video Rich. I've been looking forward to this one. I just had a discussion with my brother about this last week, so it will be good to have some more info on the topic. That is if i can make it through without falling asleep 😪

[@LetsFindOut1]

i hope there's some interesting facts in there for you. thanks roshii

[@Umbramoon3]

Why do i learn more from you in two hours then a whole semester in school? Also, this is a very good vibe video.

[@giososa1040]

so well researched and relaxing. i love your videos sm

[@LetsFindOut1]

Thank you so much gio

[@sleepytime5518]

This is fantastic. Well done!

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks sleepy time

[@dylanmaline3895]

Thanks, I’m taking AP gov rn and this helps as a sort of relaxing study/sleep thingy

[@LetsFindOut1]

nice

[@lYODAl]

I suggested your channel to my friend and he liked it and he said you’re great! He’s right tho you’re great .

[@phazebeast7373]

Rich always has great topics to research about and relax us at the same time! 😎

[@LetsFindOut1]

glad you liked it, beast

[@asmrrelaxationstation]

Great topic for a video! Fantastic video! 😁

[@aidanwolfgong3317]

Been waiting to watch this one😋

[@ratmore18]

Thank you for coming back. Missed your voice

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks man. always appreciate the supprt

[@sxllychannel.]

ur voice is really relaxing I luv u❤🕊

[@LetsFindOut1]

😊 thank you

[@sxllychannel.]

@@LetsFindOut1 😊 no problem

[@Gondarth]

Goodness me, this is my fifth night listening to this. I fall asleep easily with ASMR, so I'm lucky I can make it through 20 minutes of this...

[@StarOfArtemis]

Missed the whole video, but I woke up to some beautiful music!

[@StaticBlaster]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone! I hope you are having a great day with your family. By the way, just a suggestion but I think it would be cool if you made ASMR videos talking about the history of Thanksgiving and Christmas when Christmas rolls around.

[@LetsFindOut1]

Great idea!! I've made somme attempts at the history of Christmas over the last few years, but I think I can make some good Christmas content again

[@StaticBlaster]

@@LetsFindOut1 Cool, man. I hope you can pull a lot of information together.

[@lillyb5225]

Love your videos! May I suggest doing one on the string theory, or dimensional theory in general? I think it would be super interesting!

[@LetsFindOut1]

im getting a lot of string theory requests. i just have no idea what it actually is beyond the simple analogies i hear on popular science shows. Maybe I'll try out a video going over some broad concepts if i can wrap my head around them

[@lillyb5225]

@@LetsFindOut1 from what research I've done it's an incredibly broad topic, just because we don't know for sure how dimensions actually work so there's millions of theories. I would just narrow it down to the ones that make sense to you 😊

[@amilkyboi]

Glad you edited that bit out lol.

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks a million for pointing that out, boi. 🙏🏽

[@13crystalsister]

So cool! Thank you so much! I've been dying for this video! Just in time for bed, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep since I want this info so much. On another note, when your little girl starts asking you "Why?Why? Why, Daddy?" You'll naturally say, "Well honey, Let's Find Out?"! Sorry, had to add that. Congrats!

[@testecalle3378]

I know this video is older but it's fantastic and also makes me wonder how peaceful it'd be to watch you play Victoria 3 if that's your jam

[@jaden303]

Man I’ve been here since 74k and it’s been relaxing

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks for sticking around for so long jaden. i appreciate the support

[@commanderhubert5659]

Wow, as a Polish person i was always confused by this weird institution, and generally by the way the US handles the election, but, thanks to you, now i get it. Love your content, keep up the good work, greetings from Poland

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks ch

[@chandlerklaus2879]

Thank you for what you do

[@LetsFindOut1]

Thanks for watching!

[@traceurGeorge]

I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but you honestly have one of the best asmr voices out there. But you NEED to make a video solely on the whispers you use in the atilla the hun vs rome video. The style of really close up and close up whispers is great, especially the anticipation side of it. Cheers

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks ricky. i always appreciate advice. noted

[@gfall4389]

Beautifully made video Rich! US elections always make for intriguing viewing. Here in the UK the elections are stale in comparison to the US…although the infamous Brexit vote was as similarly captivating and visceral as the 2016 election

[@Msteropuppets97]

Come on 200k Sub Club we can do it !!! LFO I love your vids man keep up the good work 🙂🙂

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks kyle🙏🏽

[@SomeOne-do3lm]

I would like to see an Omh’s law asmr video from you :)

[@amilkyboi]

Seconded, either that or Maxwell's Equations in differential form.

[@LetsFindOut1]

lol, i think ill stick to ohm's law for now. don't want to get in over my head

[@SomeOne-do3lm]

@@LetsFindOut1 You’ll do great man 😁

[@alastairmcculloch7626]

I'm listening this while WFH and despite being a Brit and having nothing to do with America this is interesting. Props to you Rich for being the only man to make politics relaxing!

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks alastair. whats wfh?

[@LetsFindOut1]

oh working from home. lol what a 2020 acronym

[@alastairmcculloch7626]

@@LetsFindOut1 ah sorry, Its being used so much in my circles I forget it might not be obvious. And yep if a acronym could describe 2020 it would be WFH 🤣 Have a good one man!

[@Durpydurp4488]

Thanks so much for this. I work in an organization advocating for Constitutional legislation, and I still have struggled to understand the Electoral College. But reading the Federalist Papers is helping me get there. Majority rule destroys nations quickly. The Founders knew that. The crowd is too emotional and will swing the country on a whim back and forth and into chaos. The setup is there to maintain stability while in pursuit of constant progress. Also, I’m a data analyst and I study voter trends. Yes, you’re so right - EVERY VOTE MATTERS. I’ve seen candidates win by 6 votes. Also a fellow Floridian…we see all the time how the voter turnout really has impact! 🌴

[@LetsFindOut1]

thanks for the comment. i had to know for myself. seemed like true democracy should be a good idea, but it was fascinating to learn that knowledge of epidemics mental contagion and madness of crowds has been known for centuries.

[@Pian0Mon]

I was going to formulate a bulletproof argument... but this video made me sleepy. I know your tricks....

[@-jyqub7942]

It’s definitely affective in making the election statistically fair- but then again the actual loser could win by having those EC points. So, yes, the vote matters... but what the vote is- seems less likely.

[@valentinoesposito1068]

You say the "actual loser", but suppose the candidate specifically planned on focusing less on the popular vote and more on winning the electoral college. Wouldn't that just make them smart for playing the system? I get where you are coming from, but that doesn't sound like a loser to me, just someone who knew what they were doing and played the system to their advantage.

[@TC-qw3lr]

@@valentinoesposito1068 sure in terms of the candidate that decides the winner. But isn’t the real loser the average voter. Being subject to a game of statistical advantages rather than benefiting from an actual candidate that represents their views winning. I reckon US conservatives tune will change on the EC (Electoral College) when one of the major former red states consistently goes blue like Georgia or Texas. All states I reckon should scrap FPTP, winner takes all and adopt Nebraska & Maines system of Proportional Representation within the EC allocation system if Americans are so determined to keep EC. I’d personally scrap it altogether.

[@ShowASMR]

Not an American but this was fascinating. Thanks for this! :)

[@thebloodskyeye03]

i’m trying to figure out the music at the intro

[@markheithaus]

This channel and The French Whisperer are by far the best ASMR channels, in my opinion. The effort and thought put into what is produced is significantly more apparent than most. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like the guys have to put in a little more effort than the ladies, generally. I work a lot of overnights plus IT in the morning hours, so trying to sleep can be both difficult and extremely necessary. I appreciate the long videos by TFW and Let's Find Out, and I appreciate how unique each one is. And the weighted sleep masks are awesome, by the way.

[@LetsFindOut1]

some ladies use clickbait, but there's many that don't. I appreciate the support though man. means alot

[@Swinsl]

What about Ephemeral Rift?

[@sethandotts3763]

Democracy is like 2 wolves and a sheep voting for what's for dinner, a republic is 2 wolves and an armed sheep voting for dinner

[@jeffbabies7428]

Very informative. Now let’s examine the glaring hypocrisy that this highlights. Supporters of the electoral college suggest that it works because the population is not educated enough to fully understand the weight of their vote or to fully understand politics? Well, that’s ironic given that the qualifications to run for President do not require him or her to understand politics one iota. That’s right. ZERO requirement to be a politician. They just have to want the job and meet an age requirement. That’s how America ended up with an actor for president and then a real estate mogul for president. It means that the qualifications to vote for the leader of the country are more stringent than those of the leader herself/himself. It means that the only people in the political process who have any real understanding of politics whatsoever are the members of the electoral college. It means that the electoral college is smarter and more powerful than the president and the people. It means that the dumbest person on the planet could theoretically become president, despite every single voter in the country having a higher intelligence. It poses a problem because this sense that voters are stupid only exacerbates the notion that “my voice doesn’t matter” and keeps voters away from the polls. In fact, it only underscores the need for change, to encourage people to get out and vote instead of feeling like they don’t have a say and can’t make a difference. Your right to vote has nothing to do with your intelligence or your education; understanding what’s right and wrong-and what you stand for-has nothing to do with a formal education. You don’t have to understand politics to know who represents your values and what kind of world you want to live in. Perhaps the idea of an electoral college made sense before printed news and social media and the internet, when people were living in remote conditions with no idea what was going on in the rest of the country. But times have changed and people are smarter. People are more involved. What made sense once upon a time isn’t necessarily good for anyone today. You have to consider what the country was like back then... what a wild and raw civilization it was. How lawless many parts of the land were. Imagine the Wild West for a moment. Do you really think a system designed for life in that era has any relevance today? How often do you upgrade your computer and it’s operating system? What was wrong with the old one, huh? Why’d you do it? Is hardware and software more important than a country? More to the point: how would you feel if you and five of your friends were going out to dinner but couldn’t decide where to go, so it was put to a vote... but two of those friends insisted that only they would decide the outcome because only they truly know good food-better than you-and quite frankly they don’t trust anyone else’s opinion because you didn’t go to culinary school. Is that fair? I mean, really? Who wouldn’t feel slighted and refuse to go to dinner with those people ever again? Love your videos. Just sayin. Something to think about.

[@D_Boone]

Very important for protecting the rights of minority groups in the US. A brilliant part of the republic system.

[@jcast39atmsn]

Except it actually doesnt protect the rights of minority groups, but rather just political minorities. In regards to minority groups, the EC actually further underepresents them due to the way EC votes are allocated. Because Minority groups as whole do not hold a majority population in any state and the winner take all system of allocation in the majority of states minority groups votes and rights are essentially underreprsented.

[@kaitlyn3212]

Because the electoral college is no longer used as it was really intended, as a buffer, it should be done away with. It's just a formality and overcomplicates the process. The idea of having to pass an intelligence test before voting is moot, because we've already been operating without the original meaning of the electoral college. A side effect of the current system is that republicans get an advantage, because while there are more urban people which the popular vote favors there is more rural land. But the government governs people, not land. You say things being done this way protects the fate of country folk from being decided by city dwellers, but the current system allows the fate of city dwellers to be decided by country folk when there are less of them. It's just interference. It shouldn't matter where you're voting from.

[@Endl3ssNam3less]

I agree with this completely, let the people decide not the electoral college, it is such an outdated system and it would make your vote really matter in that sense. If more people want to vote one way than that’s who should win not by whoever wins more states.

[@nyanrapier7838]

It essentially does and doesn't matter because states can just vote to ignore federal mandates and laws except in the cases like alcohol ages and what not where it's essentially a quid pro quo for funding. It happens all the time. The power of the federal government is pretty overplayed and the power it does have should probably be reduced 10 fold.

[@kaitlyn3212]

​@@nyanrapier7838 I have to disagree, I think it's really important who the president is for many reasons. I wonder where we'd be if not for FDR? My favorite president. Hillary would've handled the current situation differently. If nothing else, there wouldn't have been such a clear example to take inspiration from in the white house of how not to take the safety measures seriously. Republicans see government as interference, but I see it as helpful. Without regulation, the wealthy get all the power so you're still being controlled by someone or something. I believe in people, not corporations.

[@kaitlyn3212]

@@nyanrapier7838 I think where you're voting from shouldn't matter even on a state level because then you end up with gerrymandering. Whether you live rural or urban should be irrelevent as long as you live within the area that is to be presided over by the elector.

[@brainplay8060]

@@kaitlyn3212 Regulation is more often used to give the wealthy all of the power, no remove it. Regulation is often lobbied to make it more difficult for smaller businesses to compete with larger business by imposing requirements, fees, or legal standings. Look at the nature of your ISP. Right now its dominated by a handful of major ISP while the chance of a local ISP happening virtually nill. The same occurs for agriculture, tech, and various logistics.

[@pleasehelp2768]

You need a podcast

[@abeyaftali2122]

I am personally in favor of eliminating the Electoral College and replacing it with a direct popular vote method of electing President and VP. However I am a realist, and understand that under this current political climate where our electoral system has become so hyper-partisan, eliminating the Electoral college is unlikely to happen anytime soon. I think the best solution is a compromise, by ending our winner-take-all system and instead implementing a proportional representation system. That way if you are a Democrat in Wyoming you will get some representation, similarly if you are a Republican in California you will also get some representation as well. This system would basically award electoral college votes based off of the percentage of votes a candidate receives in a state. For example, if I receive 60% of the popular vote in CA, I will get receive 60% of our 55 Electoral College votes and you would repeat this across the country until someone hits 50% plus 1 in the electoral vote nationwide.

[@anthonym2919]

Popular vote cringe

[@harrydavis6117]

Yeah it should be popular vote. A person's vote in one state shouldn't outweigh a persons vote in another.

[@thesavannalady]

What is so weird is the waiting game after election. In most countries, the transition period is less than a week. Why is it so long in America? It used to be until April but they changed it; shouldn't it be changed again?

[@LetsFindOut1]

i didn't know it was dragged on that long. something to think about. it makes sense for the purpose of aggregating the popular votes to be able to help the electoral voters make their decision I guess. And also for the exact reason that we're seeing in this in the 2000 election, the contention about the validity of votes in certain areas. I agree it shouldn't be dragged down unnecessarily, but it also shouldn't be too quick, or else corruption might be more easily covered up and swept under the rug for the sake of expediency. I don't know just a guess. I'm still so ignorant about the whole process.

[@raypennington5012]

That's easy. No, it's an illusion of choice .... It always has been ... That's 100% fact ...

[@anew742]

RIP that bit at 1:05:20 in the video, you will not be missed

[@LetsFindOut1]

lol i cant believe i let that slip under my radar.

[@nawr494]

what happened?

[@euphoricgnat]

he cleared his throat

[@AmusementLabs]

What was it?

[@anew742]

@@nawr494 nothing exciting, just cleared his throat and did a some mic check snaps lol

[@pixi111]

i recommend watching the document ”Kill Chain” !!!!

[@SLEEPDOCASMR]

Great Performance 🎭❤ Cool ASMR 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗💖💖💖💖💖💖💖😴😴😴😴😴😴😴

[@sethandotts3763]

Also 9:10 we're actually a Constitutional representative republic, close tho

[@silent_stalker3687]

Were... sadly

[@sethandotts3763]

@@silent_stalker3687 nah

[@silent_stalker3687]

@@sethandotts3763 so how are we not now? When’s the last time we followed the constitution and not some judge who a while back didn’t strike a bill down and because he didn’t ‘it’s okay now’ The living constitution bullshit.

[@scottreed5460]

Do we really think there would be in interest in Iowa to start the presidential race without our genius system?

[@nawr494]

yoooooo I've never been this early for anything

[@fulcrum8583]

Yes, a vote does matter. The real question, however, to discern the quality of a democratic process is this: Does each vote count as much as and not less or more than any other vote? If an outcome of the process is different than the overall popular vote than the answer is: No. And if the answer is 'No', the process is undeniably flawed and requires improvment.

[@silent_stalker3687]

You also have social media bias and so on playing a part and half a billion dollars campaign

[@Gotobedboy]

@@silent_stalker3687 And so do you my guy, the same as me or you, maybe not as much but everyone does

[@Potato_Peel_]

It’s definitely not flawed, because the system was intended this way. America isn’t a democracy. If it was a popular vote democracy, there would be like three to five states that would decide the entire election. And also, a perfect democracy does not exist. There are pros and cons for every type of governance (yes even a dictatorship, because the guy in charge can actually get something done without it needing to pass an other branch of government) I live in the Netherlands and the system here is absolutely terrible in my opinion. I would want to change to an electoral college every day.

[@corton1357]

Why did no one ever teach me this in school? I was always taught democracy was everyone voting on an option and the option with the most votes wins. I was told my government was a democracy but it is really intresting to learn that it isnt

[@scottreed5460]

We do use the popular vote... per state

[@silent_stalker3687]

They should have the electoral college on a state level; there was no way the founding fathers could’ve foresaw that states could basically hold up to nations and the population there of especially if spread out. So that one person doesn’t have to campaign in 1 city to win the state; why does New York have to be ran by New York City? Edit: Also I think the 10th amendment basically covers why the president and federal government can’t really step into states very easily... and yet people vote on presidents to solve stuff not even at a state level, but roughly at a city and town level. Then they complain... why?!?!

[@silent_stalker3687]

@@johnbates9935 so california and New York should be the only states that count on the voting but because of population? I’m sure nothing will be abused. :)

[@johnbates9935]

@@silent_stalker3687 Your first sentance makes no sense. Maybe try to reword it.

[@silent_stalker3687]

@@johnbates9935 reword it? How about you don’t delete yours with the ‘it means small cities have too much say’ Look at the population of california and New York. That should illuminate enough of where your ideas would get you, two states dictating what the rest must follow. Similarly New York City running the entirety of New York by population alone.

[@silent_stalker3687]

@@johnbates9935 and question when has the last time it been tried to at the local level? The electoral college doesn’t apply to state level which it should. 1 city governing the entire state? Guess what? Buy up billboards there and you win the vote- talk about corruption, talk about appealing to 1 or two cities and ending up controlling the dozens more.

[@johnbates9935]

@@silent_stalker3687 You have to stop looking at it from a state or city level and start looking at it based on population. Back in the day, I do agree that you could advertise to one small area (NYC, L.A., etc.) using billboards and such to sway the vote. Nowadays though, we have the internet and people see adds from so many candidates either way. Also, just because I see an add that has some political big-wig on it doesn't mean that i'm definently gonna vote for them. Truth is, most people vote blue in the USA. I highly recommend watching the CGP Grey videos on this topic, they're each about 3 minutes long, and there's only one or two of them. I can link them if you'd like.

[@elislindgren3711]

Can someone explain lobbyism to me, i dont see a single reason for it

[@LetsFindOut1]

I haven't looked into it but it seems like it's too open for corruption to me

[@malx7756]

@@LetsFindOut1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/naPLZ52EfamHo8U

[@DemocracyManifest_]

I appreciate the video but I feel like your main argument in favour of the Electoral College falls apart when you consider that the Electoral College almost always votes with the popular vote in their state. So the idea that there is a "filter" on the madness of crowds doesn't really apply.

[@LetsFindOut1]

that's a good point I had to think about that for a second. If you're arguing in favor of a national popular vote that isn't defined by districts or state level majorities, and just a pure direct vote of a couple hundred million people, I do think that it would only take about 10 major metropolitan cities to elect a president into office. The merit of the electoral system is that it doesn't take only numbers into account, The weights it gives to smaller states and much less populated regions balance the cultural differences of the widely separated smaller populations spread across the whole US. The madness of crowd 's theory generally applies to very densely populated areas in particular. So the main hypothesis is that a individual candidate could tailor a platform of policies that appeal highly to a dozen or so major cities and could potentially neglect or negatively impact other regions of the country. for instance I read an article supporting the electoral system that made a case for the potentially conflicting ideologies of urban city dwellers and rural farmers who cultivate and produce the raw materials that the metropolitan areas then manufacturer and consume. The urban populations typically lean towards more environmental restrictions and regulations that might unwittingly inflate prices of the products they consume. But they might not understand this because they're so far removed from the agricultural and mineral sources of the products they purchase. This could be an un intended consequence of an "urban-elected" president. And vice versa.

[@quohime1824]

Let's Find Out ASMR I would argue the senate already exists for this. Everyone gets two senators and most of the important stuff happens there anyways. I don’t like the senate either, especially considering at first it wasn’t even on the ballot (lol). I don’t like this affirmative action for smaller states in general, especially since they use their strangle hold on government for less helping people materially and more culture war “the marxists are turning the kids gay” propaganda

[@AsherGenesius]

I want to know what everyone thinks of creating a State based electoral college. I don’t think the founding fathers could have foreseen the population boom of the 20th century, nor the megacities that basically control the entire state (NYC, Chicago, Etc.). The purpose, as I see it, of the electoral College is to percent the tyranny of the majority. So why not apply that on a state by state basis? Is it a step too far? Would love to see some discourse.

[@sheriffbigdog9671]

The founders did not intend to intervene in intra-state affairs. If individual states wanted to have their own way of sending representatives to the federal government, then the founders would have likely been fine with it. They never intended to have as much democracy as we have now, and I tend to agree there. I don't hate stupid people, but should sub-90 IQ people really be making important decisions?

[@AsherGenesius]

@@sheriffbigdog9671 as much as I understand the sentiment, sub 90 iq people are probably a minority of the country, and they haven't done anything wrong. You can be above 90 iq and be considered a low information voter. So in keeping with the intention of the founders to Prevent tyranny of the majority, we shouldn't limit voting over someone's result on an IQ test.

[@Gotobedboy]

@@AsherGenesius in simple terms if u a human you can vote lol

[@AsherGenesius]

@@Gotobedboy You sure you aren’t thinking of Ancient Rome my friend? “A pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert result from the form of government itself; and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual. Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.” -James Madison Federalist X

[@griseusasmr]

Am I having a déjà vu?

[@LetsFindOut1]

i left a loud throat clear and finger snap smack dab in the middle of the first version🤦‍♂️

[@griseusasmr]

@@LetsFindOut1 I know I know, I saw the comment. Hey, at least the answer to the video is still yes!

[@alicetaylor640]

Kinda hard to learn politics when your smoking a joint with Einstein in dreamland lol.

[@Haleyyyy938]

First off, amazing video as usual. In my humble opinion, I genuinely do think we should abolish the electoral college. Things are VERY different now than they were when the electoral college was created. In this election, for example, Biden won by nearly 6 million popular votes yet the fate of our next president essentially comes down to a few thousand votes difference in key counties in a handful of states. It doesn’t make sense to continue on with it in our modern country. Everyone’s vote should be counted and counted equally. My vote shouldn’t matter less because those around me didn’t vote the same way and someone‘s vote in Ohio shouldn’t be worth half as much as someone in Texas if we’re truly a country of the people, by the people, for the people.

[@yikes7607]

I agree with that, actually I had posted before but I had a feeling it wasn't well received so I didn't repost in this re-upload. But seeing your comment I thought I'd go ahead and add my perspective as an outsider. The system seems archaic and antidemocratic in my opinion. An underlying principle of being able to vote is that one possesses both the right and the intellectual capacity to choose their representatives directly, yet it seems this system has the potential to suppress the political voice of a great many people. It also may create more opportunities for foul play should someone try to influence electors who are fewer in numbers but whose votes are more decisive. Moreover like you said to have some votes count more than others signifies not everyone is equal. It's almost evocative of the passage in George Orwell's Animal Farm, that in the farm "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others". And anyway it shouldn't matter how long a system has been in place, if it's outdated or based in wrong precepts then it needs reformation. A society can go farther by being contemporary and progressive, and avoid being traditionalist just for the sake of it. EDIT: I found this interesting article, for what it's worth I'll leave the link: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/electoral-college-racist-origins/601918/

[@Haleyyyy938]

@@yikes7607 I completely agree. I’m glad you posted that article because that’s something else I wanted to say - the electoral college was created in large part so that southern slave owning states could have more of a pull in politics than their population in a popular vote would allow. They wanted this for obvious reasons. This is also part of what led to the 3/5 Compromise which stated that states could count each slave as 3/5 of a person. It absolutely had a racist history. We also have a lot of foul play happening and it always has. Gerrymandering being the most well known example. It’s used to swing electoral votes in certain directions by breaking up district boundaries. It’s an intentional inference in the outcome of any election and is meant to favor one party over the other. There’s also rampant voter suppression, much of it in plain sight. Especially in communities with high ethnic diversity. The list goes on. There’s a lot about the current system that could and should be reformed and it needs to happen ASAP.

[@lydiaclaire2408]

I completely agree. It makes no sense that votes in particularly red/blue areas are almost insignificant, but votes in swing states are more important. a popular vote alone would give a winner that more people support.

[@thewalkingred79]

The USA is a Federal Republic and not a democracy. You have no clue about the inherent dangers of direct democracy and mob rule. You do not understand nor respect the constitution and states rights. Not everything is racist. The electoral college contributed to ending slavery as Lincoln only received 39.9% of the popular vote. If you truly want to understand the electoral college, I suggest reading this: www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/in-defense-of-the-electoral-college

[@elislindgren3711]

@@thewalkingred79 the electoral collage was needed then not now, dog

[@cringecrew101asmr8]

Orwellian media. lolol I agree btw

[@eazye619]

Yes it does. Electoral College is great and allows everyone to get a say and not just the major cities

[@lydiaclaire2408]

the major cities are where the people are. by abolishing the electoral college every vote would have equal value and therefore everyone would get a say.

[@harrydavis6117]

The electoral college allows a minority to govern the majority, simple as that. Serves no use in a modern democracy.

[@asaptherm]

@@harrydavis6117 agreed.

[@eazye619]

@@lydiaclaire2408 thats where the people are? If so then how does Texas consistently vote Republican even though the cities, which is where the people are, vote Democrat? Why is the Popular Vote won here in the rural areas where nobody is apparently?

[@eazye619]

@@harrydavis6117 no. The electoral college gives everyone a chance. Otherwise people in LA, SF, NYC, Atlanta and other major cities would be the only ones having any say in who the president is. People in more rural areas shouldn’t get any say according to you? Also we aren’t a democracy which you apparently don’t know. We’re a Constitutional Republic

[@markheithaus]

I like that the Electoral College allows a significant enough minority to win. Thirty percent will likely never defeat seventy percent of the vote, but a small (by percent), continuous majority can't assume victory. Today I think of the European Union. Aside from the fact that a true political union in Europe would be difficult to achieve, any hope of a political union in Europe would have to account for how the vote is counted not only between individuals, but between nations (States). I used to be very, very left wing - aggressively so - until I spent a lot of time in Belarus, Russia, and then in the Baltic states and Poland. Time in Estonia and Poland especially broke my brain and moderated me. I love Estonia, and the fact that the Estonian independence movement and its current politics within the EU are rooted in its own nationalism as a liberal position is not lost on me. To explain that better, watch old American news coverage from the late 80s when nationalist movements were pressuring the Soviet Union. In that news coverage the Communist hardliners were often referred to as conservatives, and the nationalist groups (Estonian in Estonia!) were referred to as liberals. Orthodoxy, either from the left or right, doesn't invite a lot of debate. It's not natural. Orthodoxy here seems to say "left is liberal" and "right is conservative", when really both terms are relative to what one is liberal or conservative towards. The left can be conservative if they're in power. Nationalists can be liberal if they're fighting for an openness to say, Estonian being the national language of Estonia, citizenship being a requirement to vote, and election security being a defense of their own liberalism. But they are liberal. The Electoral College is Heterodox by design.

[@yapaui3064]

I've actually been wanting to knoore about the elevatoral collect I don't knoich about politics but I love to learn history and how shit came to be ya know Edit: if you see this can you be a little louder or something I can barley hear you

[@miinyoo]

Humans are fragile creatures extremely easily fooled by clever actors. The less power any one of them has the more harmony there is in the world. Conflict is harmonious as there is nothing inherently wrong with discussing ten thousand ideas and trying them only to arrive at the best answer to a problem. However, pretty closely related to the advent of modern technology, it is now not the government nor religion (sans several theocracies in the world) which makes the rules but commercial interests, oligarchs if you will which determine the direction of affairs with their own very distinct power kind of like renegade mafias wearing cosmetics. The government, vis a vis the people are only there to be a guide in good times, a crutch to lean on when mistakes have been made or a hammer to be wielded against any opposition. Whole nations have absolutely no power over what they do. Through all the noise which is intended because they hide it well and invest enormous amounts of effort into manipulating the people's perceptions of them; there is only one power which can and does regularly throw entire civilizations into chaos or flood the world with wealth and that's the power of money creation and management. It effects literally everything since subsistence farming is no longer all that relevant. Most people go where the work is so they can purchase their livelihood. The government is more of a distraction when you're looking at it from this point of view. It's not a point of view which was intended but through the vicissitudes of time and negligence has become the current state of affairs. If you remember the company towns during the 1800's American westward expansion, it's a lot like that but scaled up. Now very recently, since the internet has found its way into every life, the pendulum is starting to swing the other way. There is much more chaos to come now that it's so easy to be independently educated and communicate seemingly anonymously throughout the world. It makes the manipulator's jobs much much harder. As presidents, both Obama and Bush admitted, the internet makes it hard to govern. To their credit, they're generally pretty quiet about affairs because let's be honest about it. They are de-facto employees. This is why "woke" culture and "misinformation" became a thing. There are plenty of people who are wrong but there are some people who are correct about things which aught not be widely known. This is an ancient problem which has no good solutions. The only good solution I can think of is culture and that has been changing radically swinging all over the place everyone tugging at the same parachute.

[@MattAHTatTat]

As an anarchist, I will be bowing out of this one...not relaxing at all. #Googlevoluntaryism

[@bowtieguy5280]

I mean, without it you could literally win three states and a dozen cities and dictate policy for the entire nation. The electoral college prevents that nonsense.

[@LetsFindOut1]

yea. the winner-take-all on the regional level seems best to maintain the fairest degree of state's rights and sovereignty

[@bowtieguy5280]

@@LetsFindOut1 agreed. And instead of ramming legislative action through on a federal level on issues like marijuana legalization, why not simply put it to a referendum on a state level? Let the people decide.

[@nyanrapier7838]

@@bowtieguy5280 They can absolutely do that for more meaningless things than drug prohibition. They for some reason choose not to or don't realize they can. States have way more authority than most people believe. It's by design, yet states constantly cave into federal mandate. A la you have to be 21 to buy tobacco now for no reason. They did the same with alcohol by threatening interstate funding if I remember right.

[@jcast39atmsn]

You actually cant though. Mathemaically you need more than just a few cities to win with the popular vote. This ignores also that cities arent uniformily homogenous and vice versa and its elmination would allow represntatiom of Republicans in blue states and Democrats in red states. It would also help competition given under the current system 3rd party candidates can not win due to not having a majority anywhere.

[@docloop6240]

It's to ensure rural communities(Who have smaller populations.) aren't blown out, and overridden by cities in the same state. Otherwise every election would go to the Democrat run cities and the whole country would be a democrat super majority, which would be akin to a dictatorship, one party rule. Like Commiefornia.

[@noyeahforsure]

First

[@LaBelleTML]

Great video, very informative, just not very “ASMR”.

[@allenbell1427]

Certainly did the trick for me

[@reuben8140]

Lol there’s a million channels who do that machine gun tapping over a really breathy whisper, suggest you go watch them instead

[@LaBelleTML]

@@reuben8140 Nah, I like this channel actually. Just didn’t find this particular video to be very much like the rest in that regard. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@LetsFindOut1]

i understand. this one was just a particularly interesting topic i wanted to explore. glad you got something out of it

[@LaBelleTML]

@@LetsFindOut1 Nothing wrong with that! It was enjoyable nonetheless, even if it didn’t put me to sleep like your other videos do 😆 Cheers.

[@Foogi9000]

One reason I didn't vote is because both sides are objectively awful and I will not be swayed to tribalism.

[@jasoncuriale8613]

I feel like the Electoral vote used to have its purpose, but like a lot of things it’s a old practice that’s frankly kinda stupid. Just glad that Trump is out so things can start getting better.

[@sethandotts3763]

The you my freind, don't understand why it was implemented, it's not some "stupid old practice" it's there to give the minority more power, if we had no electoral college, just 3 states would decide the election, hell even just a few cities would decide the election

[@jasoncuriale8613]

@@sethandotts3763 No? It should be vote for vote, if there’s a hundred people in the US and 60 voted A while 40 voted B, A should win, it’s simple and has only stayed implemented cause Red knows they would never win another election, and there’s a good reason for that.

[@jasoncuriale8613]

@@aaphiiux You know Jesus was a Socialist right? And he wasn’t white he was brown, and transgender.

[@jasoncuriale8613]

@@aaphiiux I didn’t respond seriously because it’s not worth it, no matter what I say I won’t be able to change your mind, and If I wanted to talk to a brick wall I’d just go outside. Also how the hell did you get “ I think you’re literally Jesus of nazareth “from what I said 😂

[@sethandotts3763]

@@aaphiiux plus men can be in women's sports