A COMPLICATED PROCESS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 76, Issue 6533, 30 June 1948, Page 3

A COMPLICATED PROCESS

CHOOSING bF PRESIDENT THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION In a special article written for the Christchurch Press, “Scrutineer” outlines as follows the system used in the United States of America in the election of a President. In November of this year the people of the United States of America will take the first step to elect their thirty-fourth President. More accurately, the President will be chosen after a complicated process which could result in his attaining office without a popular majority. To understand the unusual system by which the United States elects its President, it is necessary to bear in mind the system. by which the power of government is divided; In the United-States the functions ■of the Executive, the Legislature, and the Justiciary are clearly defined and balanced by the machinery of the Constitution. The President is command-er-in-chief of the armed forces. He makes appointments to high offices from men who are not members of Congress. He is independent of the Legislature, but he cannot dissolve it. He has the power to veto its legislation, but it can be re-passed by a two-thirds majority. The Senate must ratify his appointments and the treaties he makes. Checks and Balances of Constitution The Legislature consists, of two Houses. Members of the Senate, the functions of which correspond roughly with those of the House of Lords, are elected, two from each State, for a period of six years; one-third of them retire every two years. The Senate cannot originate money bills. The House of Representatives, the American House of Commons is elected every two years, and has the sole right to initiate- money , bills. The Justiciary, charged with the interpretation of-the laws; of the land, has at its head the Federal Supreme Court, consisting ..of nine, judges who hold, office for life, if they so desire: It decides whether legislation, either Federal or State, is- constitutional, and provides American government with its most stable element.

This clear distinction in the functions of these bodies is the basis of the Constitution. The men who framed the Constitution designed this system of checks and balances because they wanted a government of laws, not of men. They wished to protect the people against any usurpation or mis-use of authority by keeping the Executive, the Legislature and the Justiciary clearly separated. On the same principle the possibility that a powerful group might force the election of the candidate favoured was faced and countered in that part of the Constitution which deals with the machinery for the election of the President. It provides that , the election shall be made by a “college of electors,” men who represent their States but are expected to be unbiased and impartial. The lofty principle beh'nd the plan was soon overlooked, however. Human nature being what if is; the group and party system soon developed. Although the number, of politicalparties or presidential candidates is not 'restricted, governments and presidents have' always come from one of the two main parties of the day. It seems impossible, for instance, that Hjenry Wallace’s new party will upset either the Republicans or the Democrats. These parties, incident-ally,-are only vaguely linked with the original federalist and anti-federalist groups which developed under Hamilton and Jefferson in WSshington’s time. Party Conventions The main parties to-day are organised in much the same way. Each party has committees in nearly every city ward, city, township, State assembly district, Congressional district, county, and' State to promote its interests. At the head of these committees, each of wffich is in close contact with the one beneath it, is a national committee to fight presidential elections. Nominations, for President are made by a national convention of the party, attended by delegates- chosen at party conventions in individual States or, in effect, by party bosses: As the system works now, good servants of the party are rewarded by being made delegates to the national convention. Some are even sent with half a vote to allow a greater number to attend. In about one third of the States party primaries are held to select the delegates. Primaries, in which the rank and file of the party take part, elect candidates whose names will then be submitted to the national convention. The party’s national convention presents to a foreigner one of the most mystifying aspects of American political life. It lasts about a week, and to such a visitor seems more like a vaudeville performance than a political gathering engaged in the serious business of selecting a presidential candidate. Large orchestras and leading radio and screen stars are engaged. Throngs of spectators attend these colourful political shows; it is not uncommon for thousands to be turned away from the immense stadium used. There will be almost 1100 delegates at the Republican convention which opened recently, each With a substitute to take his or her place if necessary at any time. Many of the delegates will be from country districts; many will be more interested in the pleasures than in the work of the convention. At the Democrats’ convention on 12th July 1234 delegates will be present. Electoral College System A candidate must win a majority of the convention’s votes to obtain presidential nomination. The first ballots are often quite inconclusive, as delegates at that stage are prepared to vote for minor figures who have little chance of election. Successive ballots reduce the field, but at one convention when a two-thirds majority was required 103 ballots were held before a decision could be reached. When strong candidates deadlock in the ballot the party lead-

ers confer and attempt to compromise. At the Democratc convention in 1932 Roosevelt’s friends won the support of the strong Texas delegation for him by promising the vicepresidential nomination to a Texas man, John Garner. Such deals are not uncommon.

The process of electing the President, finally, is as follows: In most States, the people vote for “electors,” who are pledged to cast their ballots for one or other of the candidates. The number of electoral votes held by each State corresponds with the number of its representatives in Congress. Thus New York, with its two Senators and 45 members of the House of Representatives, has 47 votes; Wyoming has only three. Under this “electoral college” system the “electors” cast all the votes their State hoids for the candidate who won the election in that State by popular vote. For instance, a presidential candidate may win the New York State by half a doezn votes, but he obtains all 47 of that State’s votes in the electoral college.

This system makes it possible for a presidential candidate to win office by carrying only a few of the States —the ones with the largest number of electoral college votes. In the 1944 election Roosevelt polled 25,600,000 Votes and Dewey 22,000,000; but Roosevelt obtained .432 votes in the electoral college to Dewey’s 99. In 1940 Roosevelt, obtained 27,242,000 popular votes to Wjllkie’s 22,327,000; yet he won 449 of the 531 electoral college votes. , It is, possile, then, to win the presi‘dentita.l election on a minority vote. In 1876 Hayes, a Republican, polled 4,083,950 of the popular votes and his opponent Tilden, 4,284,757. Hayes, with 185 electoral college votes to Tilden’s 184, won the election.

Recently a move has been made to abolish the electoral college system. Mr William Langer, a senator from North Dakota, has introduced into the Senate a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college and provide for the election of President and Vice-Presidept by popular vote. His amendment also calls for the nomination of candidates for these offices to be taken out of the hands of politicians and to be made by the people. The far-reaching effect of this amendment, which is supported by the judiciary committees of both Houses, may be seen from another glance at the 1944 election results. In that, election Roosevelt, obtaining 3,304,000 votes to Dewey’s 2,987,000 in NeW York, won all 47 electoral College votes for that State. Had the amendment been in force and required the electoral vote of each State to be divided proportionately between the candidates on the basis of votes cast, Roosevelt would have had 25 of the college votes and Dewey 22. The feeling that a change should be made is a strong one, and this year’s election may be the last under a system which has been held since the Constitution Was signed in 1789. Another constitutional change proposed. relates to the presidential tenure. An amendment, limiting office to two terms, is being considered at present. Washington, the first President, wished to retire to the quiet and seclusion of his country home, Mlount Vernon, after his first term, and he took a second term only under protest. He was quite adamant when a third term was suggested. His action established a precedent, with the effect of an unwritten law, which was not broken until Roosevelt accepted a third, then a fourth, term. When the Constitution was framed, the question of successive re-elections was left open. The matter is one which may not be decided without bitter controversy. On the one side, it is argued that long tenure of office makes for dictatorship, despotism, and tyranny; on the other, it is said that the proposed am'endment is a vote of no confidence in democracy.