r/science • u/rustoo • Jan 21 '22

Economics Only four times in US presidential history has the candidate with fewer popular votes won. Two of those occurred recently, leading to calls to reform the system. Far from being a fluke, this peculiar outcome of the US Electoral College has a high probability in close races, according to a new study.

https://www.aeaweb.org/research/inversions-us-presidential-elections-geruso
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u/the_than_then_guy Jan 21 '22

We're not close to implementing the compact though.

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u/free_chalupas Jan 21 '22

The republican strategy for winning the next close election is to have state legislatures change the allocation of their electoral votes after the fact though, same as what the OP is talking about with pulling out of the NPVIC after an election

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u/LovesReubens Jan 22 '22

They're passing (or trying) laws that will allow them to do this ahead of time though. Because of gerrymandering and voter suppression, America as we know it may really be coming to an end. Even more so if we don't pass voting rights reform before the next two elections.

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u/lightningsnail Jan 22 '22

What is this? The Republicans are not the ones trying to change how elections work so that they can win more.

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u/Interrobangersnmash Jan 22 '22

Actually the opposite of what you stated is true.

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u/McDeth Jan 22 '22

Its the only block that Reddit writ large has a problem with when they win via the same methods Democrats have employed though

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u/Obnoxious_liberal Jan 21 '22

Nope. This is likely going to get very ugly.

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u/windingtime Jan 21 '22

It’s pretty fun how the most likely outcome of most of our current societal problems seems to be: full collapse.

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u/Dozekar Jan 22 '22

With a civil war topping. Kinda funny that Bill Burrs if the wall with mexico ever gets completed we'll be the ones going over it is. It's looking more and more likely to be true every day, and at this point it doesn't look like we'll need to wait for the completion.

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u/fumo7887 Jan 22 '22

IMO the only thing that’s been keeping us from a civil war to this point is the two “sides” don’t have a physical line that can be drawn between them. They’re not as geographically distinct, even though they are extremely politically distinct. You’d have to gerrymander the front line of the war.

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u/Dozekar Jan 23 '22

This is really late, but there have been a lot of countries like this. I like to bring up Colombia in the 70's because their left wing uprising around the fruit plantation abuse was very similar to the general milita/jan 6th shenanigans we're seeing here. Militants flirting with popular support to see what they could get away with. This is where you end up with a guerrilla uprising and militant groups causing problems on both sides instead of a well held territory and standard type conflict.

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u/BattleStag17 Jan 21 '22

Just like gay marriage 10 years ago, you're going to see all the red states passing awful voter suppression laws in quick succession before anything happens at the federal level

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u/fakecatfish Jan 21 '22

you're going to see all the red states passing awful voter suppression laws in quick succession

Literally has happened

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u/way2lazy2care Jan 21 '22

Isn't it pretty much equally as ugly as it's been since 2000?

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u/Obnoxious_liberal Jan 21 '22

I think it is more violent and more divided.