The results of the 2016 presidential election prompted many Americans to question the electoral college – a winner-takes-all system which empowers a group of 538 electors to name the next president of the United States.
Equal representation, citizen-funded elections and equal access to the ballot are the three actionable steps towards change, suggests Equal Citizens, a nonprofit founded by renowned law professor Lawrence Lessig.
Two lawsuits citing the 14th Amendment – one in a largely Republican state on behalf of Democrats and another in a majority Democratic state on behalf of Republicans – arguing that the current system disenfranchises voters, could be an effective legal strategy to spark reform.
Will a more "equal" system for presidential elections encourage citizens to exercise their right to vote? Can reform be debated and implemented before the 2020 cycle?
Guest: Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard University and founder of the non-profit Equal Citizens
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