The electoral process is a long and drawn-out process that includes many steps from the initial steps taken in attempting to find a viable candidate for office to the final result that results from the Electoral College. The American system is complex and very controversial, as the readings show. Some have even suggested getting rid of old institutions that have uniquely defined the American political process. Others have tried to argue that it is our duty to return to old selection systems in order to select the best candidates. This article will cover some of the context of the American political process and delve into the controversial topics surrounding the selection process and the Electoral College. The Selection Process The first main point that the first two chapters attempt to express is the ever-changing selection process for finding viable candidates. At first, each member of the Electoral College cast two votes, one of which had to be for someone outside the elector's state. At the start of the process, the elections were quick. Without a campaign, the process took approximately three months (Pike & Maltese, p. 96). The process was changed early on and a new stage was added after the development of factions that became the first political parties. Parties participated in the process because they had to select their own candidates to present. They began a new selection process, bringing together members of congress from their selective parties. This process became the dominant mode of selection over the next three decades until the Jacksonian era (Pika & Maltese, p. 97). The idea of ​​congressional caucuses was attractive because congressional leaders were the obvious choice...... middle of paper...... they don't take everything, the votes are just added to the national total a lot more important (Edwards, p. 190). -191).ConclusionElectoral politics in the United States are much more complex than the media think. This article presents some of the key points and long-standing arguments about how the system works and how to change it for the better. ReferencesEdwards, George C. (2009). The defective premises of the electoral college. In Abraham Goldberg, The American Presidency (pp. 177-195). Congressional Quarterly Press. Pika, Joseph A. and Maltese, John Anthony (2009). The electoral process. In Abraham Goldberg, The American Presidency (pp. 95-151). Congressional Quarterly Press. Pious, Richard M. (2009). The presidency and the nomination process: politics and power. In Abraham Goldberg, The American Presidency (pp. 152-177). Quarterly Congressional Press.