Question

Which of the following statements is FALSE? (A) The United States is a both a republic and a democracy. (B) The outcome of the Electoral College system is always in agreement with the outcome of the popular vote. (C) Each state has two senators. (D) The number of electors that each state has is based primarily on the state's population.

Short answer

The FALSE statement is (B): "The outcome of the Electoral College system is always in agreement with the outcome of the popular vote."

Step-by-step solution

Examining statement (A)

Statement (A) says: "The United States is both a republic and a democracy." This statement is TRUE because the United States is a democratic republic, where citizens elect representatives through democratic processes, and these representatives then make decisions on behalf of the people.

Examining statement (B)

Statement (B) says: "The outcome of the Electoral College system is always in agreement with the outcome of the popular vote." This statement is FALSE because there have been instances where the outcome of the Electoral College differed from that of the popular vote. Most recently, in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump.

Examining statement (C)

Statement (C) says: "Each state has two senators." This statement is TRUE because the United States Senate is composed of 100 senators, where each state has exactly two senators, regardless of the state's population.

Examining statement (D)

Statement (D) says: "The number of electors that each state has is based primarily on the state's population." This statement is TRUE because each state's electors in the Electoral College are largely determined by its population. The number of electors is the sum of the state's senators (which is always 2) and the number of its representatives in the House of Representatives, which is based on the state's population. Therefore, the FALSE statement is (B): "The outcome of the Electoral College system is always in agreement with the outcome of the popular vote."

Key concepts

Electoral College system

The Electoral College is a unique system used in the United States for electing the president. Rather than using the popular vote directly, it assigns a certain number of electors to each state. These electors are based on the total number of Senators and Representatives a state has in Congress.
The magic number to win the presidency is 270 electoral votes, out of a possible 538. Sometimes, the Electoral College can yield a result that doesn't match the popular vote. This means a candidate can win the presidency without having the majority of individual votes nationwide.
Critics argue this system gives undue weight to smaller states, while proponents suggest it balances out population differences across the country.

popular vote

The popular vote is the total number of individual votes cast in an election. It's the straightforward way to gauge who the majority of voters support across the country. However, in presidential elections, the popular vote doesn’t directly determine the winner because of the Electoral College.
Some people argue that the popular vote should decide the presidency, as it represents the direct decision of the electorate. Instances where the popular vote winner doesn’t become president often fuel debates about the fairness and relevance of the Electoral College system.
The debate centers on whether the focus should be on majority rule versus federal representation, highlighting the tension between a unitary and federal system of governance.

U.S. Senate representation

In the United States, the Senate is one of the two chambers of Congress, the other being the House of Representatives. It's structured to provide equal representation to each state, with two senators allotted to every state, regardless of population size. This totals to 100 senators in the U.S. Senate.
This setup means that smaller states have as much say as larger states in Senate decisions, which can impact legislation and national policies. While this equality ensures every state has a voice, it sometimes leads to situations where a minority of the population holds significant power due to representation.
This equal representation principle can be a point of contention, as it contrasts with the House of Representatives, where representation is based on population, tilting more power towards more populous states.