選舉人團也可能平手：英語精讀講義

The United States picks its president with the Electoral College, 文化背景

美國透過選舉人團制度來選出總統，

538 votes distributed by population,

538張選舉人票按人口比例分配，

mostly to the 50 states and D.C.

主要分給50個州和華盛頓特區。

To become president, 文法

想要成為總統，

you need to win a majority of those votes.

你需要贏得這些票數的多數。

But 538 is an even number.

但是538是一個偶數。

So,

那麼，

what happens when the race for president is tied? 用詞

如果總統競選出現平手會怎樣？

Don't worry,

別擔心，

there's an 18th century solution to the problem.

有一個18世紀的方案可以解決這個問題。

If the Electoral College is tied,

如果選舉人團平手，

the House of Representatives breaks that tie. 講解

將由眾議院來打破這個僵局。

As the name implies, 表達脈絡

顧名思義，

the House is filled with representatives from each of the states.

眾議院裡坐滿了來自各個州的眾議員。

The more people in a state, 文法

一個州的人口越多，

the more representatives it has.

它擁有的眾議員就越多。

And there are 435 in total.

眾議院總共有435名眾議員。

Thankfully,

幸好，

an odd number and a guaranteed tie breaker.

這是一個奇數，能夠確保打破平手。

Except, there's a catch. 慣用語

但是，這裡有個陷阱。

Each representative doesn't get one vote.

並不是每位眾議員各有一票。

It's each state that gets one vote. 文法

而是每個州只有一票。

So, Florida's 27 representatives have to decide amongst themselves

因此，佛羅里達州的27名眾議員必須在內部商議，

who to support before casting Florida's one vote 片語搭配

決定支持誰，然後才能投出佛羅里達州的那一票，

to help break the tie.

以幫助打破平手。

Meanwhile, thinly populated Alaska's sole representative 片語搭配

與此同時，人口稀少的阿拉斯加州唯一的眾議員

has only to consult himself 文法

只需要跟自己商量，

before casting Alaska's vote.

就可以投出阿拉斯加州的那一票。

This is an incredibly disproportionate system

這是一個極其不成比例的系統，

because just 10 states,

因為僅僅10個州——

California, Texas, New York,

加利福尼亞州、德克薩斯州、紐約州、

Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania,

佛羅里達州、伊利諾州、賓夕法尼亞州、

Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina,

俄亥俄州、密西根州、喬治亞州和北卡羅萊納州——

contain more than half the population

佔據了超過一半的人口，

of the United States,

（就全美國而言），

but get only 20% of the votes

但卻只能獲得20%的選票

if the race for president is tied.

在總統競選出現平手時。

And the other 40 states

而其他40個州

with less than half the population

儘管人口不足一半，

get 80% of the votes.

卻掌握了80%的選票。

While an exact tie is unlikely, 文法

雖然確切的平手不太可能發生，

this system is also used

但這套系統同樣適用於

if there are more than two candidates

當總統候選人超過兩名，

for president and none of them 文法

且沒有任何一人

gets a majority in the Electoral College,

在選舉人團中獲得多數票的情況。

which is exactly what happened

這正是當年發生過的事，

when four candidates ran for president in 1824.

1824年有四名候選人競選總統。

Andrew Jackson got the most votes 用詞

安德魯·傑克遜獲得了

from Americans and the most votes

最多美國民眾的選票，以及最多的

in the Electoral College,

選舉人票，

but not a majority.

但並未過半。

So, the race was turned over 片語動詞

因此，競選的結果被交給了

to the House of Representatives

眾議院，

voting as states, 文化背景

以州為單位進行投票，

who picked John Quincy Adams instead.

結果他們反而選了約翰·昆西·亞當斯。

In a modern America with more states,

在擁有更多州的現代美國，

a three-way race can have

三方競爭可能會產生

horrifically disproportionate results.

極其不平衡的可怕結果。

Consider a third-party candidate 用詞

設想有一位第三黨候選人，

who loves the small states

他很偏愛小州，

and who the small states love in return. 片語搭配

小州也同樣支持他。

He gets the fewest Electoral College votes,

他獲得了最少的選舉人票，

but enough to ensure that 文法

但足以確保

neither of the two more popular candidates

另外兩位更受歡迎的候選人中，沒有一人

gets a majority.

能獲得過半選票。

So, now the House decides the winner.

那麼，現在就輪到眾議院來決定勝者了。

And those 26 smallest states,

而這26個最小的州，

representing just 17% of the population,

僅代表了17%的人口，

can pick their man as president

卻能推選出他們的人當總統，

even though 83% of Americans 文法

儘管有83%的美國人

didn't vote for him.

並沒有把票投給他。

It's unlikely,

這不太可能發生，

but it really shouldn't even be possible.

但這種情況根本就不該存在。

Anyway, all this talk of presidents

總之，光討論總統，

has left the vice president unmentioned. 文法

我們還沒提到副總統。

A reasonable person might assume that

一個有常識的人可能會以為，

he just comes along with the president, 片語動詞

副總統只是跟著總統一起上任，

but no.

但並非如此。

When there's a tie,

出現平手時，

the Senate independently picks the vice president.

參議院會獨立選出副總統。

So, the United States could end up 片語動詞

因此，美國最終可能會出現

with a president from one party

總統來自一個黨派，

and a vice president from the other,

而副總統來自另一個黨派的情況，

which might make for some very uncomfortable meetings. 片語動詞

這可能會讓某些會議場面十分尷尬。

But even this crazy system for resolving

但即便這種用以解決

a tie isn't guaranteed to work 文法

平手的瘋狂系統，也不能保證一定有效，

because there are 100 members of the Senate,

因為參議院有100名成員，

and in the House of Representatives,

而在眾議院，

they're forced to vote as 50 states,

他們只能被迫以50個州的單位投票，

and many of those states have

並且許多州都有

10 or eight representatives,

10名或8名眾議員，

making the whole system tie-tacular 用詞

讓整個系統陷入絕妙的「平手奇觀」，

with all those even numbers.

都歸功於所有的這些偶數。

So, if the House can't pick the president,

所以，如果眾議院選不出總統，

but the Senate has picked the vice president,

但參議院已經選出了副總統，

then the vice president becomes acting president

那麼副總統就會成為代理總統，

until the House can make up its mind. 慣用語

直到眾議院做出決定。

But if neither the House can pick the president 文法

但如果眾議院選不出總統，

nor the Senate can pick the vice president,

參議院也選不出副總統，

then the Speaker of the House 文化背景

那麼眾議院議長

becomes acting president until

將成為代理總統，直到

either branch of Congress picks someone.

國會的任意一院選出人選。

And that's how the United States

這就是美國

would resolve a tied race for president.

解決總統競選平手的方法。

Though it might be faster and more fair

儘管這麼做可能還不如擲硬幣

to just flip a coin. 片語搭配

來的更快、更公平。

Of course,

當然了，

you could get rid of the Electoral College 片語動詞

你也可以廢除選舉人團制度，

and thus this whole crazy system

從而擺脫這一整個瘋狂的系統，

and instead have a national popular vote, 文化背景

取而代之的是全國普選，

perhaps with something fancy like preferential voting. 文化背景

也許還能加上像排序複選制這樣花俏的玩法。

But maybe that's just a crazy idea. 語氣意圖

但或許那不過是個天方夜譚的瘋狂想法。