Final answer:
The Electoral College has differed from the popular vote in several U.S. presidential elections, leading to calls for reform. The most notable instances occurred in 2000 with George W. Bush and in 2016 with Donald Trump winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote. These events have fueled debate over the efficacy and fairness of the Electoral College system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Electoral College has sparked debates over its representation of the popular will, as there have been several instances in U.S. history where the outcome of the Electoral College has differed from the popular vote. Notable examples of this discrepancy occurred in the presidential elections of 2000, where George W. Bush won the presidency with fewer popular votes than Al Gore, and in 2016, where Donald Trump was elected president despite Hillary Clinton winning almost 3 million more popular votes. These events have led to calls for Electoral College reform, with some proposing a shift to a direct popular vote or making the Electoral College proportional to the popular vote within each state, though significant changes have yet to be made.
Opponents of the Electoral College argue that it can depress voter turnout and fails to represent the popular will, with individual votes in small states having more weight due to the distribution of electors. Furthermore, the Electoral College creates many 'safe' states that receive little attention in general elections, effectively ignoring a substantial portion of the electorate.
Despite such controversies and the existence of 'faithless electors', the system remains largely unchanged. The debates around the Electoral College highlight the challenges of reforming an entrenched political institution, and the ongoing tension between the desire for a more democratic process versus the historic structure established by the U.S. Constitution.