History and Rationale of The Electoral College

Weeks after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in this year’s presidential election, liberal politicians, progressive groups and activists are attempting to undermine/eliminate the results along with fundamental institutions created by the Founding Fathers.

Clinton appears to have won the national popular vote in 2016, primarily fueled by massive landslides in populous Democratic cities/states like LA/California, NYC/New York, and Chicago/Illinois. This has sparked efforts to do away with the state-based Electoral College. Though a huge part of the anti-Electoral College push is sour grapes in the wake of a surprise electoral defeat, it serves the broader interest of the progressive movement’s goal to both delegitimize the incoming administration and subvert the idea of federalism as enshrined in the Constitution.

The Electoral College was carefully designed by the Founders after lengthy deliberation at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The design is this: Americans don’t cast their vote for president, but instead for electors pledged to their preferred candidate. Each state has a set number of electors based on the total number of representatives and senators. If one is so inclined, you can read about why the Founders created this seemingly complex system via social media or historical text.

Opponents of the Electoral College claim that the institution is fundamentally flawed. This narrative couldn’t be farther from the truth, as the issues surrounding the election prove exactly why the Electoral College is such an excellent system for the United States. What is lost in the Electoral College debate is the underlying attack on America’s cherished and inherited idea of federalism. 

The Founders in their wisdom designed this republic with the intent of checking ambition with ambition, and delegating specific powers to both the national as well as state governments. They created a nation in which states could operate independently, experimenting with different policies and laws to fit their people.

The elimination of the Electoral College would be just another blow to the role of the states in the American system of government. No longer would presidential candidates have to appeal to the farmers of rural North Carolina or Minnesota alongside the bankers of urban New York or the industrialists of Chicago or the moguls of Tinsel town (Hollywood). They would be incentivized to campaign directly to the interests of the largest population centers alone.