Should we do away with the electoral college?
Overview
Years ago, when I was a professor of elections and campaigns at Brown University, I argued that the Electoral College was a crucial component of American democracy. I stated that the founders established the institution to ensure that the constitutional system would have checks and balances, that the authority between Congress and state legislatures was balanced, and that large states did not predominate small ones in presidential elections.
But in recent years, I have come to a different conclusion and believe it is time to abolish the Electoral College. In this essay, I outline the Electoral College’s history, argue that it no longer serves a useful purpose in American politics, and argue that it is time to switch to a system where presidents are directly elected by the people.
My view of this institution has changed as a result of a number of events, including wealth disparity, regional inequalities, and the likelihood that differences between the popular vote and the Electoral College will increase given these inequalities. This essay’s last section explains why getting rid of the Electoral College is so important.
The Electoral College’s founding theory
The Electoral College was established by the Constitution’s drafters for a variety of reasons. The body was a compromise between large and small states at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, according to Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper Number 68.
In addition to the aforementioned issues, the Electoral College faces a further challenge known as the “faithless elector” dilemma, in which members of that body’s electors vote contrary to the results of their state’s popular vote. Samuel Miles, a Federalist from Pennsylvania, was the first of this kind since, in 1796, he cast his ballot for Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party, despite the fact that John Adams of the Federalist party had won Pennsylvania’s popular vote.
