The Electoral College

Electoral System

The Electoral College is a unique American institution designed to elect the president through a system of indirect election. Gary Arndt explains that the Electoral College was born out of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the framers were wary of direct elections due to concerns about mob rule and majoritarianism 1. Instead, they created a parallel body to Congress, ensuring independence between branches and reducing corruption. This system mirrors parliamentary systems worldwide, where representatives elect the head of government 1.

The electoral college is a uniquely American institution that has one, and only one, purpose: to select the president of the United States.

--- Gary Arndt

The Electoral College meets every four years, with electors chosen by the people to vote for the president, not directly by the populace 1.

   

System Evolution

Initially, the Electoral College system had the president and vice president as the top two electoral vote-getters, leading to conflicts like those between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Gary Arndt notes that the 12th Amendment resolved this by allowing separate votes for each office 2. The original vision by Hamilton and Madison was for electors to be knowledgeable individuals who would debate and select the president, but states quickly began choosing electors pledged to specific candidates 2.

They quickly learned that this was a terrible idea. You wound up with a president of one party, aka John Adams, and the vice president from another party, Thomas Jefferson, and they did not get along.

--- Gary Arndt

Today, only Maine and Nebraska follow the intended district-based selection, while most states use a winner-takes-all approach, leading to controversies over the popular vote versus electoral outcomes 2.