When the Framers were creating the U.S. government, there was a lot of debate between them about the most efficient way to represent the U.S.. They decided that the best way to do this was through a single, powerful executive to represent the nation. However, there were many debates regarding how to elect this new power.
The larger states wanted the presidency to be decided solely on population, while the smaller states wanted equal representation for all. The two main reasons for the electoral college were based on representation and a lack of education for the citizens. The Framers were concerned that the bigger states would automatically determine the president, while the smaller states were overcome. Further, the Framers were concerned that the citizens were not educated enough to make an informed decision about the future of the country. The outcome of these disagreements led to the creation of the electoral college, which has since become outdated in modern society.
The electoral college was the solution to make the best of both worlds. The electoral college numbers are derived from both population size and an equal representation. Each state is allocated electors based on the numbers of their Senators and House Representatives. The U.S. citizens also do not directly vote for the President. While the popular vote traditionally tells the individual electors who to vote for, the citizens ultimately have little to no say. While this model worked in the 1700s, society has since modernized and education is a mandatory part of citizens’ lives.
As society has evolved, so has corruption within politics. When looking at the 2016 presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college. As a result, Trump became president despite more citizens voting for Hillary. Democracy is centered on the ideals of citizens having their voices heard. When the president is not chosen based on the majority of the citizens, it leads to corruption within democracy.
There are a few reasons that the electoral college creates such flaws. One of the biggest reasons is due to a lack of apportionment among electors in the states. In California, one electoral vote would represent over 700,000 people. Comparably, in Wyoming, one elector vote would represent 195,000 people. The differences in numbers leads to unequal representation amongst states.
As a result, states such as Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia are left to determine the presidency. The so-called “swing states” are states which do not lean towards a political party. When presidential candidates begin targeted campaigning, they choose to prioritize the swing states that they have a chance of “swinging” to vote for them.
Ultimately, in current society, the electoral college has become outdated and unneeded. Instead of being an efficient compromise, the electoral college now creates a power imbalance between larger and smaller populated states. As education has also been improved, there is no need for electors to be entrusted with voting, as now all citizens have the ability to make informed decisions about the future of the country.
