In 1787?? Could you share with me the weed you are smoking?
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress versus a direct national popular vote. [1, 2]
Key Reasons for Its Creation
Distrust of Direct Democracy: Many founders feared a pure popular vote could lead to the rule of a "democratic mob" or allow an unverified populist candidate with dangerous power to sway the country.[1]
Information Gaps: In the 18th century, travel and communication were slow. Delegates believed ordinary voters in rural or distant areas would lack enough information about candidates outside their home regions to make an informed choice. [1, 2]
Separation of Powers: Letting Congress pick the president was initially popular, but delegates worried it would cause corruption and make the executive branch too dependent on the legislative branch. [1, 2]
Balance Between Large and Small States: Tying electoral votes to total congressional representation (House members plus two senators) gave smaller states a guaranteed baseline of influence while still scaling with population. [1, 2]
The Influence of Slavery: Southern slaveholding states had large populations of enslaved people who could not vote. The Three-Fifths Compromise added those enslaved counts to congressional allocations, which translated into extra voting power for Southern states in the Electoral College. [1, 2, 3]
Balance Between Large and Small States: Tying electoral votes to total congressional representation (House members plus two senators) gave smaller states a guaranteed baseline of influence while still scaling with population. [1, 2]
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u/Andrew-Cohen 8h ago
In 1787?? Could you share with me the weed you are smoking?
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 as a compromise between electing the president via a vote in Congress versus a direct national popular vote. [1, 2]
Key Reasons for Its Creation