Breakdown:

1. Historical Context of the Electoral College:
   • The Electoral College was designed as a compromise during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, with framers wary of direct popular elections.
   • The fear of popular majorities and distrust in the general populace (often referred to as “the hoi polloi”) led to the creation of a system that limited direct democratic participation.
   • The framers sought “wise, virtuous men of distinction” to select the president, rather than leaving that decision to ordinary citizens.
2. The Influence of Slavery:
   • The creation of the Electoral College was partly influenced by the 3/5 Compromise, where slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person to give Southern states more voting power.
   • This system amplified the influence of Southern states without giving full representation to enslaved individuals, allowing slaveholding states to increase their political leverage.
3. A Compromise of Desperation:
   • According to historian Robert Dahl, the Electoral College was not viewed as the best solution but rather the “least worst option” when the framers were struggling to finalize the Constitution.
   • The system was hastily cobbled together after multiple failed proposals and was seen as a placeholder rather than a well-thought-out electoral system.
4. Early Failures of the Electoral College:
   • The first major failure of the system occurred in the Election of 1800, where Thomas Jefferson tied with Aaron Burr in electoral votes, despite Burr being nominated for vice president.
   • The 12th Amendment was quickly passed to separate the ballots for president and vice president, but this didn’t fix the underlying structural flaws of the Electoral College.
5. Disproportionate Representation:
   • The Electoral College disproportionately amplifies the votes of residents in smaller states. For example, a vote in Wyoming is 3.6 times more powerful than a vote in California due to the distribution of electors.
   • This imbalance is a result of giving smaller states more influence to “strengthen their voice,” but it creates a system where not all votes are equal.
6. Undemocratic Foundations:
   • The Electoral College was designed to avoid direct elections, a system the framers never even considered. As a result, citizens vote for electors, not the president directly.
   • The unequal representation between states is fundamentally undemocratic, raising questions about whether less populated states should have additional rights or influence over more populated states.
7. Impact on Presidential Campaigns:
   • The current system discourages presidential candidates from campaigning in most states. Instead, they focus their efforts on swing states or competitive areas, ignoring the majority of the country.
   • This selective campaigning highlights the flaws of the Electoral College in representing the will of the people, as the majority of states are excluded from significant political attention.
8. The Electoral College and Losing Presidents:
   • Tomorrow, the discussion will explore how the Electoral College has enabled candidates who lose the popular vote to still win the presidency, a phenomenon that has occurred in over 10% of U.S. elections.

This breakdown examines how the Electoral College was constructed to limit direct democracy, with its origins rooted in compromises that prioritized political power over equal representation. The system’s flaws continue to shape the outcome of U.S. elections and the strategies of presidential candidates.