ABSTRACT

Any book assessing the state of American electoral democracy would be incomplete without a discussion of one of the most controversial and unique aspects of American democracy: the Electoral College. Supporters of many of the other subjects covered in this book, including the frequency of elections, voting for numerous offices, and direct democracy, do so because they believe those aspects of the American electoral system promote more democracy. To its critics, however, the Electoral College is inherently undemocratic. First, there is no guarantee that the majority, or even the plurality, winner of the popular vote will become president. Second, according to the Constitution, there is not even a guarantee that the people will get to vote for president! Each state determines how it will choose its electors. They can do so through a popular vote, as all states currently do, but there is nothing that requires direct citizen input. If a state legislature decides it wants to appoint electors, as many state legislatures did immediately after the ratification of the Constitution, it is free to do so (although it would certainly face massive opposition from the public). As a result, perhaps no aspect of the Constitution receives more criticism than the Electoral College.