Electoral College Outdated Essay -- Politics

Every four years, the century-old debate over the Electoral College rekindles. Currently, as the contest between the Republican candidates intensifies and the remaining four rush toward the finish line for nomination, speculators are turning their attention toward the Presidential Election that is right around the corner. Predictably, the legitimacy of the Electoral College is once again under scrutiny. Although the Electoral College was an ingenious compromise establish by Framers of the Constitution, the development of the two party politics and the â€Å"winner-take-all† system has led it to the fail its original purpose. When the Framers were drafting the presidential selection procedure of the Constitution in 1787, they presented an artful compromise to the issue of direct election. With the new country spanning thousands of miles along the Atlantic coast and barely connected by transportation or communication, it was impractical if not impossible to distribute information widely enough for every citizen to make an informed choice (Kimberling). In a direct election, this lack of knowledge about candidates living in other states would inevitably result in citizens voting for the candidate they knew the most about. Because the larger states have considerable more voters, presidents would be elected not for their political beliefs, but for their place of residence. Given the inability to spread information extensively, the Framers compromised by adopting the idea of representation. The people up and down the country would vote for local delegates with whom they were familiar with. These electors would then elect a president â€Å"pre-eminent for ability and virtue† (Hamilton 333). By devising the Electoral College, the Framers ensured th... ...ve up the live up to ideals of the Framers in our present day. Works Cited Kimberling, William C. â€Å"The Electoral College.† Federal Election Commission, May 1992. Web. 13 March 2012. Hamilton, Alexander. â€Å"Federalist 68.† The Federalist with Letters of â€Å"Brutus†. Ed. Terence Ball. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 331-334. Print. â€Å"Flunking the Electoral College.† Editorial. New York Times. 20 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. Ray v. Blair. No. 649. Supreme Court of Alabama. April 3, 1952. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. Ross, Kelly. â€Å"Electoral College Outdated.† Northern Arizona News. 6 Feb. 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. Kammer, Jerry. â€Å"As Presidential Electors Include Exgovernors, Activists.† Tucson Citizen. 16 Oct. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. Longley, Lawrence D. and Alan G. Braun. The Politics of Electoral College Reform. London: Yale University Press, 1975. Print.