why do we have electoral college vs popular vote

The United States uses an electoral college system to elect its president, rather than a popular vote system. This system has been in place since the country’s founding, and it has been the subject of much debate and controversy over the years.

The main reason for the creation of the electoral college was to balance the power between small states and large states. The founding fathers of the United States were concerned that if the president were elected solely by popular vote, the interests of small states would be overlooked. The electoral college system ensures that small states have a more significant voice in the presidential election by assigning each state a certain number of electoral votes, based on its population.

Additionally, the electoral college also serves as a “check and balance” on the democratic process. The electoral college system was designed to prevent a president from being elected by a small, passionate minority, while the majority of the country’s citizens disagree with their policies. The electoral college gives each state a voice in the presidential election and ensures that the president is elected by a broad coalition of citizens from all regions of the country.

Another reason for the electoral college is that the United States is a federalist system, meaning that power is shared between the national government and the state governments. The electoral college reflects this federalist system by giving state governments a role in choosing the president.

Despite these reasons, the electoral college system has also faced criticism. One issue is that the winner of the popular vote can lose the election as it happened in the 2000 and 2016 US presidential elections. Critics argue that this undermines the principle of “one person, one vote”, as every citizen’s vote should count equally.

In conclusion, the electoral college system was established in the United States as a way to balance the power between small states and large states and as a check and balance on the democratic process. However, it has also faced criticisms for undermining the principle of “one person, one vote” and for allowing the winner of the popular vote to lose the election.