How the Great Compromise and the Electoral College Affects - HISTORY In addition, the president might feel indebted to Congress and yield some power back to the legislative branch. The First Design . To become an American citizen is not a matter of bloodlines or genealogy but rather a matter of endorsing and embracing the values established at the founding, which accords the men who invented these values a special significance. The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College because they didn't trust ordinary citizens to be informed enough to adequately pick the president. The Electoral College was believed to bypass possible corruption of the voting processes established by the states. Please ensure all values are in a proper format. The margins in those states would have to be extremely small. AMU is the nations top provider of online education to the U.S. military and offers 200+ degree and certificate programs including Homeland Security, Intelligence, Emergency and Disaster Management, Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, Business, Management, and more. Ignorance on an issue does not mean abolish it, but so many times our lack of education colors our viewpoints. . "The electoral college is just one of the safeguards it operates as a blend of democracy and federalism.". What Were the Founders Thinking When They Created the Electoral College Because electoral votes for president and vice president were not listed on separate ballots, Democratic-Republican running mates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College, sending the contest to the House of Representatives. The important reasons why the Founding Fathers established the Electoral College should not be overlooked, just because we have a lack of understanding concerning the system as Americans. Podcast: Preparing for the Unthinkable: Pandemics and Electromagnetic Pulse, The Implications of Trumps Blocking of the Democrats Intelligence Memo, Todays Security Threats Require More Training and Experience from Intelligence Professionals, Turkish President Erdoan May Face Re-Election Problems. There is no shortage of bills before the legislatures in various states to make it harder for some people to vote. This recent scholarship is heavily dependent on the massive editorial projects, ongoing since the 1960s, that have produced a level of documentation on the American Founders that is more comprehensive and detailed than the account of any political elite in recorded history. Why did they create the Electoral College? - Wise-Answer Find out more about Ross and her views on the electoral college here. For the results of U.S. presidential elections, see the table. In 1776, he was given the immense task of writing the Declaration of Independence, in which he famously declared that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (A lifelong owner of enslaved people, he did not extend these concepts to Black Americans.). Not nearly as recognized as his Founder cohorts, John Jay nonetheless played a pivotal role in the creation of the United States. Founding Fathers - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help The second as part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller states. In every Presidential election (really in every election) we must choose between imperfect candidates. But despite these concerns, Ross sees many benefits with the electoral college system, saying that it forces candidates to "build national coalitions" across state boundaries and that it makes it more difficult to steal elections. To actually steal an election with the Electoral College in place the election would need to be close enough that cheating in only one or two states could swing the state and change the outcome of the election. One camp pushed for Congress to pick the leader of the country while the other camp pushed what was touted in the Declaration of Independence, that Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed., As cited in History.com, George Edwards III, emeritus political science professor at Texas A&M University, insisted that the Electoral College was never intended to be the perfect system for picking the president.. In the first . Some will surely wonder why a democratic system simply wasn't established, with Ross explaining, in her view, why the Founders rejected such a prospect. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. Memorial Day: Which Servicemember Do You Plan to Honor? Why Did The Founding Fathers Create The Electoral College? - Celeb Answers Virginia delegate James Madison was concerned that giving Congress the power to select the president would render it the executor as well as the maker of laws; and then tyrannical laws may be made that they may be executed in a tyrannical manner., That view persuaded his fellow Virginian George Mason to reverse his previous support for congressional election of the president and to then conclude that he saw making the Executive the mere creature of the Legislature as a violation of the fundamental principle of good Government.. There is no need to get into the process mechanics or the nature of political campaigning in the early years of our republic. Why did the Founding Fathers create the Electoral College? Was The Killing Of Russias Darya Dugina An Assassination? "The most important thing to know about (the Founders) mindset as they were crafting our entire constitution they were not trying to create a pure democracy," Ross told "The Church Boys." The Founders of America gave us a gift to force our Presidential candidates to talk about multiple issues around the country and build coalitions, to protect the rural and small communities from the urban population centers having all the power and influence, and to protect our system of government from abuse of power and voter fraud. The determination of electors for each state is based on how many members of Congress represent the state a combination of the total of House members plus two Senators for each. The Founding Fathers were a group of military leaders, politicians, writers, and rebels who led the war for independence and united the Thirteen Colonies, thereby constructing the backbone for the United States of America. As long as the United States endures as a republican government established in the late 18th century, all Americans are living the legacy of that creative moment and therefore cannot escape its grand and tragic implications. In the Electoral College system, the States serve as the Centurial groups (though they are not, of course, based on wealth), and the number of votes per State is determined by the size of each State's Congressional delegation. Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. Preventing "The Tyranny of the Majority" - The Heritage Foundation Why did the framers create the Electoral College? - Brainly.com Its not clear which delegate came up with the idea, which was a partly national and partly federal solution, and which mirrored other structures in the Constitution. Reasons to Keep the Electoral College - ThoughtCo The obvious question is which side would have the support of our Founding Fathers? In a striking coincidence, Adams and his friend-turned-rival-turned-friend Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Why Dont Reporters Focus on the Aftereffects of Disasters? Chapter 8 Flashcards | Quizlet in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma and his Ed.D. Podcast: How Will Bidens Border Security Policies Differ from Trumps? The second cousin of John Adams, Samuel Adams was a political firebrand who drummed up immense opposition to British policies in Boston, a hotbed of the resistance. Created by the Constitution, the original Electoral College worked like this: each state appointed electors equal to its number of senators (2) plus representatives, apportioned at a ratio of. You can check out my recent interview with Taraherefor our Christians Engaged Book Club selection in July and check out herPrager U videoon the topic that has over 66 million views. Founding Fathers: Quotes, Facts & Documents - HISTORY Some who oppose the electoral college system argue that it gives small states too much power, as those smaller states might end up with three electoral college votes despite having only one representative in the House, The Atlantic reported. COVID-19 Protests in China: The Possibility of a New Leader, Eurasia: Instability and Dwindling Spheres of Influence, Afghanistan: Life in Kabul a Year after the US Withdrawal, China Faces Numerous Constraints in Reclaiming Taiwan, Sri Lanka: A Bellwetherof Global Government Instability, The Current State of Iran-US Relations and a Nuclear Deal, Turkey to Hold a Second Presidential Election on May 28, Syria Is Readmitted to the Arab League After 12 Years, IRGC Attacks on US Bases in Syria Cause Rising Tensions, Judicial Review: The Constitutional Conundrum in Israel, Iran Is Growing Closer to Becoming a Nuclear Power, Turkey, Earthquakes and the Geopolitics of Natural Disasters. Concentration of power and the abuse of that power was what the founders were so concerned about. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 166,600 academics and researchers from 4,655 institutions. The Difficulty of Federal Reparations for Slave Descendants, It Is Time We Permitted Cameras into the Supreme Court, The Supreme Court Defines Its Jurisdiction in WWII Art Case, NATO Membership: Why Turkey Opposes Sweden and Finland, Doctoral Research Focuses on Global Impact of Femicide, United Nations Summit: An Opportunity to Get Things Done, The Destabilization of the Russian Sphere. This keeps each state an individual powerhouse and protects the little states from the big states as well as putting in many more protections that we will go over below. Efforts to improve universal suffrage include expanding early voting, making mail-in balloting easier, restoring voting rights for some citizens with criminal convictions and providing more accessibility for voters with disabilities. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. The first reason that the founders created the Electoral College is hard to understand today. It seems obvious that deep red states believe too many people are voting and deep blue states want everyone to have a say in who runs the country. It is not an unheard-of scenario. The Founders Gave Us a System to Protect Liberty. Who invented the Electoral College? - The Conversation The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. Second, the American system of jurisprudence links all landmark constitutional decisions to the language of the Constitution itself and often to the original intent of the framers. Updated on October 21, 2019 Who invented the electoral college? Take a minute to check out all the enhancements! As well as overthrowing colonial rule, the Founding Fathers were said to be just as successful and adept in peacetime, with the group of men penning a number of significant documents such as the U.S. Constitution. the election of 1800 marked the first time an incumbent presidentone of the Founding Fathers at thatactually lost an election. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. CON. After about 10 years of diplomatic service abroad, Adams returned home in 1788 and subsequently became vice president under Washington. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, some 61 bills were moving through the legislative process in 18 states to curtail the number of legal voters. In terms of the debate between the two camps, it is understood that one group of delegates believed that Congress should not be involved in the presidential election process as it bred too many opportunities for corruption. The Brennan Center reported 28 bills have already been signed into law in 14 states with some 115 moving through the process in 25 states. Pennsylvania delegate James Wilson called the problem of picking a president in truth, one of the most difficult of all we have to decide. Other delegates, when they later recounted the groups effort, said this very subject embarrassed them more than any other that various systems were proposed, discussed, and rejected.. Once again, this legal tradition gives the American Founders an abiding relevance in current discussions of foreign and domestic policy that would be inconceivable in most European countries. Thankfully, corrupt people did not think the margins would be that close there as it was only a 537-vote victory out of 6 million votes cast for President Bush. Why is the Electoral College unfair quizlet? On the whole, though, its applied to those leaders who initiated the Revolutionary War and framed the Constitution. That is not a good way to make decisions or govern. Finally, in part because so much always seems to be at stake whenever the Founding Fathers enter any historical conversation, the debate over their achievement and legacy tends to assume a hyperbolic shape. 2.Information Outlets With few news and media platforms, the founding fathers did not believe citizens were informed enough on politicians agenda. The worst thing a society could do is to abolish something just because one party thinks it will benefit them. In all, lawmakers have introduced at least 389 restrictive bills in 48 states in the 2021 legislative sessions, the Brennan Center noted. Some of the most significant Founders were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson, who all played an important role in the development of the country. J.F. Tara Ross, Author of "The Indispensable Electoral College: How the Founders' Plan Saves Our Country from Mob Rule"; "We Elect a President: The Story of our E. FactCheck.org agrees with this assessment as well. California used to vote Republican - remember California gave us Governor and then President Ronald Reagan? At the beginning, six of the 11 members preferred national popular elections. Was Florida really the deciding factor that sent Bush into victory? Even if more is done in the K-12 curriculum to shore up factual American history and how the government is supposed to work, adults should nevertheless educate themselves. Why is it a better system than a straight majority vote? The Founding Fathers Created The Electoral College | ipl.org 2023 Christians Engaged. Human Trafficking: The Targets, Traffickers and Tactics. Without them, there would be no United States of America: The Founding Fathers, a group of predominantly wealthy plantation owners and businessmen, united 13 disparate colonies, fought for independence from Britain and penned a series of influential governing documents that steer the country to this day. Founding Fathers, the most prominent statesmen of America's Revolutionary generation, responsible for the successful war for colonial independence from Great Britain, the liberal ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, and the republican form of government defined in the United States Constitution. Once war broke out, however, he wholeheartedly joined the side of the colonists, serving, among other roles, as a diplomat to Spain and linking up with Franklin and Adams to negotiate the Treaty of Paris. How Prepared Are Your Fire Departments for a Cyberattack? The U.S. Electoral College | Why was it created? - GSU A distinguished Massachusetts lawyer, John Adams became a relatively early proponent of the revolutionary cause. Had the 2020 election outcome been different, the article might have been considered prophetic. Instead, it was founded on a set of beliefs and convictions, what Thomas Jefferson described as self-evident truths, that were proclaimed in 1776 and then embedded in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. Rising to prominence as an aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolutionary War, he became an impassioned supporter of a strong central government. What Skills Are Needed to Work in Intelligence? Military Appreciation Month: A Time to Honor Servicemembers, National Vietnam War Veterans Day And What It Means. What is the popular vote and what is the electoral vote? Since the late 1990s a surge of new books on the Founding Fathers, several of which have enjoyed surprising commercial and critical success, has begun to break free of the hyperbolic pattern and generate an adult rather than adolescent conversation in which a sense of irony and paradox replaces the old moralistic categories. He then traveled to France, where he secured French assistance for the war effort and helped negotiate the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the official end to the conflict. These are just two questions that attorney and author Tara Ross a staunch defender of the electoral college system passionately answered in a recent appearance on "The Church Boys" podcast. Who Invented the Electoral College? - ThoughtCo While the state only has one representative, it still walks away with the three electoral college votes. The Founding Fathers knew they wanted their leader to have limited power. Without it- Presidential candidates would spend their time and messaging only talking to the urban areas and what they think they want to hear. For example, as a voter in Congressional district TX-05 in 2020 - I voted not for Donald Trump or Joe Biden, but I was voting for a Republican elector named Jimmy Weaver from my district. The death of Socrates is a tragic example of what can happen when the wrong people vote. The District of Columbia, which has no voting representation in Congress, has three Electoral College votes. Because, at the time, democracy and the election of a chief execution via direct polling was so universally unheard of, there was a strong sense that the Founding Fathers were trying to come to an agreement on something that had genuinely never been attempted on such a large scale before. Ross said that the Founders studied history and knew that democracies could have pitfalls, so she said, "they wanted to do something better.". Education Due to a lack ofschooling available in the 1700s, the founding fathersbelieved the average citizen to not be intelligent enough tounderstand the complex ideas of government. Once the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, he was placed in charge of the Continental Army and soon suffered a near-disastrous defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn. They also worried that citizens would band together based on personal interests, rather than the overall good of the nation. What Type of Knife Was Used to Kill Linda Malcom? According to experts, there are four consensus reasons to as why the founding fathers established the Electoral College. 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While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Because of increasingly close elections and several elections in recent memory where the popular vote winner did not win the Electoral college - some on the left have lamented this system of checks and balances that the founders set up. Why the Founding Fathers Instituted the Electoral College Thus, the Electoral College was formed. Updates? The founders of America were concerned about large states having more power than small states which is why they established equal representation in the Senate for every state and also gave them power in the Electoral College. As of this writing, passage of the For the People Act is questionable. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. When not designing bifocals, harnessing electricity, playing music or publishing Poor Richards Almanack, he worked constantly on civic projects to improve his adopted city of Philadelphia. Theres no official consensus on who should be considered a Founding Father, and some historians object to the term altogether. We should be thanking God every day for Alexander Hamilton who argued in Federalist No. He later served as vice president to John Adams prior to becoming president, himself, in 1801. Socrates may have had the answer: education. Consider the import of America's founders George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abigail Adams. Socrates and Plato hated democracy, but no rational person would want to live in Platos Republic with its severe censorship and divisions into a clear caste system. The first purpose was to create a buffer between the population and the selection of a President. They cobbled together this plan because they couldnt agree on anything else. Presidential speaker podium for Barack Obama at early vote for change rally October 29, 2008, at Halifax Mall Government Complex in Raleigh, N.C. What exactly is the electoral college and why did the Founding Fathers embrace it instead of creating a direct presidential voting process? Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/founding-fathers-united-states. 538 How is the number of electors determined? Unlike many of the Founders, Adams was staunchly anti-slavery. What is the Purpose & Process of the Electoral College? | Role Smaller states also got more representation w the electoral college How many electors are there? *Textbooks and/or e-books are provided at no charge to undergraduate, doctoral, and masters-level students eligible for the universitys military tuition grant. We the people of America vote not for a specific candidate - though their name is on our ballot, but we vote for a slate of electors that represent our states collective voice by voting for the candidate of our choice. Mail: P.O. Therefore, they set up our national framework with three branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial. from the University of Phoenix. It is as if an electromagnetic field surrounds the discussion, driving the debate toward mutually exclusive appraisals. Historian James MacGregor Burns describes the U.S. in 1787, at the time of the drafting of the Constitution, as an experiment . Political parties change, their platforms are always being tweaked by the grassroots, and even swing states change from election to election. Three approaches were debated during the Constitutional Convention: election by Congress, selection by state legislatures and a popular election - though the right to vote was generally restricted. A lawyer, he originally preferred reconciling with Britain rather than fighting for independence. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Some delegates at the Constitutional Convention thought that letting Congress pick the president would provide a buffer from what Thomas Jefferson referred to as the well-meaning, but uninformed people who, in a nation the size of the United States, could have no knowledge of eminent characters and qualifications and the actual selection decision.. The very term Founding Fathers has also struck some scholars as inherently sexist, verbally excluding women from a prominent role in the founding. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription. Or more clearly was it that Bush built a strong coalition and flipped a traditional blue state like West Virginia to clinch the victory and Florida just happened to be the last state counted because of the recount? Complete this form to connect with an admissions advisor. Trump is why the framers created the Electoral College The framers created the Electoral College, because they didn't trust the people to make electoral decisions on their own. Type above and press Enter to search. Founding Fathers | List, Achievements, & Religion | Britannica We strive for accuracy and fairness. Let's not forget 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote, yet George W. Bush secured an electoral college win in a narrow 271-266 victory. Education - Due to a lack of schooling available in the 1700's, the founding fathers believed the average citizen to not be intelligent enough to understand the complex ideas of government. More defeats followedall in all, Washington lost more battles than he won. The Electoral College was created for two reasons. Podcast: What Does it Mean to be a Cybersecurity Professional? All Rights Reserved. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. As secretary of state under Washington, Jefferson clashed constantly with Alexander Hamilton over foreign policy and the role of government. Listen to Ross discuss these issues on "The Church Boys" podcast at the 3-minute mark here. How does the Electoral College protect all Americans and our way of life? He chaired other key committees as well, and even found time to draft the Massachusetts Constitution (which is still in use). I appreciate that every Presidential campaign starts with states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina and that the candidates in both parties must talk to rural farmers in a small community in Iowa and then go to a libertarian community in New Hampshire and then travel down to the deep south for some family values in South Carolina. Ackerman Professor of Social Studies Education; Director, Ackerman Center; Associate Director, Purdue Center for Economic Education, Purdue University. As we know in our current time - people get indoctrinated with bad ideas and societal fads, so we must stand up against those notions. For example, in 2000 fraud in Florida could have changed the results of the election. Just like Franklin, he served on the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence, journeyed overseas to secure French military aid and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. The first purpose was to create a buffer between population and the selection of a President. ", Ross concluded that the electoral college was created as a protection "against imperfect human nature.". Christians Engaged is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code, and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. in truth, one of the most difficult of all we have to decide, various systems were proposed, discussed, and rejected, Howard Chandler Christy/Architect of the Capitol, could have no knowledge of eminent characters, would render it the executor as well as the maker of laws, making the Executive the mere creature of the Legislature, In the legislature, promptitude of decision is oftener an evil than a benefit, in proportion to their actual populations, counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a free person, unnatural to refer the choice of a proper character, unfinished business, including how to elect the President, proposed the adoption of a system of electors, mirrored other structures in the Constitution, ensure that only a qualified person became president, Sign up for The Conversations newsletter, Democratic-Republican running mates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied.