Since the 2000 Presidential elections there has been a cry for the dissolution of the Electoral College. Following the 2016 elections, it has started again, namely by the losing candidate, Hillary Clinton. Regardless of political ideology, we should all denounce Mrs. Clinton’s call for abolishing the Electoral College.
If we take a short tour through US history, we will recall that our Founding Fathers struggled for several decades to put together a Constitution that formed a Republic, not a democracy. A democracy gives a simple majority the power to rule. A Republic balances power so the will of the minority is not totally lost.
The principles of a Republic are found in having two houses in Congress, the process to change the Constitution, Presidential veto and Congressional override, and of course, the Electoral College.
The Electoral College structure, first and foremost, signals that we are in fact, United States, not simply one collective country. This principle is significant because it was the struggle of large vs. small states that drove the Founding Fathers to structure the government as a Republic and not a democracy. Each state is given a voice that carries weight. It means that a Presidential candidate cannot ignore the 38 States whose populations are less than the 12 largest States.
In the 2016 election, that is exactly what Mrs. Clinton did. She ignored the rust belt States in the final weeks of the campaign and lost their Electoral votes to Mr. Trump. Our Founding Fathers would have been pleased with the outcome, not because of the ideology of the candidates, but because the safeguards put in place performed as planned.
It is a slippery slope for those who call for one person, one vote. Eliminating the Electoral College would be the beginning of the end of our country. Soon the underlying structure of Congress would be changed from two Houses. Every State would not receive representation. Super majorities to preserve the Constitution would be eliminated to simple majorities. Juries would only need 7 votes to convict instead of a unanimous vote. Chaos would quickly become the rule of the day.
Democratic ideals are good, but the foundation of a Republic is superior. May all Americans recognize and understand the fundamental differences and seek to preserve them. May we not heed sore losers efforts to destabilize our society.