The Electoral College
The United States is both a republic and a democracy. We elect representatives to serve in both state and federal legislatures, making us a republic. We also vote on propositions that require a majority of the vote to pass, making us a democracy. Democracy means majority rule.
During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, our founding fathers made a particular effort to limit traditional sources of political power to avoid the possibility of subjecting citizens to a tyrannical ruler. That is why in America we have three main branches of government: the judicial, legislative, and executive branches. The United States Supreme Court, including the district courts, constitute the federal judicial branch. Both houses of Congress, including the Senate and the House of Representatives, form the legislative branch. The President, Vice President, and their advisors form the executive branch of government. While the legislative branch is elected by the people, the judiciary is appointed by congress.
America is the only major democracy in the world using an electoral college to elect its head of state. Delegates at the Convention of 1787 struggled on how to pick a president. Allowing congress to appoint the president could lead to a conflict of interest between the executive and legislative branches. On the other hand, delegates were concerned voters weren’t educated well enough to vote for the best candidate. A popularly elected president could potentially command too much power, much like a tyrannical king. The compromise reached at the Convention created the electoral college consisting of independent electors from each state.
Today, the electoral college consists of 538 representatives, including 3 representatives from the District of Columbia. It takes 270 electoral college votes to be elected President. The U.S. Census determines how many electors a state has, and it’s equal to the state’s total congressional representation. For example, California has 54 electors, based on 2 State Senators and 52 members of the House of Representatives. The number of representatives each state has in the House of Representatives is based on the state’s population. California has the most electors because it has the largest population.
At the time of the Constitutional Convention, there were no major parties dominating the distribution of electoral votes. Electors could vote for the candidate of their choice. Today, most electors are required to vote with their party, and every state but Maine and Nebraska award all their electoral votes to the candidate that wins the popular vote in their state.
The merit of the electoral college continues to be debated today. A vote in California is not equal to a vote in a state with a smaller population. A candidate can be elected without winning the popular vote, which has happened twice since 2000. An argument for keeping the electoral college is that it helps to limit Federal power, while preserving the identities of the individual states.
The difficulty replacing the electoral college is that it requires a two thirds majority vote in each house of Congress, and then the proposal must be ratified by three quarters of the states to amend the Constitution, a hurdle that won’t occur anytime soon in our polarized political climate.
We’re writing this blog during an important Presidential election here in the United States. The outcome of the election will affect inflation, our economy, and our standing in the world. The election won’t, however, change our approach to business. Doo Dah Apparel will continue to promote a circular economy here in America while reducing our carbon footprint, and we’ll do our best to support businesses doing the same.
Please keep your heads up, America! We’re all in the same boat.
Brett Bridgman
Doo Dah Apparel LLC
