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cover of episode The Electoral College (Throwback)

The Electoral College (Throwback)

2024/11/7
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The Electoral College was born from the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The framers, facing pressure to create a unified nation, debated how to elect a president. They considered various options, including a popular vote, but ultimately settled on the Electoral College as a compromise.
  • The Electoral College was created during the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
  • The framers considered and rejected several other methods of electing the president.
  • The Electoral College was a compromise solution influenced by factors like slow communication, distrust of the common people, and slavery.
  • The Three-Fifths Compromise played a significant role in shaping the Electoral College.
  • The original Electoral College system (version 1.0) had a major flaw that led to a tie in the 1800 election.
  • The 12th Amendment (Electoral College 2.0) fixed this flaw by requiring separate votes for president and vice president.

Shownotes Transcript

What is it, why do we have it, and why hasn't it changed? Born from a rushed, fraught, imperfect process, the origins and evolution of the Electoral College might surprise you and make you think differently about not only this upcoming presidential election, but our democracy as a whole.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)