Why We Must Defend the Electoral College

By Trent England

Is the Electoral College “racist” and a “scam” as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claims? Or was Alexander Hamilton right when he declared that “if it be not perfect, it is at least excellent”?
In this Broadside, Trent England explains why we have the Electoral College, how it shapes American politics, and why preserving it is necessary to maintain our republican form of government.
With an organized campaign trying to hijack the constitution’s state-by-state system in favor of a direct election, now is the time for Americans to come to the defense of the Electoral College.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Encounter Books
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781641771504

Trent England

Trent England is the founder and executive director of Save Our States, which since 2009 has defended the Electoral College. He is the David & Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a producer of the documentary Safeguard: An Electoral College Story, and a former legal policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation. He is also the author of Why We Must Defend the Electoral College, another Encounter Broadside.

Book preview

ENCOUNTER BROADSIDES

Inaugurated in the fall of 2009, Encounter Broadsides are a series of timely pamphlets and e-books from Encounter Books. Uniting an 18th century sense of public urgency and rhetorical wit (think The Federalist Papers, Common Sense) with 21st century technology and channels of distribution, Encounter Broadsides offer indispensable ammunition for intelligent debate on the critical issues of our time. Written with passion by some of our most authoritative authors, Encounter Broadsides make the case for ordered liberty and the institutions of democratic capitalism at a time when they are under siege from the resurgence of collectivist sentiment. Read them in a sitting and come away knowing the best we can hope for and the worst we must fear.

Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

The Electoral College and the Constitution

The Electoral College in Practice

Why the Electoral College Matters

Desperately Seeking Democracy

The Electoral College and Constitutionalism

Copyright

THE E LECTORAL C OLLEGE is under attack because it matters. Presidential elections determine who will direct federal agencies and appoint judges, but presidential campaigns also shape American politics. The Electoral College forces parties to build broad coalitions. It protects the power of states to run their own elections. And it contains disputes within individual states and reduces the risks from fraud.

Get rid of the Electoral College, and big cities will gain power at the expense of rural areas and small states. Political party coalitions will break down, encouraging fringe parties and spoiler candidates. In a more crowded field, a candidate could win with a small plurality. Differences among state election laws and an increased risk of fraud will compel a federal takeover of elections.

Of course, some politicians see these as features rather than bugs. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked rural America in a video against the Electoral College. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Electoral College stands in the way of national voting. Hundreds of proposed constitutional amendments to get rid

Reviews for Why We Must Defend the Electoral College

[gunfighter29 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent read and support for the Electoral College. It is not an outdated concept.