Imagine with me that you are a small boy at the World Series game surrounded by many grown men and taller boys. The bases are loaded and your favorite homerun hitter is up at bat. The tension is so thick that it’s stifling. An electric excitement surges through you with a thunderous CRACK of the ball skyrocketing through the air in your direction. Jumping as high as you can, you feel insignificant and lose all hope of catching the ball even though it’s coming right at you. What chance do you have against all these bigger boys grasping for the same prize? “I’ll never measure up,” fills your mind, when suddenly gravity loses its hold on you, as a greater force—your father—lifts you into the air. Now you have an equal opportunity to catch the envied orb as everyone else. Did you catch the ball? Yes or no, regardless, it’s become a level playing field.
That’s the purpose of the Electoral College; our Founding Fathers lifted the smaller states up, giving them an equal voice with those states that have a larger population. They balanced the needs of the low population states against the legitimate concerns of the high population states with the creation of the Electoral College.
According to The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, “The United States has the oldest written national framework of government in the world. … While the United States has been governed by a single framework of government for over two centuries, France, in contrast, has had 10 separate and distinct constitutional orders (including five republics, two empires, a monarchy, and two dictatorships). The country of El Salvador has had 36 constitutions since 1824.”
One reason our nation has survived is because our Founding Fathers developed our Constitution within a Biblical framework, particularly recognizing the sinfulness of man and what he might do with unrestrained power. They also recognized that tyranny comes from the accumulation of power, so America was designed to divert and disperse power. In other words, to protect us from a Federal dictatorship, they focused on the diversification of power, taking great pains to create a democratic republic instead of a straight out democracy. They also, with great wisdom, made it difficult to whimsically change the Constitution or allow any of the three branches to overtake the country dictatorially. President Obama pointed this out when he said, “Our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.”
Recognizing these things, we should be very careful and well research the historical facts before trying to do away with or change some part of our Constitution which has protected, served, and kept us stable for more than 200 years. This would include the implementation of the Electoral College. Whenever the left desires to do away with some part of our Constitution of the United States of America, you can be sure it’s not for our benefit; it will either limit or take away our rights and liberties.
They—and some well-meaning albeit misguided “friends” on the right—attempt to make certain parts of our Founding Father’s plan seem archaic and obsolete for today. They ignore the fact our Constitution’s framers dealt with principles more than specifics. For example, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with muskets versus assault rifles; it’s about the right to bear arms, to defend oneself against governments and enemies foreign or domestic. Today’s governments aren’t going to come after us with muskets; our weapons should mirror theirs, as much as possible. Stick to the principles; don’t get sidetracked by false narratives.
The same is true with the Electoral College. The principle is still needed today, the protection of every state’s needs and representation for all the citizens of this great nation.
Our Founders knew the Bible, and recognized how history proved God’s view of man time and again. Therefore, they feared the destructive passions of mob rule (direct democracy) and knew first-hand the tyrannical overreach of a king who is unresponsive to the will of the people. So they invented the Electoral College which was neither fully democratic nor aristocratic. It’s an ingenious system where the people and their government work hand in hand for the election of a president and the protection of the nation’s citizenry as a whole.
If the President of the United States were to be elected by a simple majority vote, a majority of the United States would be left unheard and unrepresented. When our Constitution was created, only three of the thirteen states would be necessary for a presidential win based on population; today, that number is only nine states of the fifty, leaving forty-one states without a voice. Can you imagine that? Only 18% of the states in our union would need to be catered to; they would decide who the president was for the other 82% of our nation and the tenor of the policies which would be put in place.
Those who are running for the highest office in our land would only need to visit urban areas and promise to address their concerns, leaving the rural areas and their needs unvisited, unrepresented, and their general ideals of small government and traditional values put out to pasture—a pasture that politicians would never have to see. Simply campaign the perimeter of the nation, embracing the larger cities, and crush your opponent.
We must keep in mind that although we are a nation, we are a nation which is made up of many states, each state having their own particular interests and needs. By giving each state a voice, our Founders made sure that the interests of the whole country would be addressed and met.
The arguments against the Electoral College are as old as the Electoral College itself. Our Founders discussed these things thoroughly, both in private and in public. Publically, James Madison argued for the Electoral College and its importance in Federalist 68. In Federalist 9 and 10 he spoke about the union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection; warning that if too powerful, the central government would be tyrannical. If not strong enough, the Union would not hold together. These views were publically rebutted in Anti Federalist 72 and others.
Both sides were concerned for the people and their freedoms; both wanted a system of government that would protect and stand the test of time. They went into these things with prayer and were able to stand by their positions without their personal feelings hurt or unable to be friendly afterward.
We’ve been given a great gift from our Founders, the Constitution and specifically the Electoral College. We would be wise to embrace our Constitution and return to its many safeguards rather than distancing ourselves from it, tossing it aside as antiquated or obsolete. As Texas lawyer Tara Ross wrote:
“America’s election systems have operated smoothly for more than 200 years because the Electoral College accomplishes its intended purposes. America’s presidential election process preserves federalism, prevents chaos, grants definitive electoral outcomes, and prevents tyrannical or unreasonable rule. The Founding Fathers created a stable, well-planned, and carefully designed system—and it works.”
Instead of grumbling, let this be a time for thanksgiving.Give thanks to God for His hand in the development of our Constitution and for guiding our Founding Fathers in wisdom to protect our land. They hit a home run with the Electoral College, winning the pennant…and our national stability for over 200 years.
To better understand the Electoral College check out some of these links:
· Why We Use Electoral College, Not Popular Vote—Daily Signal
· Luck or an act of prophetic genius? The Founders and the Electoral College—Conservative Review
· Wallbuilders live on Electoral College: here(Audio)
· Al Mohler on the Electoral College: here(Audio)
· Mark Levin on Electoral College: hereand here. (Videos)
To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.
American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Call us:
231-924-4050Email us:
info@americandecency.orgWrite us:
American Decency AssociationCopyright 2024 American Decency
