Understanding the Origins of the Electoral College

In an engaging class from The Washington Post, Christina Quinn discusses the intricate history of the Electoral College, designed in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention. The founders, grappling with how to elect a president, encountered various challenges. Initially, the idea was that Congress would choose the executive, but this couldn't guarantee a separation of powers. After much deliberation, a committee devised a system where electors from each state would be chosen to vote for the president, reflecting a compromise model that counted enslaved individuals as partial persons, leading to further complexity. Following historical tidbits about the messiness of early elections and the subsequent 12th Amendment, it becomes clear that today's Electoral College is a product of compromise and experimentation over centuries. The legacy of the system continues to impact modern debates about voting rights and representation.