For most of our lives we are told that here in the United States we live in a democracy, but this is not really true. The United States of America, although known for being a shinning beacon of democracy is in actuality a representative republic. This comes from the fact our chief executive or the President is not voted into office through direct elections by the people, but to the contrary is truly selected by a small group of representative delegates. This electoral process known as the Electoral College was established during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and has existed as one of the defining points of the United States political structure. Although the Electoral College has rarely changed the outcome on an election, its’ principle is deeply rooted in classical republicanism and has drawn its fair share of harsh criticisms over the past couple of centuries.

As James Madison states in Federalist No. 10, the purpose for having a large representative republic versus a direct democracy is to protect the American people from the “tyranny of the majority” or mob rule. Democracy, we are told, is always good. But the founders created a constitutionally limited republic in order to preserve fundamental liberties from the dangers of mob rule and to protect against the excesses of democracy. The Electoral College was created in the Constitution to guard against majority tyranny in federal elections. The President was to be elected by the states rather than the citizens of the United States as a whole, with votes apportioned to states according to their representation in Congress. This provides for the greatest preservation of personal liberties and freedoms. If in fact direct elections did occur for Presidential elections, it would be much more likely for a corrupt, unworthy candidate to get elected.

Over the course of the United States existence the Electoral College has only had a substantial impact on a few elections. In the elections of 1876, 1888, and 2000 the individual who went on to win the Presidency did not win the popular vote. Most notably, in the 2000 election George W. Bush won the Presidency in spite of having received nearly half a million less votes then Vice President Al Gore. According to the Electoral College George W. Bush had received more delegates votes; and therefore, won the election and became the President. Following this election, the Electoral College saw the greatest volume of criticism since its establishment in the United States Constitution; still however, the likelihood of any significant reform is not high. Over the past decade several Congressman and Senators have lobbied for a “fair vote” system which would include a direct election for the President, but due to concerns about excessive campaign contributions, as well as the preservation of liberty, these attempts are typically voted down very rapidly. Despite the fact the system is not perfect and that we may not truly elect our President democratically, the Electoral College method of electing the commander in chief has proven to be mostly fair and legitimate.