The Electoral College

The Electoral College is the body that elects the President of the United States. It is comprised of representatives from each of the 50 states (roughly according to population). The outcome of the Presidential election in each state determines the composition of the College, and thus decides the Presidency.

The United States has had the Electoral College since the Constitution was enacted. The idea came about as a compromise between those who wished for a national election to determine the President and those who believed that Congress should select the President. The Electoral College preserves the delicate balance between the authority of the states and the people, although there have been many attempts to overturn it (1).

Political parties have affected the process in many ways, but by far the most important role they have in the Electoral College system is the selection of electors. When the Constitution was ratified, political parties were not very influential; George Washington, our first President, was an independent. However, as the power of political parties grew, they became more involved in the process of the Electoral College. Eventually, it was decided that each state's political party nominates however many electors a state is allotted, and the results of the Presidential election in the state determines which party's electors are sent to the Electoral College (2).