As I write this, no one has any idea who our “new” POTUS will be. Ballots are still being counted, recounted, verified, etc. To be honest, I really don’t care who wins. The “lesser of the 2 evils” is STILL evil. But I digress. The impetus for this post is hearing politicians, media members, and others discussing how our “democracy” is being undermined and ruined. I know “democracy” and “republic” are often interchanged, but they are different. And, it is a very important distinction.
“Madison wrote in “Federalist No. 10.” The Framers designed the American constitutional system not as a direct democracy but as a representative republic, where enlightened delegates of the people would serve the public good. They also built into the Constitution a series of cooling mechanisms intended to inhibit the formulation of passionate factions, to ensure that reasonable majorities would prevail.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/james-madison-mob-rule/568351/
Ask Gerald Ford, Al Gore, and Hillary Clinton if we are a democracy? All 3 won the “popular vote”, yet lost their elections. If Madison, the father of our Constitution says we ain’t a democracy, then we ain’t a democracy. The addition of the Electoral College is the one step that keeps us from being a true democracy. Were we a true democracy we would have an “overall popular vote” winner take all election cycle. The founders feared allowing power to concentrate in heavily populated areas, as this would not capture the spirit of the entire population. So the EC was created to try and balance the power between rural and urban. The main reason Carter won the EC in 76 is due to him being a peanut farmer from Ga – who carried the rural vote, yet was progressive enough for most Democrats to accept him. The EC ain’t perfect nor is it consistent and uniform. But both parties should seriously consider the implications of getting rid of it – or changing it. If our Republic can survive all this hate and negativity.
“A Republic – if you can keep it.” – Benjamin Franklin. Ironically, that quote is the answer to a question posed by a founding woman in American history – a “Mrs. Elizabeth Willing Powel” from Philadelphia – who also encouraged (and convinced) Geo Washington to accept a second term.