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Tyler Denos
English 1010
Electoral College
What does the word Democracy mean? Merriam-Webster defines a democracy as A
government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly
usually involving periodically held free elections. In the United States, there exists a hybrid
democracy, referred to as a democratic-republic. In this form of representation, the people elect
representatives to speak on the majoritys behalf. Often times, this power is misused and abused
in order to gain favor in the view of the public, get re-elected, or to make changes that benefit the
initiating party. This is not what is best for the people. A true democracy, where the citizens
directly make the changes voted upon by the majority, is what should be in place in order to
avoid this misuse of power. This is why the Electoral College should be abolished entirely.

Should the average citizen be allowed to make decisions that impact everyone around
them and potentially the entire country? Do they have the proper judgment, knowledge, and
understanding of issues that face us to make the correct decision? There are those who believe
that a decision as important as finances, war, and just running the country cannot be trusted to a
true democratic vote. Therefore, some will argue, the Electoral College is necessary. A firmer
hand in the results of elections should be present, as these elected representatives have a better
understanding of dealings of a broader spectrum. Representatives are chosen directly from
popular vote, by direct election. They deal with these issues that face them every single day, and
are more adept at making a decision to improve the country. It is their duty, being an elected
servant of the public, to make these important decisions and decide based on what would benefit
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the majority. The citizens can then react to these decisions made by choosing to keep the
representative in the next elections, or replace them.
The Founding Fathers of the United States were tired of being oppressed by the
King of Britain, and having zero say in what went on in the country. Their previous political
experience was one of being ruled over, and having no choice in what decisions impacted them
as citizens. They were basically subjected to the rule of the King. He didnt care what they
thought or wanted, and abused this power he had. So, the Founding Fathers implemented a
system that would allow the people to make changes based on popular vote. This was intended to
prevent corruption, allow for democracy to reign, and let the people mold the country into one
that they desired. The Electoral College spits in the face of true democracy. It allows for
Congress to override the popular vote, a perfect example being the 2000 presidential elections.
Although Al Gore won the popular vote in the nation, George Bush won the Electoral College
vote and was moved into the Presidency.
Politics in the United States are dominated by a two party system, the Democrats and the
Republicans. The majority of politicians and American citizens associate themselves with either
one of these options. Because of this, loyalties exist to one or the other party, regardless of the
decisions made or the changes brought to the country. Unfortunately, there are those that will
vote to make changes just because of the Representatives political ties. Another unfortunate side
effect of this system is corruption. Certain politicians will use their affiliations and power to
provide opportunities for those who otherwise would not be voted into power. This is present in
the Senate and House of Representatives, and therefore the Electoral College. This means that
elections can be swayed to provide favorable results for whomever the corrupted group desires.
This can reflect and show itself in the people, such as how they vote. This is not how it should
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work. Popular vote should not be swayed by a certain political party. The people should engage
in meaningful thought about what would be best for the Nation, State, or City in which they
reside and vote based off of what they feel is best.
To conclude, the Electoral College is a hindrance to a free democracy, and should not
exist. Citizens should directly vote for their president, end of story. No system of government
will ever be perfect, due to the imperfections of humans, no matter where they live. The
Founding Fathers designed a democratic country, with the intentions being for freedom to reign.
Allowing something to override this, such as the College, allows for opportunities of corrupted
politicians to be put in favor over the majority vote of the people. This has been abused many
times in the past to undermine the majority vote and let the government effectively elect its own
leader, despite what the people decide. Only in a true democracy, can freedom really exist.