Final answer:
The Electoral College was created during the nation's founding as a way to insulate the national government from the transient impulses of the public. The two opposed groups behind it were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Electoral College was created during the nation's founding as a way to insulate the national government from the transient impulses of the public. It was established at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and each state was granted a specific number of electors equal to the number of people that served in United States Congress from that state.
The two opposed groups behind the Electoral College were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The Federalists believed in a strong central government and supported the Electoral College as a means to prevent the tyranny of the majority. The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, opposed the Electoral College and favored direct popular vote for the president.