Final answer:
The Founding Fathers added the Electoral College to the Constitution to elect the President, a system where electors chosen by the states cast votes for President and Vice President, as a compromise between electoral vote and popular vote. Hence, the correct answer is option (A).
Step-by-step explanation:
The Founding Fathers added the Electoral College to the Constitution as a method for electing the President. This system was introduced during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 as a compromise between electing the president by a vote in Congress and election by popular vote of the people. Each state is granted a specific number of electors, which is equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in Congress. These electors are chosen by the states and are responsible for selecting the President and the Vice President.
The creation of the Electoral College was intended to insulate the selection of the President from the 'transient impulses of the public' and ensure a degree of indirect representation. Originally, each elector could vote for any two candidates, with the stipulation that one could not be from the elector's home state. The candidate with the highest number of votes would become the President, and the second highest would become the Vice President. In case no candidate received a majority, the decision would fall to the House of Representatives.