Question

What explains why members of the Constitutional Convention created the Electoral College?

a) To ensure equal representation for small states
b) To directly elect the President by popular vote
c) To prevent foreign interference in elections
d) To give more power to urban areas

Answer 1

The Electoral College was created to balance representation between large and small states and avoid direct presidential election via popular vote, which the framers were wary of.

Step-by-step explanation:

The members of the Constitutional Convention created the Electoral College for a few reasons, with one being to protect the representative power of small states and partially insulating the process from direct democratic influence. Neither purely direct election by popular vote or congressional selection was seen as fitting, with concerns about putting too much power into the hands of voters or Congress, respectively. The compromise resulted in an intermediate body of electors, reflecting the states’ influence through a mix of representative apportionment based on a state's total congressional delegation (Senators and Representatives) which gave more electors to larger states but ensured that smaller states still had a significant voice.