Final answer:
The Electoral College was introduced by the founding fathers as a mechanism to safeguard against the direct influence of the transient public opinion and to ensure a balanced representation of states in the selection of the President.
Step-by-step explanation:
One reason the founding fathers included the Electoral College in the United States Constitution was to act as a buffer to prevent the immediate influence of public opinion on the election of the President, ensuring only the most qualified leader would be chosen. This method was seen as a safeguard against the potential for a direct democracy to produce a president through the transient impulses of the public. Additionally, the Electoral College was structured to provide a system where each state's influence in electing the President corresponds to its representation in Congress, thus balancing the power between states with varying populations.
The Constitutional Convention in 1787 harbored concerns about a purely popular vote or Congress electing the President. To maintain separation of powers and checks and balances, the compromise of an indirect electoral system was created. This buffer of electors, which separated voters from the final decision, was also meant to prevent the rise of factionalism and provide a method of electing a president in the event that no candidate received a majority of the votes, handing the decision over to the House of Representatives.