Should the Electoral College be Abolished?

Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election by winning the Electoral College. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, lost the White House but won the popular vote.

If the Constitution was being drafted today—and the question of how to select a president arose—would the Electoral College have been chosen? Not only is the Electoral College complex and complicated many think it contradicts the contemporary preference for democracy, that the more democratic a process is, the better. Was the Electoral College a bad idea? Or, is there more to the Electoral College than meets the eye?

In September 2016—before the 2016 election—we invited Dr. Richard Brake, president of the Institute for Family Studies, to speak about the pros and cons of one of America’s most unique political institutions: The Electoral College. Please enjoy the video below featuring Dr. Brake’s important discussion: