ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
March 4, 2015
This is a letter to our friends –
Electoral College
The Electoral College is the system prescribed in the U.S. Constitution for selecting the President. It is not a particularly hot topic today, but it is on my mind to write about it. Every four years, when we are electing a President, the topic arises, “Should we abolish a system that makes it possible for a President to be elected by less than a majority of the voters?”
Under the Constitution, each state selects a delegation of “electors” for the Electoral College. These electors then decide who is to be President. I suggest reading the rules for yourself from Article II of the Constitution.
Here is a thought question – What is the President’s official title?
He is, “President of the United States of America”. NOTE – He is NOT President of the people! The Congress is the representative of the people.
Were we to foolishly abandon the Electoral College and elect a Chief Executive by a majority vote of all the people – what would be the result? Those few areas of the country with high populations would dominate the majority and the rest of the nation would not be represented.
The founding fathers had to find a balance between local authority and centralized authority. Our “states” are, and should be, sovereign governments. Political power, if it is not to become tyrannical, must be spread around. Each block of authority needs to be jealous and protective of its turf.
There will be give and take. Situations change – but – our system of checks and balances has worked better than any other in human history. Let us be cautious about unintended consequences of change.
“We the People” are the ones who designed and authorized the government of the United States. That government derives its authority from us! Please – Never forget that you and I were put upon this earth to be free men and women – free to follow the dictates of our respective consciences.
The government of the “United States of America” was created for the purpose of protecting that individual liberty!
