Chuck Roots
14 November 2016
www.chuckroots.com
Reflections on
the Election
Well, now! This is a fine kettle of
fish we find ourselves in. The presidential election is over and the winner
will assume the mantle of President of the United States in about 70 days. The election
process, as outlined in the Constitution, still works just fine whether or not
your choice of candidate won.
As is the case in all elections, not
everyone is happy with the outcome. Expectations run high, hoping your
candidate wins. But let’s face it: about fifty percent of the folks who vote are
going to be disappointed with the outcome, and rightly so. But good for you for
engaging in this wonderful process of voting. Remember – four years from now
you will have the opportunity to vote again for the highest office in the land.
That’s what’s so beautiful about our American Republic.
And this is where I want to take
this article. Far too many Americans are under the mistaken impression that the
United States of America is a democracy. It is not. It is a republic. You may
be asking, “What’s the difference?” Glad you asked!
A nation working in a clear
democracy operates on the basis of a simple majority (50.1%) to elect candidates
or enact legislation. In the history of the world such a system has never
succeeded for long. Our Founding Fathers knew this which is why they set up a
different process to protect America from the ravages of majority rule. You
see, majority rule is only good if you are the one in the majority.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, by
definition, a democracy is “a government
by the people; especially: rule of the majority.”
Now, in contrast, what is a republic
form of government? Once again, Webster’s Dictionary tells us that a republic
is “a country that is governed by elected
representatives and by an elected leader (such as a president) rather than a
king or queen.”
Just as the Continental Congress was
wrapping up its efforts at establishing a new form of government for the United
States in the late 1780s, Benjamin Franklin was approached by a woman asking
what sort of government was decided upon. In his pithy, yet direct manner,
Franklin replied, “A republic, madam, if
you can keep it.”
Therein lies the rub. The success or
failure of this new government would not rest on the elected leaders or
politicians. Instead, it would reside squarely on the shoulders of the American
people. A republic is made up of folks who vote to elect their representatives.
Ever notice the words in the Pledge of Allegiance? “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and
to the republic for which it stands . . .” Did you see that? To the
republic?
Now this is where the Electoral
College comes in. What is the Electoral College anyway? Just as many Americans
do not know that we are a republic, and not a democracy, a frighteningly
greater number seem to have little or no knowledge of the purpose and function
of the Electoral College. Every election cycle I will hear people call for the
elimination of the Electoral College. This would be disastrous to America. It
is the sole safe-guard that the Founding Fathers inserted into the Constitution
so that every person’s vote would count.
The History Channel reported on the
Electoral College, describing it this way: “The
Electoral College was created for two reasons. The first purpose was to create
a buffer between population and the selection of a President. The second as
part of the structure of the government that gave extra power to the smaller
states.” “The Founding Fathers were afraid of direct election to the
Presidency. They feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to
power.”
I would postulate that though a
tyrant certainly could coerce voters to support them, the second reason for the
Electoral College, at least in my way of thinking, is most important. The
smaller states have a very definite say and influence despite the huge populace
vote from larger and more heavily populated areas.
The Electoral College is a body of
elected officials who choose who will be the President and the Vice President.
These elected persons, known as electors, are chosen by election by the people
in each state. So, the electors in any state are, at a minimum, three. That
would be two senators (each state has two regardless of population size), and
each state has at least one representative (serving in Congress). Depending on
the size of the population, a state that is much smaller in size may have a
large population, such as Florida. Whereas a state of significant geographic size,
such as Alaska, has a relatively small population. The number of
representatives is determined by the number of people in the state. Wyoming has
a ridiculously small number of people compared to California with its two
enormously populated cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Yet, the smaller population
of Wyoming has more power in voting in the Electoral College because each
representative in Wyoming has more people it is representing compared to the
number of citizens a representative in California is responsible for.
And this is why every Electoral
College vote is valued by the candidates. One of the hits on Hillary Clinton’s
campaign was not paying closer attention to the “Rust Belt” where she hardly
made any personal appearances. Politicos and pundits are speculating that this
is one of the reasons she lost her bid for the White House.
So, in conclusion, I hope you see
why the Electoral College looms large in the election process. Otherwise, if we
functioned purely on popular vote, the large cities would always dictate the
outcome, leaving smaller populated states out in the dark. And candidates would
pitch their tents in the large urban areas, and would ignore the rest of
America.
Is the Electoral College a perfect
system? No. But it was genius on the part of the Founding Fathers, many of who
never lived long enough to see it work.
The next time you vote, remember
that the Founding Fathers set this election process up so that every American
who votes has a say in the outcome.
Is this a great country, or what?!
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