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> The EC seems to have outlived it's original intent, so we should probably clarify it Its original intent was to give disproportionate weight to lower-populat
by JadeNB 6y ago
> The EC seems to have outlived it's original intent, so we should probably clarify it
Its original intent was to give disproportionate weight to lower-population states, which is still an intent that is very much alive, at least among those lower-population states. It hasn't outlived that intent, but that intent always was, and remains, an anti-democratic thing.
- rootusrootus 6y agoI think the original intent was more along the lines of giving political elites the power to subvert the will of the voter when necessary. Otherwise having human electors serves no real purpose. The math part (how votes are summarized based on state population) is, IMO, a separate issue and definitely a topic for debate as well. I'd love to see us get past the idea that the founders were infallible, and be somewhat more willing to adapt the constitution as the country grows.
- retrac 6y agoThere are different ways to assign the vote disproportionately without the flaws of the electoral college. Many countries give disproportionate geographical representation -- for example, in Canada the small provinces have both more senators (who aren't even elected anyway) and more representatives (who are elected) per capita. But the EC system seems specifically set up to allow for slow communications distances and no way to "check back" quickly with the sending jurisdiction. That specific need is long gone.