Hello Reg and Vocalisters:
Reg wrote:
> Maybe there's something I don't understand as well when my CNN
> tells me that in the land of the free 'the elecTORal college was set
> up to accommodate the WORTHY VOTERS!!!'
> What can they mean? Who are the unworthy voters?
> Does less worthy mean something different to unworthy?
>
> Is the elecTORal college a branch of the x-files intent on
> maintaining a two party system?
The electoral college system was instituted by the founding fathers of the
US for three basic reasons that should be common knowledge for every
citizen of this country.
1 When the US was founded most of the country was a wilderness.
Communication was slow at best. It was unlikely that voters in major
portions of the country would even be aware of the candidates. The members
of the electoral college in their state would represent the results of
their vote.
2 As in all matters of setting up the government the sharing of power was
a primary consideration. It was for this reason that each state had equal
representation in the Senate (2 Senators per state) and representation
based on population in the House. This pattern was also followed in the
number of electoral college votes that were allowed in the Presidential
election (one for each Senator from a state, and one for each member of the
House in a state). The effect of this system is to give smaller states a
larger representation per capita. It also is more likely to insure that
the candidates running for President will campaign in even the smallest
states which might not be the case with a purely popular vote.
3. Many of the founding fathers were suspicious of the passions of the
uneducated. It was for this reason that public school education was
eventually required in all states and this was also part of the reason that
the founding fathers created the electoral college system of voting for the
Presidency
It must be kept in mind that the electoral college system is in effect only
for the selection of the President of the US, and not for any other
offices. The electoral college system is now under scrutiny primarily
because the vote for President in this election is so very close. When
elections are clearly in favor of one candidate over another, there is no
major concern for this system of election of the President. But the time
may have come for a change in the system if the above reasons for its
existence are no longer valid.
The founding fathers were clearly idealists but they were also pragmatists
and the fact that they hammered out the constitution which founded the US
in open meetings with much discussion, argument and even rancor is one of
the best examples of how a constitutional, democratic republic should be
created.
The fact that we still are capable of having these kinds of discussions and
disagreement today is a sign of the political health of the United States.
In is only in a time of crises that we can, in effect, have a testing of
the system and know if it is still functional. We are a democracy but, more
importantly, we are also always _becoming_ a Democracy. The process of
Democracy is more important than the product of Democracy. It is through
the process that citizens can enjoy and exercise their responsibility and
through their responsibility, their freedom.
Regards
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Vocal Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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