Representation and the Electoral College

This book examines the origin, evolution, and practice of the Electoral College. Relevant theories of representation are applied to the body in order to help readers understand how well the institution conforms to expectations regarding representation. Much confusion exists regarding the Electoral College. Whether one is discussing the "original Electoral College" or the "evolved Electoral College" has much to do with this confusion.This study pays particular attention to the role of the Electoral College in the 2016 election and provides the most exhaustive analysis of presidential electors to date. It finds a sizable audience of Republican electors considered not voting for Donald Trump when they met in December of 2016.

Nearly 800 proposals have been made to amend or abolish the Electoral College, and its divisiveness raises many questions. What role do electors play in American democracy? How should they vote? Should the Electoral College exist at all? Much confusion surrounds this institution, in large part because of how the original Electoral College varies from its contemporary counterpart, the evolved Electoral College. This book helps readers to understand the distinction and how we got where we are today. Focusing on the controversial 2016 election, in which Trump received nearly three million fewer popular votes than Clinton, Representation and the Electoral College shows how the Electoral College acts on behalf of the American public and alters election outcomes. In exploring the origin, development, and practice of the Electoral College, this study also presents the most extensive analysis of presidential electors to date.