The United States is a republic, not a democracy. We owe this distinction to the ageless wisdom of the Founding Fathers. Think about it this way; suppose you live in a condominium building of ten apartment units. Nine of the units are occupied by a single person. The remaining unit is occupied by an extended family of ten.
If the condominium association voted democratically, one person one vote, a large family of occupants could control the association’s vote. And they would likely appoint themselves as condominium managers with a juicy salary. Fortunately, condominium associations are created, in a republican fashion, with one vote per unit regardless of population.
The Electoral College is constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the President and the Vice President. The number of electors for each state equals the combined total of the state’s Congressional representation - the number of House members, plus the state’s two senators.
Together with the separation of powers, the Electoral College is fundamental to American federalism. Most states appoint their electors on a winner-take-all basis, based on the statewide popular vote. Currently, the Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes is required to win an election.
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