Securing Democracy: Why We Have an Electoral College

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The messy presidential election of 2000 was not yet over before a number of intellectuals, politicians, and journalists were calling, once again, for the abolition of the Electoral College. The institution was, they claimed, an anachronism, an archaic remnant from a less enlightened time before we all believed in the tenets of direct democracy. But is the Electoral College really a useless and outmoded institution? The distinguished contributors to this instructive volume--including Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Michael Barone, and Walter Berns--show why it would be folly to abolish the Electoral College by explaining not only its historical and cultural significance, but also its contemporary role in instilling a measure of stability and sanity to our electoral and party systems. With an appendix that includes seminal historical material related to the establishment and defense of the Electoral College, this is the definitive volume for all those interested in the logic--and continuing importance--of this unique American political institution.