Federalist Paper Number 68

Another election comes and goes. In our spoils system of government, this creates a period of great change in Washington. Leadership turns over—Attorney General, Secretary of State, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff. There have been exceptions through the years: Kissinger hung on after Nixon resigned, but that was a bit unique. In this age of opposing views, I doubt we’ll see many holdovers. Since Andrew Jackson took office, this is how our system has operated. Yet these changes also trickle down to other roles. Staff leads, security advisors, even interns change out. If you don’t believe in what your candidate stands for, sometimes you go and find other interests. Personally, this much change can create challenges. Soon, the incoming administration will go through a massive hiring process—more than 4,000 people moving into new jobs. I always chuckle when I hear change and government don’t mix. Technically, the swamp drains every administration.

But this election does feel different. Both sides claimed the other candidate was some type of Devil. It was hard fought with many ups and downs. Notably, there was little talk of issues. Now that this over, well, there is a certain amount of uncertainty. We haven’t had a true outsider enter the oval office since Dwight Eisenhourer. Although some historians felt taking the job was a step down for Ike (he did command the largest military force in world history), we are breaking new ground.

With any hard fought election, calls to change the electoral college quickly follow.¹ Personally, I love our system of government. Apple’s iTunes University has some great lectures. One of my personal favorites is Joanne Freeman’s course on the American Revolution.² My kid’s history book somehow boils three hundred years into about fifty pages. The Founding Fathers might get twenty. That class taught me that the best way to study history is to step into the time period—understand how people lived, their hopes and dreams, what kept them up at night. It puts their world in perspective and opens up a brave new one for us.

What you may find is how the founding fathers studied, reviewed, and bitterly fought over government structure. They debated systems and dreamed that it would last a thousand plus years. The Federalist papers may be boring to some, but the passion is easy to find in those words. There are legitimate reasons the electoral college is in place:

• The founders were suspicious of strong centralized government. They had fought a war to escape King George, and their classical training told them consolidated power rarely lasted.
• Hamilton distrusted mob rule. Most of the Founding Fathers did, believing a silver-tongued orator could sway the masses. Thus, America is not a pure democracy—it’s a republic with layers of checks. History offers plenty of cautionary tales. (Socrates lost in court by a vote of 280–220.)
• Our founders admired the Greek system of city-states. Each polis had its own flavor, yet they banded together when it mattered. Without Sparta, Athens might not have survived the Persian invasion.
• Early drafts of the Electoral College had the House of Representatives picking the executive. On paper, that made sense—two-year terms, representation by population. But Hamilton was wary. A skeptical nation might prefer electors to partisan wheeling and dealing. Today’s two-party system isn’t in the Constitution either, so an extra check isn’t the worst idea.
• Yes, electors can technically vote for someone else. There are fifty separate meetings across the country. The safeguard remains, even if it’s rarely used.
• The Constitutional Convention was a tug-of-war over state power. There’s a reason every state gets two votes in the Senate. Without the current system, four populous states could decide every election. Geographic balance matters; let’s think carefully before rewriting the framework.

Is our system perfect? No, it’s a mash of competing opinions. These clash. Most importantly, it’s vital to get involved at the state and local level. Take an interest. And remember: even with its faults, this framework has elevated some remarkable leaders.

The header photo of Mount Vernon comes courtesy of David Bradley’s library.³

References

• The Electoral College — how it works today.
• Federalist Paper No. 68 — Hamilton’s pitch.
• The Federalist Papers — all 85 essays are free via Project Gutenberg (and on Kindle).

Footnotes