Our founding fathers used phrases: “We the people” and “government of the people, by the people and for the people.” Then they violated those principles by the voting system they developed. Leaders from states with small populations demanded that they have two senators. Much later the filibuster rule was passed which gives those states even more power. Founders from slave states demanded that slaves be counted as three-fifth citizens to give them more representation. Women and non-land owners were not allowed to vote.
The number of representatives in Congress is proportional to the number of residents, based on the most recent census done at the beginning of each decade. The Electoral College was instituted. Voters elect delegates who are “chosen for their wisdom and savvy”. They vote for the president. This was for insurance against voters voting for the wrong candidate. In most states, all of the votes for president go to the candidate who gets the most votes. That often results in a president being elected who did not win the popular vote. In 2016 Hillary Clinton got 2 million more votes, but Donald Trump, was elected.
The Electoral College contradicts the “one person/one vote” rule of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The western, rural, sparsely inhabited states are Republican; so that gives them a big advantage in each presidential election.
Albert A.Gabel, Professor Emeritus, The Ohio State University
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