My hot historical take is that the truly dangerous electoral "road map" is not Trump's from 2020.
It's Madison's from 1787.
The Electoral College is a more inevitable danger to democracy. It has invited partisan disenfranchising litigation long before 2020, and it will again.
It's Madison's from 1787.
The Electoral College is a more inevitable danger to democracy. It has invited partisan disenfranchising litigation long before 2020, and it will again.
https://twitter.com/adamnagourney/status/1331322421190615040
By "hot," I mean "old."
And ironic for Madison:
The electoral college will always turn a national election into a battle over a few swing states, localizing a heated factional democracy.
But Madison in Federalist No. 10 argued for a national republic to diffuse such heat.
And ironic for Madison:
The electoral college will always turn a national election into a battle over a few swing states, localizing a heated factional democracy.
But Madison in Federalist No. 10 argued for a national republic to diffuse such heat.
3/ The irony of Federalist No. 10:
Yes, the republic would be huge, but none of its officers would be elected *nationally.*
The Electoral College was a localist twist.
The only truly national institution would be the Supreme Court, the unelected "least dangerous branch."
Yes, the republic would be huge, but none of its officers would be elected *nationally.*
The Electoral College was a localist twist.
The only truly national institution would be the Supreme Court, the unelected "least dangerous branch."
4/ Thus, the Electoral College by design avoided a national vote and thwarted the idea in Madison's Federalist No. 10.
Instead of diffusing factionalism, the Electoral College concentrates the worst factional/partisan fights into 3 or 4 states.
It has before.
It will again.
Instead of diffusing factionalism, the Electoral College concentrates the worst factional/partisan fights into 3 or 4 states.
It has before.
It will again.
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