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Opinion

No! The Electoral College Was Not Created to Protect Slavery

No! The Electoral College Was Not Created to Protect Slavery
In this file photo, a school student views the original Constitution in Washington, DC. Opponents of the Electoral College have claimed that it was established to protect slavery. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
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Commentary

As America moved from considering itself a republic, or, as we sometimes say, a democratic republic, to thinking of itself as simply a democracy, the Electoral College has been challenged for being insufficiently democratic. Though the way we elect presidents has changed and democratized over time, the basic institution has proven resilient in the face of the many attempts to abolish it outright.

Gary L. Gregg
Gary L. Gregg
Author
Gary L. Gregg is director of the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville and editor of “Securing Democracy—Why We have an Electoral College.”
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