Why the convoluted electoral college rather than the much more accurate and simpler popular vote in Presidential elections in U.S.?
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ANSWERS: 2
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To prevent people like Hitler, or George W. Bush from coming to power.
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Two reasons at least, one historical and two current. The historical one is that when the US was formed, there were no national news media, and no way of anybody campaigning nationwide. People simply did not know about potential candidates who lived more than a state away. So instead they agreed that they would select a number of local leaders who would go to some central place, meet the potential candidates, talk to them and to the delegates from their state, and make a decision on that basis. Of course, the need for this has long passed. The first current reason is that it keeps power in the hands of the parties, particularly at state level. In order to be elected, the candidates have to talk to and deal with nearly every single state, with policies tuned to that state. The second is - imagine a nationwide recount on a narrow vote. It was bad enough in 2004 with only six counties in dispute - and I think there is one Congress seat still being argued over from 2008. If you had a vote like 2004, there could be people aguing hanging chads etc all over the country, and the election not decided until the next June.
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