Editing Electoral college (section)

=== United States ===
The [[United States Electoral College]] is the only remaining electoral college in democracies where an executive president (a head of state who is also head of government) is indirectly elected via an electoral college.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ziblatt |first1=Daniel |author-link1=Daniel Ziblatt |last2=Levitsky |first2=Steven |author-link2=Steven Levitsky |date=5 September 2023 |title=How American Democracy Fell So Far Behind |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/american-constitution-norway/675199/ |access-date=2023-09-20 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Collin |first1=Richard Oliver |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-vSlx-_Z408C&pg=PA244 |title=An Introduction to World Politics: Conflict and Consensus on a Small Planet |last2=Martin |first2=Pamela L. |date=1 January 2012 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781442218031 |pages=244 |language=en}}</ref> The other democracies that used an electoral college for these elections switched to direct elections in the 19th or 20th century.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last1=Levitsky |first1=Steven |title=Tyranny of the Minority: why American democracy reached the breaking point |last2=Ziblatt |first2=Daniel |date=2023 |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-0-593-44307-1 |edition=First |location=New York}}</ref><sup>:215</sup>

The electoral college is argued to be fundamental to American federalism, based on the notion that it requires candidates for president to appeal to voters in all states, or a substantial portion of states, rather than only those with large population which might hold greater power in elections based on simple majority. [[Federalist No. 68]], probably written by [[Alexander Hamilton]], argued in favor of the electoral college by stating: 

:Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single state; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States.

Another argument states that the Electoral College prevents a [[tyranny of the majority]] that would ignore the less densely populated heartland and rural states in favor of the mega-cities.<ref name="RuralStates">[https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/2020/12/02/electoral-college-needed-commentary-sid-salter/6428483002/ Efforts to abolish the Electoral College will dilute the influence of nation’s rural states] by Sid Salter, guest columnist for the Clarion Ledger (Jackson, MS), 2 December 2020.</ref>

==== Criticism ====
{{Excerpt|United States Electoral College # Efforts to abolish or reform}}