This Week in Politics: Is the Electoral College a Rubber Stamp or Protector against Demagogues?

WNYC News | Dec 17, 2016

Members of the Electoral College vote on December 19th to select the next president of the United States. Ordinarily, this is a barely noticed event. But, as with so many other things in 2016, this time is different.

An effort has been underway to convince electors to break with their state's popular vote and select a candidate other than Donald Trump. And with Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by a large margin, angst surrounding the Electoral College is, perhaps, at an all-time high.

Political Scientist Christopher Baylor has written about why the Electoral College exists. Speaking with host David Furst on This Week in Politics, he argues that its existence has to do with a moment very much like the one we're in right now.

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