POL 201 Week 3 DQ 1 Presidential Leadership and the Electoral College

POL 201 Week 3 DQ 1 Presidential Leadership and the Electoral College
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Presidential Leadership and the Electoral College. Americans expect their presidents to get
things done, to solve problems, to govern effectively, and to be strong leaders. The framers of
the Constitution did not envision such presidential leadership. A scholar of the presidency
points out that Article II of the Constitution gives the president scant formal power to
influence congressional policy-making (Simon, n.d.). He also notes that the framers
intentionally designed a process for selecting presidents that would minimize their political
power – the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would insulate the chief executive
from the public because they feared the power of presidents who might be elected by the
people. Therefore, the Constitution provides that "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner
as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of

Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress..." Having
state legislatures "appoint" the Electors who select the chief executive would minimize the
president's capacity to lead on the basis of his popular support. In a very real sense, the
president would not be accountable to the people but rather to the state legislatures who
appoint Electors. This procedure was also seen as a way to encourage the selection of
statesmen with "characters preeminent for ability and virtue” rather than mere politicians
with “talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity” (Hamilton, 1788).