Distorting Democracy : Prometheus : 9781493085989 : 1493085980 : 17 Sep 2024 : By the People will awaken Americans to the perils of our system by unveiling the Electoral College's origins, history, and present operations. This book demonstrates that the system has no principled foundation, that it has changed dramatically over its 230?year history, and that it threatens the legitimacy of our political system in the present. A narrative-driven mix of history and political science, By the People offers compelling stories to make its case in three distinct sections, each featuring a key argument. Part I tells the story of the Electoral College's origins in the Constitutional Convention. Vaunted myths often dominate Americans' understanding of the founding, but this account highlights the full humanity of key framers and reveals the decidedly un-immaculate conception of the Electoral College. The system for choosing the chief executive did not spring from pristine political commitments o