Review: Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman
Jesse Wegman has written a strong and convincing book about why the Electoral College should be abolished and why the president should be elected by the popular vote. Wegman gives a detailed history about the creation of the Electoral College and the context for its creation. The College was the last agenda item on the Constitutional Convention’s agenda. Most of the Framers were ready to go home and the College became a “Frankenstein Compromise” between the Framers who wanted Congress to pick the president and the ones who wanted a direct popular vote. The author introduces readers to one Framer who becomes the spiritual godfather of the popular vote movement, James Wilson. I for one was not familiar with him, he has an interesting backstory.
Readers will also learn about the last major effort that almost ended the Electoral College which occurred in 1969/1970 and was led by Senator Birch Bayh.
The most effective parts of Wegman’s book is when he turns common talking points or myths about the Electoral College on their heads. For example, the idea that one party prefers the president to be chosen by the Electoral College while the other wants it abolished is not true. Both parties have been in support of keeping the institution at different times. Whichever political party feels that they benefit the most from the Electoral College tends to be its biggest defender.
He also covers the National Popular Vote Compact, an Electoral College workaround, where states who represent at least a majority of the electoral votes pledge to send electors who will vote for the national popular vote winner even if that winner did not win the popular vote in their state. Wegman does a great job covering the merits and the deficiencies of the compact and provides a thorough overview of the support it has slowly received over time. It will be an interesting test to see what happens if the requisite number of states sign to the compact and if there's any political fallout from it.
Wegman’s chapter dispelling the myths of the popular vote was also particularly strong. He shows, contrary to popular belief, that voters in big cities would not swamp voters in small towns because there are less big city voters compared to everyone else.
The strongest argument for moving to a national popular vote, whether that be through the compact or constitutional amendment, is that more voters would participate since they would actually count unlike in the Electoral College winner take all system where if you are a Democrat in Mississippi or a Republican in Massachusetts your votes essentially don’t matter.
Wegman’s book is a great historical treatment of the Electoral College and makes a strong case why the popular vote is a better option. It should be read by everyone who thinks they have an opinion of the Electoral College.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jesse Wegman for the free ARC copy in exchange for a honest review.
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