13.4 FRQ

America’s Founders had a wide range of motivations in creating the Electoral College, ranging from fear of democracy and the power of a popularly elected president to concerns about the legislature selecting the executive as in a parliamentary system. Protecting against big-state domination was not one of them, however. Moreover, rural states already have greatly disproportionate power in the Senate, where two senators represent each state regardless of size, and neither need nor receive additional protection from the Electoral College. —George C. Edwards III, “Opinion: The biggest argument for keeping the Electoral College relies on a myth,” Market Watch, October 26, 2019.

Describe the viewpoint expressed in the passage.

Describe an argument that the Electoral College protects the interests of states with small populations.

Explain how the Electoral College impacts the way presidential nominees allocate their resources during a campaign.