The constitutional process for presidential elections is often misunderstood. That is unsurprising, since many of the Framers were at first unsure how it would work. Yet the history of the Electoral College—both its origin and its operation—offers lessons about the Constitution and how to defend it.

Principles vs. Pragmatism? The men who made the Constitution were both profoundly principled and fiercely pragmatic. Principles answer the question “Why?” but not “How?” The Framers considered many proposals before agreeing on the final language of Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution. The Electoral College gives the people a voice through state legislatures, which are empowered to decide how best to represent their own state in presidential elections. It is the Framers’ practical design to create both accountability and independence in the executive branch, in order to uphold and perpetuate what James Madison called “republican principles.”

Discovery or Invention? Thomas Jefferson was quick to disclaim invention when asked about the Declaration of Independence. Rather, he said, it stated “the common sense of the subject” and “the harmonizing sentiments of the day.” Probably the most inventive work of the Founders was the Articles of Confederation, which was based on political theorizing and failed. In the Constitution, the Framers returned to “experience”—their own and what they gathered from their intense studies of history—as “the oracle of truth.” The Electoral College is a part of the system of states, known as federalism, that the Framers arrived at after disregarding political theorists and relying instead on their own practical experience.

Our Role as Discoverers. What is remarkable about the Electoral College is that, over time and with just one slight change made by the Twelfth Amendment, it has worked even better than the Framers expected. Our state-based method of conducting a national election has forced candidates and their political parties to build more national and inclusive coalitions than would be otherwise necessary. Election fraud has been contained to individual states. Never has a nationwide recount been necessary. Every generation of Americans has a duty not merely to understand the Constitution and to obey it, but to learn from our experience and history.