text: It’s a tragedy of modern public education that so few understand the founding principles of our democratic republic. Under British hegemony in the mid 18th century the thirteen colonies were not a unified political entity; each colony had its own unique interests and grievances with King George’s rule.
  
  After the war founders had to reconcile disparate regional objectives lest this new nation descend into a conglomeration of petty fiefdoms. Federalism, enumerated powers, and the Electoral College were but a few of the techniques designed to unify a nation while theoretically preventing any state or regional dominance (4 of our first 5 presidents were Virginians).  
  
  We should not dispense with the Electoral College as a knee jerk reaction to one election.