Explain the purpose and function of the electoral college how are the members chosen? How does the electoral college reflect the will of people?
The purpose of the electoral college is to officially elect the President and Vice President of the United States. The members of the electoral college are chosen by each state's political parties, typically at state party conventions or through the party's central committee. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the total number of members in its congressional delegation (Senators and Representatives).
The function of the electoral college is to cast votes for the President and Vice President based on the outcome of the popular vote in each state. When voters go to the polls on Election Day, they are technically choosing a slate of electors pledged to a particular candidate. The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state typically receives all of that state's electoral votes.
While the electoral college system does not directly reflect the will of the overall popular vote, it does generally reflect the will of the people in each state. The electoral college gives smaller states a voice in presidential elections and prevents larger, more populous states from dominating the outcome. Critics argue that this system can sometimes lead to outcomes where the winner of the popular vote does not win the electoral college and ultimately the presidency, as seen in the 2000 and 2016 elections.