Why was the Electoral College created? Does it fulfill the purpose for which it was intended?

Answer:

An ideal response will:
1. Explain that the Electoral College was a provision of the Constitution meant to provide a buffer against the "whims of the masses," and the Framers intended it to be a group of independent citizens who would elect the president rather than leaving the job to ordinary citizens.
2. Discuss how almost from the beginning the Electoral College did not work that way; rather, voters have actually selected the president because the presidential electors that the voters choose pledge in advance to cast their electoral votes for their party's candidates.
3. Note that there have been exceptions and occasionally presidential candidates have won the national popular vote but lost the vote in the Electoral College (e.g., Al Gore in 2000).