It's that patriotic time of year which has us all embracing the creation of America, even in its troublesome state today. Amidst all of the Independence Day sales, it is important to reflect on what has and hasn't changed in the years of America's history. The Electoral College has been a constant, though its use and purpose has in fact changed which leaves us with the enormous question: do we still need the electoral college?

The country's forefathers established the electoral college out of doubt in the ordinary man's intelligence, fear that illiterate populist countrymen could be convinced into voting for a tyrant. This made sense at the time, since most people were relatively uneducated and uninformed. However, the current literacy rate in addition to Internet access has created a population of the opposite: educated and well-informed. The original purpose of the electoral college is obsolete.

There is also the huge debate as to whether America is truly a democracy if, in fact, the people's vote holds little to no value. Isn't the whole idea of a democracy built on trust in the people? A direct democracy, like in ancient Athens, trusted the men of the city. Though the implementation of a constitutional democracy is used to manage the immense size of the United States in comparison to a smaller Athens.

Though we the people do elect our representatives, it is obvious they don't reflect our votes. There have been many elections where the electoral vote did not represent the vote of the people. Take for example the election of President Trump who won the presidency via the electoral college. This can be blamed on gerrymandering, unfair districts, voting discrimination, etc.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg suggested removing the electoral college which shows that perhaps this new political era will mean a new definition of democracy for America. Making amendments to the Constitution has become less likely in recent years, proving that when there is less opportunity to change the system, the system fails us. This Independence Day, think about whether the American promise of democracy still holds true, and what that means for the relationship between the government and the people of the future.