The Electoral College is one of the most discussed but least understood aspects of our civic and political life. As an expression of the Founders’ balance between pure democracy and a republic, the Electoral College unifies, moderates, and protects American politics. Its opponents levy unfounded attacks on it, while its defenders often lack the context by which to explain its purpose and design.

On November 19, 2020, Michael Maibach of Save Our States examined the philosophy behind and relevance today of the Electoral College with Garrett Snedeker, JWI Deputy Director. Mr. Maibach is a Distinguished Fellow for Save Our States where he manages outreach to academics, policy professionals, and allied organizations. Mr. Maibach is also JWI’s Managing Director and member of the JWI Board of Trustees.

Michael C. Maibach

Mr. Maibach’s extensive career began when he was elected to the DeKalb County Board (Illinois) while in college, becoming the first American elected to public office under twenty-one years of age in U.S. history. After graduate school he joined the Caterpillar Tractor Company, serving in Illinois, California and Washington, D.C. He was then hired by the four founders of Intel, where he initially served as assistant to Intel founder Dr. Robert Noyce, the inventor of the integrated circuit. During his time at Intel, he received three Intel Individual Achievement Awards and testified on eighteen occasions before the U.S. Congress on behalf of Intel and industry associations. He was engaged in Presidential Commissions for both Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush and served on two U.S. State Department advisory boards.

Michael Maibach graduated with a BA and MA from Northern Illinois University. A lifelong student, he also earned a BA from California State University, a BS from American University, an MA from Georgetown University, and an MA from IWP. He complemented these studies with graduate work at Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, IIST in Japan, and la Universidad Ibero-Americana in Mexico. This fall he will complete an MA in Ashland University’s American History and Government program. Mr. Maibach has been a guest lecturer at forty U.S. and European universities, including the IWP and the Anglo-American College in Prague where he once taught international business.

Mr. Maibach has published over seventy essays and dozens of poems which can be found on www.MaibachPoems.us