Jul 29, 2026 · 57 min · 14 segments
Today’s bad idea is one the United States has been stuck with for a long time: David talks to historian of America Adam Smith about the damage done by the idea of the electoral college. Why was it…
Adam SmithGuest
David RuncimanHost
[gentle music] Hello, my name's David Runciman, and this is Past Present Future, the History of Ideas podcast.
Today in the history of bad ideas, I'm talking to the historian of the United States, Adam Smith, about the idea, the institution that stands between American voters and their choice of president.
We're gonna be talking about where it came from, why it was created, how it was thought to be going to work, why it doesn't work, what harm it's done, why it can't be changed.
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