Donald Trump’s election, even though Hillary Clinton won a narrow plurality of the popular vote, has created a chorus for doing away with the Electoral College. In response, many commentators have defended the Electoral College by noting that both candidates knew the rules. Had those rules provided for the election to be determined by the winner of the popular vote, they say, the candidates would have campaigned differently with no guarantee Clinton would have won the popular vote.

This is true insofar as it goes, but a bit beside the point. It concedes that the winner of the popular vote should always win the presidency. If that is so, why not just have the election determined by popular vote? The Electoral College can only be justified if, sometimes, it is appropriate for a candidate to win the presidency without winning the popular vote. Fortunately, it is.