Fundamental in the U.S. Constitution is the idea of checks and balances, which by the very nature of a congressional elected President, would be put in jeopardy. (Pierce 39). The members of the Congress recognized this and the danger it posed to the system of democracy. Alexander Hamilton, co-author of the Federalist Papers, acknowledged this hazard and stressed in the Federalist Papers No. 68 that unlike Congress, or any other permanent body with duties beyond electing the President, the Electoral College should be free to act without influence (Hamilton). Should Congress elect the President, then the two would consistently be in cahoots with bargains being made between the two divisions of government. And with the judicial branch being appointed by the Executive, there would truly be no checks of power. The idea of the separation of powers would be negated. The dominating party would control the United States without opposition. This, the framers recognized, could lead to a dictatorship.
While the framers soon understood that a system in which Congress elected the President was not prudent, the alternative, direct popular vote, had very little favor (Peirce 41). In fact, "only a few delegates to the Constitutional Convention felt that American democracy has matured sufficiently enough for the choice of the President to be entrusted directly to the people." (Pierce 41). James Madison, Gouverneur Morris and James Wilson were three of the few delegates who did favor a direct election of the President. However, they were outnumbered. Most delegates believed that the people were not capable of choosing a President (Peirce 43). Alexander Hamilton led this debate and wrote in the Federalist #68 which was entitled "The Mode of Electing the President".
It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.