Why did the framers feel a special group of people would be needed to elect the president?

Answer 1

The population of the United States in 1787 was often uninformed about candidates and issues due to lack of mass media as we have today, the number of citizens who lived away from the cities where news and information were more available, and the limited education of many voters. When the electoral system was first used, quite often voters knew the reputation of the electors and actually voted for them directly as their names were on the ballot, not the presidential candidates.

A more cynical point of view is that the Constitution was created by the upper-class, elite of the new nation who feared that the common man might vote for a candidate of a lower class. Electors were generally of the same social class as the Framers and would act as a check against the election going to someone from the lower class.

A direct, popular vote was discussed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. At first they wanted Congress to elect the president. Many felt that a small group of men deciding on who would be president probably wasn't a good idea if the President was to be truly independent of the legislature. So, they decided to apportion electors to the states equal to their congressional representation. One of many compromises. This is where we get the 3/5ths compromise. Here is where we gain an understanding on why we have an Electoral College. Southern States didn't want northern states to have too much sway on both legislative issues or electing the president. Small states liked the idea also. They thought this would force presidential candidates to focus on all areas and not just huge population centers like cities or large states like Virginia. The electors in the Electoral College are apportioned to each state and the District of Columbia by population, so, each state's population has equitable representation in electing the President. Each state's population is therefor represented by a smaller group of people called electors and since this is a representative democracy or a republic, this seems fitting. No cynicism, just one group didn't want another group to have an unfair advantage.

However, there is much evidence of class snobbery at that time. Even as late as the election between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, the idea of the masses of common men electing the President was met with disgust by the aristocracy. Adams, himself, referred to the general electorate being an example of "Howling Democracy."

Answer 2

The group would include informed & knowledgeable people.
The "People" are stupid.