Why is the electoral college included in the original constitution?

Answer 1

The electoral college was included in the original constitution of the US because the authors of the constitution did not entirely trust democracy, which at the time was considered to be an experimental form of government, in a world governed by monarchies. It was thought to be prudent to have the general public elect electors, who would then elect a President, rather than having the general public directly elect a President. This way, the public gets to choose wise people to act on their behalf, and the outcome would be less likely to be disastrous. In practice the Electoral College doesn't really operate that way. They elect whomever the public wants them to elect, for good or for ill.