I had a civics teacher that explained the balance the Electoral College has using a Dear Abby column.
Communism: You have 2 cows. The government takes both of them and gives you part of the milk. (We will decide what you will have)
Socialism: You have 2 cows. The government takes 1 and gives to your neighbor. (We will decide how much you can have)
Fascism: You have 2 cows. The government takes both cows and sells you the milk. (We will let you pay for what we will let you have)
Nazism: You have 2 cows. The government takes both of your cows, and then shoots you. (We will take all you have and we will kill you to solve the problem)
Bureaucracy: You have 2 cows. The government takes both of them, shoots one, milks the other, then pours the milk down the drain. (We will not make any progress)
Democracy: Everyone has 2 cows, then a vote is taken, and whatever the majority decides to do, you do, and that's no bull! (We are the mob and we rule)
Representative Republic: You have 2 cows. You sell one of them and buy a bull. The cow and bull make a little calf and you decide what you want to do with them all. (You are individuals with minds of your own. We will rule together. Pesky farsighted U.S. Constitution)