The U.S. Senate commands tremendous power. Without it, laws cannot pass. Including gun laws. Yet the constitution of the Senate, which states that there will be two senators from each state, regardless of population, means that a citizen of Wyoming has 66 times the voting power of a citizen of California. How is that democratic?
During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the Country's forefathers arrived at what is called "the Great Compromise" or "Connecticut Compromise", which allowed for small states to have the same number of senators as large states. Why? Some say it was to protect the autonomy of the states, regardless of whether they were large or small. Others claim it was a pure power grab by the small states. The compromise was probably struck because, back then, it wasn't as big a deal. After all, the country had 4 million residents, compared to 315 million today, and the largest state, New York, was only 11 times bigger than the smallest one, Delaware. Today, California is 66 times bigger than Wyoming and the gap is growing as more people flock to California and the coasts than to the middle. So unequal representation is getting worse.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that smaller states are also predominantly white, red-neck, gun-toting, conservative, Republican, so-called "Red" states. In effect, that means that Red state voters command more voting power than Blue state voters (see Table).
How is this manifested today? Even when a majority of Americans are for stricter gun laws, like they are today, according to the polls, and even when the President, himself, is scheduled to go on national television tonight to address the Nation on the topic of guns, terrorism and security, both the majority and the President are prevented from passing sensible laws by the minority, the small state citizens, like the ones in Wyoming, who command 66 times the voting power of the citizens of California.
So how do Americans reform the Senate? The U.S. Constitution requires a two thirds majority to amend the Constitution but, in the case of the Senate, there is a special, additional rule that requires the consent of each and every state. That makes it nearly impossible to change U.S. governance.
So, the nearly 40 million residents of California continue to pay their taxes and yet, do not get to advance their wishes or needs because of their extremely minuscule vote. It seems to me the last time that happened, the year was 1776. And the citizens revolted.
During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the Country's forefathers arrived at what is called "the Great Compromise" or "Connecticut Compromise", which allowed for small states to have the same number of senators as large states. Why? Some say it was to protect the autonomy of the states, regardless of whether they were large or small. Others claim it was a pure power grab by the small states. The compromise was probably struck because, back then, it wasn't as big a deal. After all, the country had 4 million residents, compared to 315 million today, and the largest state, New York, was only 11 times bigger than the smallest one, Delaware. Today, California is 66 times bigger than Wyoming and the gap is growing as more people flock to California and the coasts than to the middle. So unequal representation is getting worse.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that smaller states are also predominantly white, red-neck, gun-toting, conservative, Republican, so-called "Red" states. In effect, that means that Red state voters command more voting power than Blue state voters (see Table).
How is this manifested today? Even when a majority of Americans are for stricter gun laws, like they are today, according to the polls, and even when the President, himself, is scheduled to go on national television tonight to address the Nation on the topic of guns, terrorism and security, both the majority and the President are prevented from passing sensible laws by the minority, the small state citizens, like the ones in Wyoming, who command 66 times the voting power of the citizens of California.
So how do Americans reform the Senate? The U.S. Constitution requires a two thirds majority to amend the Constitution but, in the case of the Senate, there is a special, additional rule that requires the consent of each and every state. That makes it nearly impossible to change U.S. governance.
So, the nearly 40 million residents of California continue to pay their taxes and yet, do not get to advance their wishes or needs because of their extremely minuscule vote. It seems to me the last time that happened, the year was 1776. And the citizens revolted.
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