Democracy in America?

Americans are immensely proud of our constitution.  Some people even claim Higher Powers were at work when it was drafted.  Indeed, apart from one war between the states, the constitution has held the country together for more than 200 years, a noteworthy accomplishment.  Yet, in spite of the many democratic constitutions crafted in many countries since 1800, almost none has a legislative branch in which substantial power is based not on population but on geographical happenstance.  Our Senate is almost unique among modern democratic institutions in that it is constructed to guarantee inordinate power to small electoral minorities based on the historical accident of state lines.

The senate is highly undemocratic.  Fewer than 550,000 Wyoming residents have as much representation as 37 million Californians.  The 25 smallest states together have 16.2 percent of the country’s population, yet they control half the votes in the Senate.  The ten states with the largest populations have 54 percent of total US population, but they control only 20 of 100 Senate votes. 

The current tightrope act needed to piece together health care legislation reflects the inordinate power that representatives of small states can throw around, bearing no relationship to the size of their constituencies.   It is far more important to cater to senators from Nebraska, Connecticut, and Nevada than to satisfy the average voter of California, Texas, or New York.

We might consider the quirks of our own system before we force “democracy” on other countries.

Comments

[earnest]

I found this most informative. I have followed world politics for some time, and have not known about this inequality in American politics. Thank you for a new understanding.