The Founding Fathers of the late 18th century created a political system that worked for a long time, despite many crises.
Sadly, it no longer works when one realizes that we have a system where land counts more than people, as in the US Senate!
The top NINE states in the 2010 US Census had a combined population which is a majority of the nation—California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan! So two Northeastern states, three Southern states, three Midwestern states, and one Western state are where the population is most concentrated!
Also, the next eleven states,in total, have over 25 percent of the total population. So that means TWENTY states have over 75 percent of the entire population of the country in their midst!
Also, if you add states 21-30, it adds another 15 percent of the nation’s population, and that means 90 percent of the country is in 30 states, while the other 20 states have less than ten percent of the entire population combined!
Also, 70 percent of the American population lives on TWO PERCENT of all of the land of the country!
Despite this, we have the 30 percent of the population living on 98 percent of the land, and 41 states out of 50, having the ability to dictate most actions of the Senate, and the House of Representatives!
And 30 states, having less than 25 percent of the total population, can, in theory, block action, or bring about action through the filibuster, in the Senate, with their 60 votes!
There is no immediate or long range solution to this reality, but it is important that people realize that the Founding Fathers, as brilliant as they were, could not, possibly, conceive how the nation would change over 225 years!
Thankfully the Founding Fathers made the Constitution hard to change. We owe to that what remains good of the United States.
Because if today’s Americans were sent to a desert island and create the Constitution and laws from scratch, they would create a new North Korea.
So, Mark, it is good that places with little population can control the Senate, heh? And as far as what kind of Constitution would be drawn up now, if it was left up to the Koch Brothers and their Fascist allies, we would have a Nazi Germany with executions of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and gays and lesbians, which would suit you just fine, right, Mark? 🙁 And working people would work 80 hours a week for minimum wages and have no benefits or health care, and it would be a UTOPIA, right, Mark? You were born at the wrong time and in the wrong place, and would have been able to advance yourself in Hitler’s SS!
A coal ash spill has affected a river in my neck of the woods. Officials claim the water is safe to drink. I don’t trust that.
@Jane Doe,
Speaking of pollution: http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/06/farm-bill-koch-brothers-richer-destroying-clean-water-act.html
Republicans are setting up websites tricking Democrats into giving money to the GOP!
http://www.forwardprogressives.com/republicans-set-websites-aimed-blatantly-tricking-democrats-giving-money-gop/
Excellent critique of “small government” ideology: http://cendax.wordpress.com/2014/02/06/if-you-dont-believe-government-can-do-anything-dont-expect-it-to/
LOL. Prof, you just called me a nazi basically.
I did NOT call you a Nazi, simply someone whose beliefs and value system would fit in well with that despicable regime, which denied basic human rights and went after select groups of people! And using LOL shows how lacking in basic decency you are showing yourself to be!
Case of pot calling the kettle black Mark. Your side insults us by labeling us as Nazis, Communists, etc.
Oh, so I’m not a Nazi, just someone with Nazi values! What a relief!