Poor turncoat Max Boot. He tries so hard to be a born again Leftist and keeps tripping over his immense ignorance. The Constitution was drafted as it was largely because the small states as to population were afraid of domination by the more populous states, especially Virginia which had twice the population of the next most populous state. Hence each state got two Senators and each state got at least three electoral votes and one representative in the House. Tipping the scales of political power to the least populous states was a feature and not a bug under the design of the Framers of the Constitution, and was an example of the balancing of interests in the Constitution which led to the acceptance of the Constitution by all the states.
What does it take to get these commentators laughed off the internet? Not enough shame in today’s world.
As a general rule, I’m skeptical of bicameralism as it is practiced here. Only a partisan Democrat would fancy that’s a defect worth discussing given all the other trouble we’re having right now in re our institutions and political culture. Partisan Democrats, btw, have no procedural principles. Anything that’s an impediment to them this moment has to go.
Boot’s tiresome enough that even National Review and Commentary cut him from their contributors list, and did so in 2017.
He isn’t playing a part for people who care about facts or history.
The Senate was intentionally designed to represent the interests of each State, not even the people of the State (at least not directly). Hence, in the original scheme, senators were elected by the state legislature, not the citizens. Once that changed, the republican form of government took quite a hit.
Hence, in the original scheme, senators were elected by the state legislature, not the citizens. Once that changed, the republican form of government took quite a hit.
The Senate had become a partisan competition long before that as the Lincon-Douglas debates demonstrated. Senate races often were a major factor in elections to the state legislature.
The problem with the Senate today is that they’re running electoral campaigns in large constituencies. I’ve read in recent years empirical studies of members of Congress. House members continue to give priority to the complaints of constituents. Senators give priority to the complaints of donors. And, of course there is the member-for-life problem. Charles Grassley has elected to run for re-election. He is 88 years old and has been in Congress since Dale Price was in kindergarten and before Paul Zummo was born. We would benefit from rotation-in-office rules.