Each of the states elects two senators for six-year terms (though not all at the same time). Discuss the kind of power the Senate is granted by the fact that it gives all states equal representation
What are the implications of the Senate's makeup for politics in the United States, as well as the quality of democratic representation here?
What will be an ideal response?
An ideal response will:
1, Explain that equal representation gives extraordinary power in the Senate to states with small populations.For example, Wyoming, our least-populous state, has exactly the same number of senators as California, but it has less than one-seventieth of California's population; two senators in Wyoming in 2010represented only about 560,000 people, while the two senators from California represented just over 37 million.
2, Discuss how, for example, a coalition of 51 senators from the 26 smallest-population states, representing a mere 18 percent of the American population, can pass a bill in the Senate.
3, Consider that the Senate's rules and procedures give even more power in the body to a small minority of the population, magnifying the antimajoritarian qualities produced by the Constitution.
You might also like to view...
__________ is the power of the courts to review and overturn the actions of the executive and legislative branches
a. Original jurisdiction b. Stare decisis c. Judicial review d. Precedent
Which of the following gave the most thorough and sustained coverage of the Downing Street memo?
a. FOX News b. the New York Times c. the Washington Post d. the blogosphere