41-Senator Blockade Represents Merely 36.4% of US Population

[adamuu]

http://adamuu.blogspot.com/2010/02/41-senator-blockade-represents-merely.html

The Senate does not represent all US citizens, and some citizens enjoy a greater representation in the Senate than others. The 41% of the Senate most commonly responsible for grinding the post-Brown 111th Senate to a halt, and planning to continue to do so until the November 2011 election, are representatives of a mere 36.4% of the population. The remaining 59 senators, with the party affiliations Democratic, Independent, and Independent Democratic, are representatives of 62.0% of the population. These numbers do not add to 100.0 because over 5 million American citizens, 1.6%, do not have a Senator to protect their interests.

* snip *

If the voting power of Senators were proportional to population, then the Democratic Caucus would have 63.0 votes, a net gain of 4 senators. That would be enough to defeat any Republican filibuster without changing the Senate rules. Without Joe Lieberman, a demonstrably unreliable partner for the Democrats, the voting sum of the caucus would fall slightly to 62.4.

[Captain Hilts]

1. The Senate/House of Lords empowers sparsely populated states dependent on agri-biz. nt

[anonymous171]

3. I don't see how agri-biz has anything to do with this really.

A lot of heavily populated states are reliant on even more corrupt industries (New York for example, is completely dependent on Wall Street.)

The Senate represents the states, not the people in those states. I don't have a problem with its existence. I do wish that their terms were shortened though.

[Captain Hilts]

4. But the sugar/corn/HFC lobby benefits fewer. NY is not the only beneficiary

of Wall St. And, even if it were, there are a lot more NYers than folks in the upper flat states.

It's fascinating to see how the corn lobby - Archer Daniels Midland - has affected the energy industry, the sweeteners industry, and farm subsidies that reach into the school lunch program, surplus food program.

Every time I see prices on breakfast cereal I think about these things.

[anonymous171]

7. Wall Street benefits fewer actually. Read some business publications

Those people live in a completely different universe than the rest of us. At least agribusiness sells a product that actually benefits people (also keeps the Cuban sugar market from rebounding, which is good.)

The only argument against the senate is the population objection. I myself am very found of mob rule democracy, because it fucks with the elite. However, I am suspicious about what small states with huge populations would do with all their new power. I doubt they would do anything good for the rest of us.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Everyone who has a 401K is affected by Wall St. They just get screwed by agri biz. nt

There's no 'upside' for them in what Agri-business does.

Wall St. throws its money around more widely - though not widely enough - than agribusiness.

The whole thing sucks.

[paulsby]

14. rubbish

if you have a 401k, a 403(b) , an IRA, orwork for a publically traded company, wall street benefits you. it benefits me, for example, a middle class union member public employee

[paulsby]

15. rubbish

if you have a 401k, a 403(b) , an IRA, orwork for a publically traded company, wall street benefits you. it benefits me, for example, a middle class union member public employee

[Warpy]

2. Senators do not represent population in any way, shape or form

They represent their home states as a whole.

That's an important distinction to remember.

[adamuu]

9. Is there an error in my phrasing? n/t

[msongs]

5. repubs get away with because no dem will stand up to them when it counts nt

[The Magistrate]

6. Indeed, Sir: The Senate Is A Profoundly Anti-Democratic Institution

Its designers intended for it to frustrate the popular will, particularly the popular will of persons resident in cities, in favor of the interests of the minority of the population owning substantial property. The Senate today is doing exactly what the Founders intended, and by doing so is also demonstrating the United States is not, in any real sense, a democratic polity....

"All anmals are equal; some are more equal than others."

[adamuu]

10. well said. n/t

[The Magistrate]

11. Thank You, Sir

[roamer65]

12. The US Senate has way too much power.

It should be able to only temporarily stall legislation, but not block it. I favor a senate similar to Canada's on the level of powers.

[theothersnippywshrub]

13. Democrats should use the phrase "the republican blockade of the United States Senate"

as often as possible. People easily will understand and remember it and it will infuriate republicans.