South University Online Wk 1 The US Senate Representation for States Discussion
The US Senate Representation for States
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When the US Constitution was written, the larger states wanted representation in both the House and the Senate to be proportional to the population. Smaller states wanted a single legislative chamber with equal representation for each state. As a compromise, the current structure of proportional representation in the House and two Senators per state was created. This structure has led to great inequalities in Senatorial representation among citizens in different states. At the extremes, Wyoming has one senator for every 260,000 residents, while California has one senator for every 18,000,000 residents
In this context, share your opinion on whether this level of unequal representation in the US Senate is appropriate.
To help you in this discussion, you can conduct a Web search on unequal representation in the Senate.
To participate in the discussion, complete the following tasks:
Discuss and share your preference for the current system of the Senate representation or for an alternative system, such as proportional representation based on population.
You should explain your preference by references to general principles (such as one person, one vote) or practical considerations (such as small-state versus large-state interests).
POST
Federal and Intergovernmental RelationsThe men who wrote the US Constitution wanted to hamper the majority rule. They wanted to protect their property from infringement by a majority while also preventing a minority group of the economic and political elite from gaining excessive power.To achieve these goals, the framers of the Constitution diffused the power within the federal government and between the federal and state governments.Although concerned about the danger of excessive power, the framers of the Constitution also wanted the federal government to have sufficient power to protect the states from external threats and manage interstate conflicts, especially economic conflicts. Therefore, the Constitution was written to provide these powers to the federal government.Government in the Twenty-first CenturyWhen people use the term "government," they usually refer to the federal government. In public schools, classes on American history and government tend to focus on the history and structure of the national government, giving less attention to state and local governments.The lack of attention to state and local governments is unfortunate because most of the laws that affect us directly are imposed by states and localities. Our economies, traffic, health care, education, zoning, and criminal laws are all largely enacted by state legislatures or local councils and enforced by state or local agencies. If citizens are to play a part in determining the rules by which they live, they must understand and participate in their state and local governments.The biggest shortfall is in the state of Illinois. The projected budget shortfall for 2014 is $45 billion. While this is the largest shortfall among the states, the solid majority of the states are struggling with significant budget deficits.The 2008-2009 recession is the second time since the year 2000 that states have gone through serious budget difficulties. The states may realize that they need savings programs in anticipation of economic difficulties. In addition, we may learn to better manage our national and state economies in order to prevent severe economic swings.When states face severe budget cuts, it affects all public policies, including those related to education, transportation, criminal justice, health care, and environmental quality. You will explore all these issues in greater depth in the weeks to come.In practice, these powers now overlap. For example, the policy areas (such as education and crime) that were originally controlled by the states are now subject to heavy national involvement.Similarly, areas reserved for the federal government, such as international relations and national and international economic policy, are being encroached upon by states.All the same, there is considerable cooperation between national and state administrative agencies. For example, in education, the US Department of Education works with state education departments to improve education standards and conduct tests to measure the achievement of students' standards.Next, let's look at the state and local governments in the twenty-first century.