Ohio Votes Today

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Rajoo

Impossible, the Scotus left to individual states overturning Roe vs. Wade. How do you have a national referendum if its not binding on individual states?

And there you have the problem. That the states have any authority beyond paving and repairing roadways and bridges...and chauffeuring around visiting dignitaries.

[Dondilion]

The political importance/heft of states with a relatively small population is an intent, an understanding by the framers of the polity based upon the fear of the power of the majority.

No amount of fulmination can deny that.

[donquixote99]

Just occurred to me to ask "How many votes did each state get during the Constitutional Convention?" The answer, per Wikipedia, should not be surprising: "Each state delegation received a single vote either for or against a proposal in accordance with the majority opinion of the state's delegates. This rule increased the power of the smaller states."

[Mark B]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

The political importance/heft of states with a relatively small population is an intent, an understanding by the framers of the polity based upon the fear of the power of the majority.

No amount of fulmination can deny that.

My take is that the founders considered it a necessary condition in order to get the States with smaller populations to agree to join "The United States".

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

The political importance/heft of states with a relatively small population is an intent, an understanding by the framers of the polity based upon the fear of the power of the majority.

No amount of fulmination can deny that.

The small states are massively over represented in the government of this country. Do you realize that it's possible for a candidate to win the Electoral College vote with 270 with 21% of the popular vote. There's only one reason...the small states are massively over represented.

From Brookings in 2022...

The challenge to democracy - overcoming the small state bias

The population of California is larger than the combined population of the smallest 21 states. The 39 million residents of those 21 states are represented by 42 votes in the Senate. The 39 million residents of California are represented by 2 votes in the Senate. So go ahead, tell me how the 39 million residents of those 21 states are not massively over represented in the government of this country, and the 39 million residents of California are not under represented.

And the suggestion that the founders had the protection of smaller states in mind in 1776 is idiotic. At the founding Virginia, Massachusetts, NY, N. Carolina were bigger than the others but not so much bigger that there were legitimate concerns regarding under and over representation. That may have changed by the time of the 1800 census, but at the time the Constitution was written and ratified there were no states with 20 or 30 or more times the population of any other states.

[Ike Bana]

Take note that Dondi has gone mute after having had his ass handed to him on a plate.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Mark B

My take is that the founders considered it a necessary condition in order to get the States with smaller populations to agree to join "The United States".

Seems to me that at the time of the founding, if the residents of the smaller states had half a brain between them, they knew they would be way better off hooked up with the big states than out there on their own.

[Dondilion]

At the Constitutional Convention.
The VIRGINIA PLAN was supported by states with large populations such as New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. States with smaller populations opposed the Virginia Plan because the number of representatives in BOTH HOUSES would be based on population.

The debate went on for about two weeks. Then the New JERSEY PLAN was proposed. It stipulated ONE HOUSE with each state having one vote. Smaller populated states loved this. The delegates from the larger states opposed the Plan.

A committee headed by Richard Sherman of Connecticut was formed to resolve the issue of the opposing plans.

Lo and behold the GREAT COMPROMISE.

Two Houses
Seats in the House of Representatives reflect the population
But, but...the Senate 2 MEMBERS PER STATE.

The smaller states were very pleased about the equal numbers of Senators.


The Constitution probably would not have been without the GREAT COMPROMISE...It is an understanding fused into the system and substantially underpinned by fear of the majority.

Over time it is clear that the smaller populated states got the better deal.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

At the Constitutional Convention.

...blah...blah...

Over time it is clear that the smaller populated states got the better deal.

The better deal? THE BETTER FUCKING DEAL??? Are you for fucking real? It's a monstrously distorted goddamn ripoff deal, that ended up ripping fair, reasonably apportioned representation right out of the hands of 39 million residents of the State of California.

It's crap. The US Constitution is crap, written by elite white supremacist slave owners who set up an Electoral College to protect them from the loss of control they had over what they considered to be a mob of idiotic farmers.

PS - the US House doesn’t even accurately reflect the populations of the states.

Misrepresentation in the US House of Representatives

[Mark B]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

The better deal? THE BETTER FUCKING DEAL??? Are you for fucking real? It's a monstrously distorted goddamn ripoff deal, that ended up ripping fair, reasonably apportioned representation right out of the hands of 39 million residents of the State of California.

It's crap. The US Constitution is crap, written by elite white supremacist slave owners who set up an Electoral College to protect them from the loss of control they had over what they considered to be a mob of idiotic farmers.

PS - the US House doesn’t even accurately reflect the populations of the states.

Misrepresentation in the US House of Representatives

Your ignorance is appalling, and your language is inappropriate.