and yes, we know states with smaller populations are over represented on a population vs number of senators basis. That is why we have the House for representation based on population and why we have the Senate which is to prevent the heavily populated states from running over the more sparsely populated states.
That is correct and you may have noticed I voted to keep the electoral college.....that doesn't change the fact that the elctoral college does indeed overrepresent rural/less populated States.
As for the Senate. That's the real source of disparity in our system. As you said, the founding fathers gave each State two Senators to prevent larger population STates from dominating smaller population States. But can you honestly say that our Founding fathers visualised the huge population disparities of different regions? This is where rural and less populated States are greatly over represented in our System.
I don't have that much of a problem with the Electoral college as it does provide extra representation. It has had it's consequences as 3 times Republicans have won the electoral college while losing the popular vote because rura/less populated regions are over represented. That is obviosly undemocratic and 2 of those Republican Presidents elected under those circumstances turned out to be two of the worst in our nations history.
And while you do have a point that the founding fathers provided for 2 Senators for each State to assure that States with larger/urban populations do not, as you said "Run Roughshod" over the less populated/rural States, as I said they did not envision the current population disparity where the exact opposite has occurred. We have a situation where the rural/less populated States are running roughshod over the larger more populated States and the Cities, the most economicaly productive regions in our nation are the ones that get shafted and end up paying for this disparity (though that's certainly not unique to the USA).
What really is needed isn't reform to the Electoral College. We need Senate Reform. Look at the Senate, our nations most undemocratic institutions history. For example, a minority of Senators representing between 10 to 15% of the population held up equal rights laws after WWII for nearly 20 years.
So maybe it's time we discussed Senate reform so that the rural States are prevented from running roughshod over the larger more populous States?
Here's what I would suggest. A constitutional ammendment that would apportion Senators as follows.
States with less than a million in population recieve 1 Senator.
States with populations between 1 and 10 million recieve 2 Senators.
States with populations over 10 million recieve 3 Senators.
That way the intent of our founding fathers is preserved and this rediculous situation where a minority in the less populated regions stall our nations economic and political progress is ended.
Alternatively, I am also for a constitutional ammendment that outlaws the filibuster. Which permits a minority of Senators reprenting a small minority of the population from stalling economic and political progress as has been going on for far too long.
