The Balance of Large and Small States

If we want to continue to call the country the United States of America, then the careful balance between large and small states designed into the Senate and the Electoral College should be preserved. Yes, the smaller states have somewhat higher weight than their population warrants under pure democracy, but otherwise campaigns would simply ignore them and focus only on the coastal megacities.

The existing design was intended to prevent what Federalist 10 referred to as the tyranny of the majority. It is not perfect but has served us well enough for a couple of centuries. If it is to be modified, at a minimum such modification should be only by the amendment process built into the system, not an end-run like the so-called National Popular Vote Compact.

The fact that it’s hard to do is a feature, not a bug. It ensures only a sizeable supermajority can make fundamental changes. That’s also why I support the filibuster for legislation, if not for the “advise and consent” function.