Forum Post: Parliamentary elections in states and balancing the Senate.

Here's a couple proposals for us.

1. Why does a state with the population of Wyoming have the same # of senators as California? When James Madison was framing the constitution and compromising to get it passed, he was deeply concerned that each state having the same # of senators was a major flaw in the plan, but had to accept it to get it passed. Think about, that means if I live in Wyoming, I have much more influence over my senator than if I live in California. For example, California has a population around 37 million whereas Wyoming has 500,000. This compromise was originally reached by the framers because the Slave states were afraid that policy would be dominated by the North. In some ways, that dynamic still exists. The small population states are more easily propagandized by the corporate/ military industrial prison health care complex. See how Max Baucus, the senator from Montana basically completely hijacked the healthcare discussion in this country.

I propose a 3 tier system. The smallest states, like Wyoming (and Washington D.C. why not, there are more people there than in Wyoming!) get one Senator. Mid size get 2 and the handful of mega states get 3.

1. There should be a movement to have parliamentary style elections for state assemblies. This would encourage the flourishing of third parties. I'm sick of voting for Democrats. I'm not really a democrat. I'm a Democratic Socialist. Why shouldn't I be able to vote for people like Bernie Sanders who represent the way I really think? Likewise, why should a Tea Party person have to vote for a Wall Street Republican? Green's should have representation according to their #'s. Their should be a party for Wall Street Democrats and Republicans too. Then they wouldn't have to pretend to be religious and sanctimonious. Then you'd have 8 or 9 parties. There would still be the large dem and repub parties, but their would be significant smaller parties that would form coalitions around very specific issues. For example, there could be a Libertarian party that could join with the left parties over ending the war in AF and Iraq. And probably greens would build coalition with Libertarians around certain issues. There just wouldn't be this lock stepping with two fake mega parties whose members often have little in common among themselves.