Repeal the Permanent Apportionment Act

[edhopper]

Post from David Brin:

I’ve offered bunches of ideas for how to get out of trench warfare and ‘judo’ past all the cheating and treason. But this one - passed along by a member of the Contrary Brin blog community - is actually amazing and I’d like feedback whether any of you see lethal flaws. *Simply repeal the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, which fixed the number of Representatives at 435, and then institute the Wyoming Rule: the smallest state by population - Wyoming - gets one representative and all other states get a number of representatives equal to the number of "Wyomings" that their population contains.
“The total number of reps in the US House increases from 435 to 573, which also affects the Electoral College. Wyoming still stays at 1 rep while the California delegation increase from 53 to 68. Blue states in general do much better. By matching the number of reps to actual population a lot of the unfairness of the Electoral College AND the House is mitigated. The number of EC votes needed to win the White House increases from 270 to 339.”
Hence this proposal includes not just increasing the size of the House but apportioning so every district has the same number of voters. That is hard to justify opposing. And if it happens, the urban areas get more districts... and so do blue states. And hence more electoral votes. No change to read state advantages in the Senate! And they get their senator-bonus extra electoral votes. That should be enough to mollify.
Simple legislation from a Blue Congress (assuming the filibuster is eliminated) can completely change American politics. And dig this - unlike almost all the other pipe dream proposals, no constitutional amendment is needed.
If it is done right away, it can be part of the normal, decennial re-apportionment.

(Note, the linked article doesn’t cover this whole idea but offers some background.)
https://wheresmyfuckingmoney.com/2020/05/repeal-the-reapportionment-act-of-1929/

[The Magistrate]

1. That Is A Good Idea, Sir

Doubtless seating could be arranged....

[drray23]

2. until we also fix gerrimandering its a marginal solution.

it will just lead gop leguslatures to carve out more seats.

[edhopper]

5. The Blue States

will have more seats to overcome much of that.
But you are right, Re-up the Voting Rights Act and expand the Court to enforce it.

[RicROC]

6. base US House of Rep. districts on school districts

or multiple school districts. Or parts of districts but based on the location of high schools in that area.

[Wounded Bear]

8. The way the House is now configured is the ultimate gerrymander...

[Bettie]

3. I've been saying this for years

but, no one cares what I think!

This is a good start. The problem is, reps would lose some of their individual power, but it would make the EC look like the country.

[RicROC]

4. great idea!

Idea is perfectly reasonable, especially with the shifting of population centers in the US.

And every 10 years, this total number is readjusted based on the census.

[Buckeyeblue]

7. This makes a lot of sense. We probably shouldn't have too many laws from 1929

Driving what we do today. The country is different. The world is different. Science has allowed us to see ourselves and the universe differently.

[myccrider]

9. I like this and don't see insurmountable problems.

I still think we also need to expand the Supreme Court and the lower courts and add PR and DC as states, too, but this is another good suggestion for a structural change.

[roamer65]

10. First thing:

NUKE THE FILIBUSTER.

[Hekate]

11. This seems sensible

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. Makes sense to me. Just don't tie it permanently to Wyoming.

[rusty fender]

13. Excellent proposal!