How can we have democracy when half the population holds 20% of the Senate?

[thucythucy]

185. It won't happen in our lifetimes, certainly.

I don't have all the answers.

I do know though that the current system is outdated and unfair.

Just take another instance that grinds my gears: voting.

The reason federal elections are on the first Tuesday of November is because back in the 1780s, when most voters were small farmers, elections had to be scheduled well after the harvest. They couldn't be on a Sunday because the churches would object. It might take some farmers all day to ride a wagon or walk to the nearest polling place, so Tuesday it had to be.

Today, most voters work at a job the first Tuesday in November. So those who work 9 to 5 have less of a chance of being able to vote than those who don't--which is one reason why seniors are disproportionately represented almost every election.

Most other democracies schedule their elections so that workers have an easier time voting, not a harder time. In some countries federal elections are on the weekends, and scheduled over two or three days, giving workers a better shot at the franchise.

Simply changing WHEN we have our elections would, I think, make a big difference in who gets elected.

But no, I don't expect any changes at all--those who benefit most from the current system are too deeply entrenched and too powerful. Hell, we can't even get voters in the District of Columbia a voting member in Congress, let alone two senators, even though there are more voters in DC than in the entire state of Wyoming. How is that fair? Remember: "taxation without representation is tyranny!" Unless you happen to live in the District of Columbia.

I wish we could work out all the problems of the world on DU, but of course that can't happen.

Ah well.

In the meantime, best wishes to you and yours.