In a republican form of government the principle of one person one votes only applies to the elections of representatives in Congress. The Senators and the President were supposed to be chosen by the representatives of the people.
If we embrace the principle of one person to one vote to all elections our bicameral legislatures become a unicameral legislature with two house representing the same constituency. If we promote the principle of one person one vote we promote democracy and the death of our republic
In a pure democracy the principle of one person one vote is required, but in the form of government created by our founding fathers the principle of one man one vote only applies electing members to the House of Representatives.
In order to present t the tyranny of the majority, our founding fathers decided to a direct election in the House, but an indirect election in the Senate. This model provided an important check and balance that would protect a minority from the abuse of power by a majority.
The Supreme Court has ruled numerous times that one person's vote must be counted equal in the state legislative bodies. Before Baker v Carr, Reynolds v Sims and the states had a bicameral legislatures with one house representing the people and one house representing the people. The senators represented the counties equally and the assembly represented the people at large. This is the same model used by the federal government with the states being represented equally in the senate and the people of the states being represented based on their population.The principle of one person one vote is applicable in the House of Representatives, but is not in the Senate. In the chart below you will notice that the people in the states are not equally represented in their legislatures.
Apportionment.us Thirty Thousand.Org
The larger the assembly district the more expensive it is to run for office. The average winner of a seat in the California Assembly spent over $700,000 to get elected, In most states it costs less than $50,000 to run for office.
To re-apportion our state legislature, two thirds of the senators and two thirds of the assemblymen and women most vote on a Constitutional amendment. Then the voters of the state would need to vote on the proposed amendment.
If the state legislators refuse to fix the problem, it will be up to the people to amendment the Constitution through a ballot initiative.
In the New Hampshire states Assembly there are 400 Assemblymen representing the state's 1.3 million people, while in California their state Assembly has 80 assemblymen representing nearly 40 million people. The ratio in New Hampshire is one representative for every 3,327. The people in California have a ratio of one representative for every 487,000 people.
In a democracy decisions are made by representatives of the people chosen in direct elections . In a republic the people elect representatives to vote in their behalf.
Our founders created a bicameral legislature with one house representing the people and a second house to represent the states. If the senators are chosen in direct election, both houses will represent the people and the states will cease to be represented.
Replies