This Dredd Blog series has been pointing out the history of nationalism, militarism, and the tyranny of a despotic minority that has brought down over twenty civilizations down through time.
The information comes from Encyclopedia Britannica and historian Arnold Toynbee (How To Identify The Despotic Minority, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
One factor that has been focused on is "tyranny" which is another word for "cruelty."
As it turns out, perhaps one of the least expected sources of cruelty being revealed is a "religious" source not at all associated with terrorism (Atlantic, RawStory).
In today's post I want to point out that the American government as set up by the U.S. Constitution is not fail safe, because it has some serious undemocratic aspects to it that at this point in our nation's history is unlikely to be remedied.
II. A Predicament
According the the last census of 2010, the 22 "Red States" that are home to a lot of current right wing religion and politics, as shown by the table below, make up only 31.42% of the population of the 50 states.
Yet they are given two senators each, totaling 44% of the U.S. Senate:
Red States | Population Rank | Population Census 2010 | Population Percent | Senate Percent |
Wyoming | 50 | 0.563626 mil | 0.17 | 2 |
Alaska | 48 | 0.710231 mil | 0.39 | 4 |
North Dakota | 47 | 0.672591 mil | 0.62 | 6 |
South Dakota | 46 | 0.81418 mil | 0.89 | 8 |
Montana | 43 | 0.989415 mil | 1.21% | 10% |
Idaho | 39 | 1.56758 mil | 1.74 | 12 |
West Virginia | 38 | 1.85299 mil | 2.29 | 14 |
Nebraska | 37 | 1.82634 mil | 2.87 | 16 |
Kansas | 35 | 2.85312 mil | 3.75 | 18 |
Mississippi | 34 | 2.9673 mil | 4.65% | 20% |
Arkansas | 33 | 2.91592 mil | 5.56 | 22 |
Utah | 30 | 2.76389 mil | 6.52 | 24 |
Oklahoma | 28 | 3.75135 mil | 7.71 | 26 |
Kentucky | 26 | 4.33937 mil | 9.06 | 28 |
Louisiana | 25 | 4.53337 mil | 10.47% | 30% |
Alabama | 24 | 4.77974 mil | 11.95 | 32 |
South Carolina | 23 | 4.62536 mil | 13.49 | 34 |
Missouri | 18 | 5.98893 mil | 15.34 | 36 |
Tennessee | 16 | 6.3461 mil | 17.39 | 38 |
Arizona | 14 | 6.39202 mil | 19.56% | 40% |
Georgia | 8 | 9.68765 mil | 22.74 | 42 |
Texas | 2 | 25.1456 mil | 31.42% | 44% |
Total | 96.0866 mil |
III. Another Predicament
Now, let's look at the whole population, all states, and the entire population so as to see that a remedy is not within our grasp at this time.
The table below (per 2010 Census) shows that 1.08% of the population elects 10% of the senate, 2.82% of the population elects 20% of the senate, 5.54% of the population elects 30% of the senate, 10.1% of the population elects 40% of the senate, 15.95% of the population elects 50% of the senate, 23.8% of the population elects 60% of the senate, and 33.31% of the population elects 70% of the senate (and so forth):
State (R=Red State) | Population Rank | Population Census 2010 | Population Percent | Senate Percent |
Wyoming (R) | 50 | 0.563626 mil | 0.17 | 2 |
Vermont | 49 | 0.625741 mil | 0.36 | 4 |
Alaska (R) | 48 | 0.710231 mil | 0.58 | 6 |
North Dakota (R) | 47 | 0.672591 mil | 0.81 | 8 |
South Dakota (R) | 46 | 0.81418 mil | 1.08% | 10% |
Delaware | 45 | 0.897934 mil | 1.37 | 12 |
Rhode Island | 44 | 1.05257 mil | 1.69 | 14 |
Montana (R) | 43 | 0.989415 mil | 2.01 | 16 |
Maine | 42 | 1.32836 mil | 2.41 | 18 |
New Hampshire | 41 | 1.31647 mil | 2.82% | 20% |
Hawaii | 40 | 1.3603 mil | 3.25 | 22 |
Idaho (R) | 39 | 1.56758 mil | 3.78 | 24 |
West Virginia (R) | 38 | 1.85299 mil | 4.33 | 26 |
Nebraska (R) | 37 | 1.82634 mil | 4.91 | 28 |
New Mexico | 36 | 2.05918 mil | 5.54% | 30% |
Kansas (R) | 35 | 2.85312 mil | 6.42 | 32 |
Mississippi (R) | 34 | 2.9673 mil | 7.32 | 34 |
Arkansas (R) | 33 | 2.91592 mil | 8.23 | 36 |
Nevada | 32 | 2.70055 mil | 9.15 | 38 |
Iowa | 31 | 3.04636 mil | 10.1% | 40% |
Utah (R) | 30 | 2.76389 mil | 11.06 | 42 |
Connecticut | 29 | 3.5741 mil | 12.14 | 44 |
Oklahoma (R) | 28 | 3.75135 mil | 13.33 | 46 |
Oregon | 27 | 3.83107 mil | 14.6 | 48 |
Kentucky (R) | 26 | 4.33937 mil | 15.95% | 50% |
Louisiana (R) | 25 | 4.53337 mil | 17.36 | 52 |
Alabama (R) | 24 | 4.77974 mil | 18.84 | 54 |
South Carolina (R) | 23 | 4.62536 mil | 20.38 | 56 |
Minnesota | 22 | 5.30392 mil | 22.08 | 58 |
Colorado | 21 | 5.0292 mil | 23.8% | 60% |
Wisconsin | 20 | 5.68699 mil | 25.56 | 62 |
Maryland | 19 | 5.77355 mil | 27.39 | 64 |
Missouri (R) | 18 | 5.98893 mil | 29.24 | 66 |
Indiana | 17 | 6.4838 mil | 31.26 | 68 |
Tennessee (R) | 16 | 6.3461 mil | 33.31% | 70% |
Massachusetts | 15 | 6.54763 mil | 35.4 | 72 |
Arizona (R) | 14 | 6.39202 mil | 37.57 | 74 |
Washington | 13 | 6.72454 mil | 39.85 | 76 |
Virginia | 12 | 8.00102 mil | 42.43 | 78 |
New Jersey | 11 | 8.79189 mil | 45.12% | 80% |
Michigan | 10 | 9.88364 mil | 48.14 | 82 |
North Carolina | 9 | 9.53548 mil | 51.28 | 84 |
Georgia (R) | 8 | 9.68765 mil | 54.46 | 86 |
Ohio | 7 | 11.5365 mil | 57.99 | 88 |
Illinois | 6 | 12.8306 mil | 61.84% | 90% |
Pennsylvania | 5 | 12.7024 mil | 65.71 | 92 |
New York | 4 | 19.3781 mil | 71.62 | 94 |
Florida | 3 | 18.8013 mil | 78.06 | 96 |
Texas (R) | 2 | 25.1456 mil | 86.74 | 98 |
California | 1 | 37.2545 mil | 98.7% | 100% |
USA | 308.144 mil |
IV. Population Estimates For 2018
The table below (population estimates for 2018) shows that 1.09766% of the population elects 10% of the senate, 2.86874% of the population elects 20% of the senate, 5.62715% of the population elects 30% of the senate, 10.2532% of the population elects 40% of the senate, 16.176% of the population elects 50% of the senate, 24.1214% of the population elects 60% of the senate, and 33.7532% of the population elects 70% of the senate (and so forth):
State | Population Rank | Population 2018 Est. | Percent of Population | Percent of Senate |
Wyoming | 50 | 0.577737 mil | 0.176968% | 2% |
Vermont | 49 | 0.626299 mil | 0.368811% | 4% |
Alaska | 48 | 0.737438 mil | 0.594697% | 6% |
North Dakota | 47 | 0.760077 mil | 0.827517% | 8% |
South Dakota | 46 | 0.882235 mil | 1.09776% | 10% |
Delaware | 45 | 0.967171 mil | 1.39401% | 12% |
Rhode Island | 44 | 1.05732 mil | 1.71788% | 14% |
Montana | 43 | 1.06231 mil | 2.04328% | 16% |
Maine | 42 | 1.3384 mil | 2.45324% | 18% |
New Hampshire | 41 | 1.35646 mil | 2.86874% | 20% |
Hawaii | 40 | 1.42049 mil | 3.30386% | 22% |
Idaho | 39 | 1.75421 mil | 3.84119% | 24% |
West Virginia | 38 | 1.80583 mil | 4.39434% | 26% |
Nebraska | 37 | 1.92927 mil | 4.98529% | 28% |
New Mexico | 36 | 2.09543 mil | 5.62715% | 30% |
Kansas | 35 | 2.91151 mil | 6.51898% | 32% |
Mississippi | 34 | 2.98653 mil | 7.43379% | 34% |
Arkansas | 33 | 3.01383 mil | 8.35695% | 36% |
Nevada | 32 | 3.03439 mil | 9.28642% | 38% |
Iowa | 31 | 3.15614 mil | 10.2532% | 40% |
Utah | 30 | 3.16111 mil | 11.2215% | 42% |
Connecticut | 29 | 3.57267 mil | 12.3158% | 44% |
Oklahoma | 28 | 3.94308 mil | 13.5236% | 46% |
Oregon | 27 | 4.19071 mil | 14.8073% | 48% |
Kentucky | 26 | 4.4684 mil | 16.176% | 50% |
Louisiana | 25 | 4.65998 mil | 17.6034% | 52% |
Alabama | 24 | 4.88787 mil | 19.1006% | 54% |
South Carolina | 23 | 5.08413 mil | 20.658% | 56% |
Minnesota | 22 | 5.61118 mil | 22.3767% | 58% |
Colorado | 21 | 5.69556 mil | 24.1214% | 60% |
Wisconsin | 20 | 5.81357 mil | 25.9021% | 62% |
Maryland | 19 | 6.04272 mil | 27.7531% | 64% |
Missouri | 18 | 6.12645 mil | 29.6297% | 66% |
Indiana | 17 | 6.69188 mil | 31.6795% | 68% |
Tennessee | 16 | 6.77001 mil | 33.7532% | 70% |
Massachusetts | 15 | 6.90215 mil | 35.8674% | 72% |
Arizona | 14 | 7.17165 mil | 38.0642% | 74% |
Washington | 13 | 7.53559 mil | 40.3724% | 76% |
Virginia | 12 | 8.51769 mil | 42.9815% | 78% |
New Jersey | 11 | 8.90852 mil | 45.7103% | 80% |
Michigan | 10 | 9.99592 mil | 48.7721% | 82% |
North Carolina | 9 | 10.3836 mil | 51.9527% | 84% |
Georgia | 8 | 10.5195 mil | 55.175% | 86% |
Ohio | 7 | 11.6894 mil | 58.7556% | 88% |
Illinois | 6 | 12.7411 mil | 62.6583% | 90% |
Pennsylvania | 5 | 12.8071 mil | 66.5813% | 92% |
New York | 4 | 19.5422 mil | 72.5673% | 94% |
Florida | 3 | 21.2993 mil | 79.0915% | 96% |
Texas | 2 | 28.7018 mil | 87.8832% | 98% |
California | 1 | 39.557 mil | 100% | 100% |
USA | 326,465,000 |
Of course that assumes that every one of those members of the population votes (see how optimistic I am sometimes).
The point I am making is that this is not the definition of a democracy in the pure, functional sense: "government by the people; especially : rule of the majority" (Dictionary).
The population in a state with 500,000 people gets the same number of senators as a state with ~40,000,000 people.
This means that the low population states can more easily control the senate, and thus the cabinets and the courts (Here Come De Conservative Judges, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
And as goes the Supremes, so goes the nation ("the constitution says what the Supreme Court says it says" - paraphrase, see Harvard Law Review).
The Senate decides who can go on the Supreme Court, and who cannot.
See the problem?!
V. Closing Comments
The tyranny of the despotic minority is here, and the odds are that it is here to stay?
The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.
Ode to The Rus People:
‘Decades of progress are at stake’ (link).
ReplyDelete"... legislative gridlock and voter cynicism today are reminiscent of conditions that marked the last months of democracy in Italy and Germany" (A historian of Nazi Germany explains why the divided opposition to Trump should terrify you).
ReplyDelete"Mitch McConnell: The Man Who Sold America" (link)
ReplyDelete