Change Government: Occupy congress with a lot more members

The following linked article presents a radically non-radical idea that would change government by reforming the power balance of congress and reducing the influence of money over individual members of congress. It is non-radical because it is primarily a conservative return to the ratio of representatives-to-citizens envisioned in the constitution. It is radical because it would create a massive shift in the distribution and balance of power in Washington, D.C.

Reform congress

The article proposes to reform congress so that there are between 3,000 and 10,ooo U.S. representatives of the people. The framers of the constitution envisioned a formula that would allow a maximum of 50,000 citizens per representative. Under the framer’s vision, every square mile of New York County today would have its own U.S. representative. Every county of average population in the U.S. would have two U.S. representatives. Redistricting would create much more localized power centers than we have today.

Because of a cap on the number of representatives imposed in 1927, each member of congress today represents over 700,000 people. That means every citizen’s voice to his/her representative is lost in the din of people that is slowly closing in on a million people per member of congress.

In short, citizens of the United States today have far, far, less influence over their U.S. representative than people did in the formative years of the United States. The framers also envisioned a part-time legislature so that member’s of the house were closer to the people because they had to continue working professions like the people. It’s time to restore the balance, and this article presents a reasonable basis and means of making that work:

What’s wrong with Congress? It’s not big enough

 

Books on congress and how to change it

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Books on how to change government

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