THE SENATE "NUCLEAR OPTION" : symptom not of Congressional problem but of nation-wide problems

The Senate leadership detonated the nuclear option on 21 November 2013.   It is yet another example that when humans built a weapon, they will always find an excuse to use it whether it is a good idea or not.

The United States has 317,000,000 residents.   It is a nation of 11 rather different nations.  Given that reality, a Senate majority of half plus one is more realistic and more attainable than 60 percent.

The use of the filibuster, per se, did not constitute the real problem in the Senate.   Its problem results from side effects and symptoms of a bigger nation-wide problem.   Population size.   Out-dated internal boundaries.   Small totals of senators and representatives working for a huge population. 

 For The United States’s Congress to function with real representation and fairly, the United States needs -- for a basic foundation -- 75 - 100 states of populations between 3,175,000 to 9,000,000.    Not too big.  Not too small.  Just right for the purposes of governance and raising local revenues.  

That number of states would generate  a Senate of 150 - 200 senators.   Given the population of this nation and a Senate of that size, a 60% majority might under those conditions be workable.  However, a majority of half plus one remains more ideally politically realistic. 

 The House of Representatives should have much more than 435 representatives, a number that dates back to 1912 when the country had less than 100,000,000 people.    Consider –

The House would feature 500 representatives if one representative represents 634,000 citizens.

 The House would feature 635 representative if 1 representative represents 500,000 citizens.  

It is realistic to expect a country with 317,000,000 citizens should have a House of Representatives with 1000 representatives.   1 representative for 300,000 citizens, give or take.    It means that the House leadership would be rather like the mayor and town council of a village. 

The Nuclear Option is really not about a 60 person majority or a 51 person majority.   The problem remains: the problem of the size of states and the number of Senators and Representatives.    Those who want smaller government simply do not understand the representative needs of 317,000,000 citizens.