Twenty small states’ 40 senators outweigh California’s 2 despite equal population

Evidence

The U.S. Senate chamber is another powerful locus of control over gun legislation. Its disproportionate rural representation tends to favor progun initiatives. With a population of 37 million, California is represented by 2 senators. The 20 smallest states—in many of which a significant portion of the population is rural—are represented by 40 senators, even though their combined population is less than that of California (MacGillis, 2009). The founders created the Senate to safeguard the rights of the smaller states. Ironically, they now wield considerable legislative power over the big, heavily urbanized ones. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1187

Categorization

• SEED: The Senate’s small-state overrepresentation as a structural lever for minority interests — a ready-made essay on how the filibuster and Senate design distort gun policy and other culture-war legislation.