Represent!
Critical Analysis
Who represents more people, a US Senator from Wyoming or a Los Angeles County Supervisor?
What story does the data in the chart above tell about democracy in the United States?
Explain the connection between the data from the chart above and federalism.
While Los Angeles County Supervisors represent more people than a Wyoming Senator, (or, in fact than Senators from Nebraska, West Virginia, Idaho, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, and Vermont), explain whether political power is based solely on the number of people a politician represents?
What are some powers U.S. Senators have that L.A. County Supervisors (or most supervisors, in general) don't?
Are there any politicians in your state who represent more people than an L.A. County Supervisor?
Explain whether you think a politician representing a small number of people would be more likely to be a trustee than someone representing more people.
The United States gives all people equal representation through the House of Representatives (each district is roughly equal), and all states equal representation through the Senate (two Senators per state). Since democracy means government by the people, where all people are equal, is it democratic to give each state equal representation if that means that smaller states (and all the people in them) have more representation than larger states?
Anti-Federalists were concerned that it would be hard for the people in a large country to control a national government. They argued for government to be kept close to the people. In Brutus 1, the Anti-Federalist Robert Yates writes, “History furnishes no example of a free republic, any thing like the extent of the United States. The Grecian republics were of small extent; so also was that of the Romans. Both of these, it is true, in process of time, extended their conquests over large territories of country; and the consequence was, that their governments were changed from that of free governments to those of the most tyrannical that ever existed in the world.” Based on what you know about American politics and history explain whether the anti-federalist were right that large territories (countries) are the most tyrannical that ever existed?
Explain whether you believe a representative government can function successfully in a country the size (>318,000,000 people) of the United States:
Learning Extension
Check out these Map comparisons to show you how ginormous L.A. Country really is.
Because California gives a considerable amount of power to counties, that makes supervisors very, very powerful. Indeed, Hilda Solis, another member of the LA County Board of Supervisors, stepped down as US secretary of labor to run for it. You read that right. Solis — a former Congress member to boot — resigned a Cabinet position because she wanted to take a job in county government. And it makes sense — she represents more people than a senator from a small state.
Also, just for fun, learn more about Brutus 1 in this video.
Action Extension
I've heard a lot of people complaining about the politicians who represent us. Calculate the first year you could run for president (35 age minimum), Senate (30), US House (25), and local offices (?), and go to Candidate College to plan your run for office!