Is the US becoming a country governed by the minority?

[Higgins86]

The recent developments with US abortion laws have brought up this question again, is the US sliding more and more towards a democracy that represents the minority of the population?

Abortion is obviously a hot topic in the US however 54 percent of Americans think the 1973 Roe decision should be upheld and only roughly 28% want it overturned. So why then is the will of the people being ignored?



Twice in the past 20 years the Democrats have won the popular vote but lost the presidency. Joe Biden’s 2020 victory came not because he won nearly 7 million more votes nationally than President Donald Trump, but rather because he won about 200,000 votes more in a handful of swing states. Congress has seen a similar dynamic, though Republican senators make up the majority in the chamber, they represent more than 20 million fewer Americans than Democratic senators do.

By 2040, if population trends continue, 70% of Americans will be represented by just 30 senators, and 30% of Americans by 70 senators.

Sen. Brian Schatz, of Hawaii, says that disparity is growing.

"The way this is starting to work is that elected representatives who collectively have gathered 10 million, maybe 12 million, maybe by the year 2030 30 million fewer votes are going to stack the judiciary and entrench minority rule," Schatz, a Democrat, said during last year's debate about confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "And so something has to give."

With a stacked court and aggressive Gerrymandering from the republicans is it too late to reverse this trend in the US? What can the US people do in these blue states do to make sure that they are being fairly represented at the highest level in the US and that the supreme court represents the true will of the people and not religious zealots/ extremists?

 

[Crovax]

They must skimp on the American history classes across the pond, America has pretty much always been governed by the minority.

 

[Cardinal]

The recent developments with US abortion laws have brought up this question again, is the US sliding more and more towards a democracy that represents the minority of the population?

Abortion is obviously a hot topic in the US however 54 percent of Americans think the 1973 Roe decision should be upheld and only roughly 28% want it overturned. So why then is the will of the people being ignored?



Twice in the past 20 years the Democrats have won the popular vote but lost the presidency. Joe Biden’s 2020 victory came not because he won nearly 7 million more votes nationally than President Donald Trump, but rather because he won about 200,000 votes more in a handful of swing states. Congress has seen a similar dynamic, though Republican senators make up the majority in the chamber, they represent more than 20 million fewer Americans than Democratic senators do.

By 2040, if population trends continue, 70% of Americans will be represented by just 30 senators, and 30% of Americans by 70 senators.

Sen. Brian Schatz, of Hawaii, says that disparity is growing.

"The way this is starting to work is that elected representatives who collectively have gathered 10 million, maybe 12 million, maybe by the year 2030 30 million fewer votes are going to stack the judiciary and entrench minority rule," Schatz, a Democrat, said during last year's debate about confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "And so something has to give."

With a stacked court and aggressive Gerrymandering from the republicans is it too late to reverse this trend in the US? What can the US people do in these blue states do to make sure that they are being fairly represented at the highest level in the US and that the supreme court represents the true will of the people and not religious zealots/ extremists?

Spread out to red states and turn them blue. That’s all I got.

 

[Higgins86]

They must skimp on the American history classes across the pond, America has pretty much always been governed by the minority.

The articles I have read argue not to this extreme and rarely as aggressively. Pushing through Judges weeks before elections and blocking the dems doing the same etc. Its become less about governing and more about winning.

 

[ataraxia]

The recent developments with US abortion laws have brought up this question again, is the US sliding more and more towards a democracy that represents the minority of the population?

Abortion is obviously a hot topic in the US however 54 percent of Americans think the 1973 Roe decision should be upheld and only roughly 28% want it overturned. So why then is the will of the people being ignored?



Twice in the past 20 years the Democrats have won the popular vote but lost the presidency. Joe Biden’s 2020 victory came not because he won nearly 7 million more votes nationally than President Donald Trump, but rather because he won about 200,000 votes more in a handful of swing states. Congress has seen a similar dynamic, though Republican senators make up the majority in the chamber, they represent more than 20 million fewer Americans than Democratic senators do.

By 2040, if population trends continue, 70% of Americans will be represented by just 30 senators, and 30% of Americans by 70 senators.

Sen. Brian Schatz, of Hawaii, says that disparity is growing.

"The way this is starting to work is that elected representatives who collectively have gathered 10 million, maybe 12 million, maybe by the year 2030 30 million fewer votes are going to stack the judiciary and entrench minority rule," Schatz, a Democrat, said during last year's debate about confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "And so something has to give."

With a stacked court and aggressive Gerrymandering from the republicans is it too late to reverse this trend in the US? What can the US people do in these blue states do to make sure that they are being fairly represented at the highest level in the US and that the supreme court represents the true will of the people and not religious zealots/ extremists?

Yes, it seems by some random contingencies and quirks of history, urban America generates most of the GDP of the country while being run by an uneducated minority in rural America- kind of a weird and awkward situation.

 

[Crovax]

The articles I have read argue not to this extreme and rarely as aggressively. Pushing through Judges weeks before elections and blocking the dems doing the same etc. Its become less about governing and more about winning.

That's for sure, it's not a good cycle as it seems each party wants to top how far they will push it

 

[jonny5]

The recent developments with US abortion laws have brought up this question again, is the US sliding more and more towards a democracy that represents the minority of the population?

Abortion is obviously a hot topic in the US however 54 percent of Americans think the 1973 Roe decision should be upheld and only roughly 28% want it overturned. So why then is the will of the people being ignored?



Twice in the past 20 years the Democrats have won the popular vote but lost the presidency. Joe Biden’s 2020 victory came not because he won nearly 7 million more votes nationally than President Donald Trump, but rather because he won about 200,000 votes more in a handful of swing states. Congress has seen a similar dynamic, though Republican senators make up the majority in the chamber, they represent more than 20 million fewer Americans than Democratic senators do.

By 2040, if population trends continue, 70% of Americans will be represented by just 30 senators, and 30% of Americans by 70 senators.

With a stacked court and aggressive Gerrymandering from the republicans is it too late to reverse this trend in the US? What can the US people do in these blue states do to make sure that they are being fairly represented at the highest level in the US and that the supreme court represents the true will of the people and not religious zealots/ extremists?

No, its still goverend by a majority of states. Reps are elected by a majority of people. Presidents are elected by a majority of electoral votes. Those reps make decisions by majority votes. Courts make decisions by majority (or solo, but they are appointed by majority elected reps.)

But its also fair to say its both. Minorities in some cases are given outsize power to ensure they are protected. But that was by majority decision, so still majority at the root of everything. Heck, its actually governed by unanimity as all states had to ratify the supreme law. All citizens have to agree to follow the law.