“Build a Bigger House”

A friend forwarded me the following op-ed in the New York Times, “Build a Bigger House.”

WITH the Senate preparing to debate filibuster reform, now is a good time to consider a similarly daunting challenge to democratic representation in the House: its size. It’s been far too long since the House expanded to keep up with population growth and, as a result, it has lost touch with the public and been overtaken by special interests.

The authors go on to claim:

The result is that Americans today are numerically the worst-represented group of citizens in the country’s history. The average House member speaks for about 700,000 Americans. In contrast, in 1913 he represented roughly 200,000, a ratio that today would mean a House with 1,500 members — or 5,000 if we match the ratio the founders awarded themselves.

I last wrote about this issue on August 6, 2010. The movement to make our representative democracy more representative continues to grow.

Jan

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Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year! 2010 was a great year. First full year working in Washington D.C. I have learned so much and really appreciate the opportunity. I wish you, your family and friends a great 2011!