Memo: The Senate is an Irredeemable Institution
By
Colin McAuliffe, Cofounder, Data for Progress;
Executive Summary:
Over the last several years, progressives have increased their focus on how American political institutions are biased against groups in the Democratic coalition such as people of color, working class people, and young people. Efforts to increase access to the ballot box, reduce gerrymandering, and abolish the electoral college have gained attention, as have efforts to reform the Supreme Court. However, the most antidemocratic institution in America has received relatively little scrutiny: the United States Senate.
The Senate disproportionately benefits small states, which have a higher population of white people, lower populations of immigrants, and larger populations of culturally conservative voters than the nation as a whole.
There is no justification for treating states with small populations as a community of interest in need of extra representation in the federal government.
Due to the demographic composition of the states, giving extra representation to states with small populations is racism by proxy: It increases representation for the majority racial group, and decreases it for minority racial groups.
On any issue where the opinions of white people are different from the opinions of people of color, the Senate favors white voters at the expense of people of color.
