Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation

About this book

We take it for granted that every state has two representatives in the United States Senate. Apply the "one person one vote" standard however and the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the democratic world. But does it matter that Californias 32 million people have the same number of Senate votes as Wyomings 480 000? Frances Lee and Bruce Oppenheimer systematically show that the Senates unique apportionment scheme profoundly shapes legislation and representation. The size of a states population affects the senator-constituent relationship fund-raising and elections strategic behavior within the Senate and ultimately policy decisions. They also show that less populous states consistently receive more federal funding than states with more people. In sum Lee and Oppenheimer reveal that Senate apportionment leaves no aspect of the institution untouched. This groundbreaking book raises new questions about one of the key institutions of American government and will interest anyone concerned with issues of representation.