Urban Underrepresentation in the U.S. Senate

Urban scholars have paid little or no attention to ramifications of the way the U.S. Senate is structured. Because of the Connecticut Compromise, the 26 smallest states with less than 18% of the U.S. population have an institutional lock on, and a potential veto over, basic public policies and all l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Urban Affairs Quarterly 1996-01, Vol.31 (3), p.404-418
Main Author: Stephens, G. Ross
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cities
CONGRESS (ALL NATIONS)
Constituents
ETHNICITY AND ETHNIC GROUPS
Financial resources
Government and politics
Legislation
Legislative Apportionment
Legislative Bodies
MINORITY GROUPS
Political Representation
Politics
Proportional representation
Public Policy
Representation
Representative government
Rural areas
Senate
SENATE (ALL NATIONS)
Small states
State structure
States (Political Subdivisions)
SUBURBS
U.S.A
United States
UNITED STATES, 1945 TO PRESENT
Upper chamber
Urban Affairs
Urban Areas
URBAN, IN ANY CONTEXT
US POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, PROCESSES & BEHAVIOR
USA
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Summary:Urban scholars have paid little or no attention to ramifications of the way the U.S. Senate is structured. Because of the Connecticut Compromise, the 26 smallest states with less than 18% of the U.S. population have an institutional lock on, and a potential veto over, basic public policies and all legislation going through Congress. Because small states are generally less urban, the Senate heavily underrepresents central cities and ethnic minorities and massively overrepresents suburban and rural/small-town residents, as well as the inhabitants of Mountain, New England, and West North Central regions. Moreover, federal grants unduly support not only small, less urban states but also tax-rich states.
ISSN:1078-0874
0042-0816
1552-8332
DOI:10.1177/107808749603100305