undefined | Better HN

0 pointstharne4y ago0 comments

It's not such an easy decision. Sure if you have more reps, each constituent arguably has more access. The flip side is that they have more access to a less powerful rep. If you had 10,000 people in congress, sure it'd be a lot easier to get in touch with one of them, but 1 person in a group of 10,000 doesn't have much influence, so how much is that interaction really worth?

Even at 435, unless your rep is a senior member with some important committee assignments and they happen to be in the majority party, getting the ear of your rep isn't worth all that much.

0 comments

delecti4y ago

The power of reps extends far beyond just passing legislation, and even then, essentially all of them are on some committees. Lots of them (maybe even most/all?) make themselves accessible to constituents to help work through government bureaucracy, and a representative shining a light on a constituent's issue can help things get addressed. I'm not sure jumping straight to 10,000 reps would necessarily be the best idea, but I think having been static for the past 100 years isn't ideal either.

bpodgursky4y ago

The real solution being to devolve more power to state legislatures with on-the-ground familiarity with local issues, since it's actually quite easy to get the ear of your _state_ representative.

</opinion>

tharneOP4y ago

I think this exactly right. However, in the U.S. we have been moving in precisely the opposite direction for decades, centralizing power more and more at the federal level. This is, in part anyway, what has turned federal elections into such a bloodsport. If your side loses, people who don't share your values or understand anything about where you live suddenly have a big say in a lot of things that affect you directly. This is true regardless of your particular political affiliation.

CameronNemo4y ago

Getting the ear of your rep could lead to your rep getting the ear of other reps, or the scruff of some federal agency.

diggernet4y ago

> so how much is that interaction really worth?

Wait, you mean more reps results in less value in buying them? Sign me up for that plan!

Bottom line: More, and less powerful, reps means more diverse representation, and less power to abuse. Win-win.

maxerickson4y ago

Power is bad.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse