Alternate Realities Seeking Representative Equality
Looking at the bigger picture today we can find examples of gross inequality in the Senate. The reality is that California has the same number of U.S. Senators as a smaller or significantly less populated state such as Wyoming or Delaware and this discrepancy clearly shouts out that something is wrong. It is little wonder that the states of Texas and California are anxious to seek some kind of political balance over the existing status quo of distribution of power. Over the last couple of years California has envisioned a breakup of their state into six smaller mini states to increase their political power and influence.
Six California’s
Map of the Six California’s
Superseded by new Cal 3 Initiative in a 2018 Proposition
Six California’s was a proposed initiative to split the state of California into six states. It failed to qualify as a California ballot measure for the 2016 state elections due to receiving insufficient signatures. Had the measure passed, it would not have legally split California immediately; consent would eventually need to be given by both the California State Legislature and the U.S Congress to admit a new state to the union per Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S Constitution.
Texas Divisionism Map
Texas divisionism is a mainly historical movement that advocated the division of the U.S. state of Texas into as many as five states, as statutorily permitted by a provision included in the resolution admitting the former Republic of Texas into the Union in 1845.
Texas divisionists argue that the division of their state could be desirable because, as the second-largest and second most-populous state in the U.S., Texas is too large to be governed efficiently as one political unit, or that in several states Texans would gain more power at the federal level, particularly in the U.S. Senate to which each state elects two Senators.
Multiple Geopolitical Schemes seeking
Representative Equality
In addition to the two cases mentioned above, over the years, there have been many schemes brought forward to make the U.S. legislative framework more equitable. A couple of the schemes are shown below. There are obvious problems with any scheme that tries to redraw state boundaries and as the nation continually changes, the populations will increase and decrease within any one state or area. However, cities and metropolitan urban areas are fixed in the same place and their populations will grow and/or shrink with time.
Scheme No. 1 - 38 State Map
Scheme No. 2 - 50 State Map with equal State populations
Scheme No. 3 -124 State Map showing
multiple proposed annexations and divisions
that have occurred throughout our history