[EM] small states really underrepresented? (Banzhaf myth)

[raphfrk at netscape.net]

 Not sure if this will thread correctly as I am replying before I actually received the email (but after it was posted on the archive).
 
 Wds wrote:
 > Forest Simmons resurrected a classic myth that small states have

> less voting power (even under Adams apportionment).



> I dispute that.



> It is true in the sense that Joe Voter in a small state has less voting power

> when filtered into the Fedral House using Banzhaf power at both stages of the filter.
 The massive advantage the small States have in the Senate will overwhelm any potential large State bias. 
 
 If the House completely controlled the budget, you may see a more balanced spend per State.
 
 Since both Houses must agree to any bill, it is reasonable to assume that any pork would be split equally between the 2 Houses. Also, assuming that on average all Senators and Representatives are equally good at getting pork, the total payout would be proportional to:
 
 (2)/(Senate Size) + (Number of Reps/House size)
   
 In fact, the original taxation system had each State paying taxes in proportion to the total Senators and Reps, this meant small States paid more than large States per person, which would compensate for the above. It might be interesting to see if the small State spending bias existed (or was reversed) before the rule change.
 
 If they had made both Houses the same size, then it would work out that the payments and pork would equalise. Alternatively, they might say that the House is three times the size of the Senate and taxes are proportional to the sum of the Senators and three times the number of Representatives that the State is apportioned.
 
 One slight issue if ofc, that the President is also required to sign. OTOH, I don't think the President gets 1/3 of the pork and the House and Senate get 1/3 each.
 
 
  Raphfrk
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