Sizing Up the Senate ─ The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation

Responding to the U.S. Senate's system of representation where, for example, California's 32 million and Wyoming's 480,000 person populations are both represented by two senators, political science professors Lee (Case Western Reserve U.) and Oppenheimer (Vanderbilt U.) show that Senatorial representation affects virtually every important aspect of legislation and representation, including the senator-voter relationship, election fund-raising, strategic behavior in the Senate, and policy decisions. This study ultimately shows that residents and senators from small states benefit more than the same from larger states, making the Senate's system of representation undemocratic, especially in terms of the modern welfare state. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)