We're in a mess that's been in the making for the better part of 230 years. The Constitution, as good as it is, was essentially designed to create a government run by white men. We've done a bit of work over the years to try to expand that, and have had alot of success. But some of the tinkering we've done has screwed up the situation.
The EC: For all it's faults, the EC was intended to prevent virtually exactly where we are. It was intended to both defend against excessive power in any particular state or institution. It was also intended to prevent unqualified or otherwise destructive people from becoming president. However, the way electors are now chosen, and the laws that govern their voting, are such that it has resulted in the exact OPPOSITE of what it was intended. Furthermore, we are no longer 13 states, we are 50 with huge disparities in population. This results in huge disparities in representation in the EC.
The House of Representatives: Originally they were supposed to be distributed by population. But as the country grew, and the population disparities increased, the House was becoming too large if the smallest state got 1 representatives, and the largest states got proportionally more. So the limit of 435 was created, but the smallest states got 1 regardless. That pulled representation away from large states and inflated small states. The end result is that the House doesn't represent the population, it is more representative of the states.
The Senate: Conversely, the Senate was to be chosen by the state legislatures. This was to give the states a "voice" in governing of the country. Unfortunately, the legislatures became so corrupt, that it corrupted the Senate. So the system was changed to allow the people to elect senators. So now, the Senators tend to be more representative of the people, than the state governments. Unfortunately, that is a disproportionate representation because each state, regardless of size, gets two.
Term Limits: The president is limited to 2 terms. The congress isn't, nor are the courts. This has created a situation in which presidents become "lame ducks" the day of their second election. Furthermore, it effectively forces the population to change, regardless of their desires. It favors the minority party by forcing a reconsideration every 8 years regardless.
So here we find ourselves with a system the is governed by a minority, serving a minority, and both empowering and encouraging them to avoid forming a majority. That's where fascism forms.
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