The Senate was not designed to benefit white voters — almost all voters were white when the Constitution went into effect — but it has had that effect. The reason is simple: Residents of small states have proportionally more representation, and small states tend to have fewer minority voters. Therefore, the Senate gives more voting power to white America, and less to everybody else. The roughly 2.7 million people living in Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, and North Dakota, who are overwhelmingly white, have the same number of Senators representing them as the 110 million or so people living in California, Texas, Florida, and New York, who are quite diverse.

I would be in favor of proportional representation in the Senate as was originally intended but it would require a constitutional amendment. Imagine convincing Wyoming, and all the other small or less populated states, to give up power. Not gonna happen.

It should be difficult to amend the constitution but it’s now become impossible. Add to that an activist Supreme Court that is making their own laws and you have an untenable situation.

The filibuster must be killed and serious reforms enacted. Not to give one side a competitive edge, but to keep everyone honest. The power of the minority should not be overwhelming and the Senate is built for exactly that.

It’s also worth noting that the Senate was originally intended to be appointed by the House, from nominations from the state legislatures. The 17th amendment was arguably an improvement but not a fix.