In short, it is structured not to care about what the American People want and need. The structure of the US Senate is truly bizarre when you sit down and think about it.
- The Wyoming–California Problem: people in small states have a massively oversized say in what passes in this country, including who sits on the Supreme Court
- Staggered elections: roughly one-third of the Senate is elected in any given biennial federal election, making change slow
- By-elections: roughly one-third of states are excluded from Senate elections in any given biennial federal election, which minimizes those state’s issues in the new Congress
- Power imbalance between the houses of Congress: the Senate has far more influence, independence, and exclusive powers within Congress, including the sole power to confirm judicial appointments and government officers
- Tradition and mythology: many of the Senate’s customs and formal rules for deliberation are incompatible with a liberal democracy
- A natural gerrymander: The Senate’s districts are the states themselves, whose borders are fixed regardless of demographics, ensuring a bias toward one political party
These are but a few of the more consequential problems, but by no means a complete list. More will be added and expounded upon with a deeper discussion.