A hundred years ago, the elected listened to the people significantly more than today, and independents and third parties were ready to offset political power, scoundrels and special interests.
In the past 100 years, the U.S. population has more than tripled, growing from approximately 95 million to close to 315 million. Meanwhile, the size of Congress remained about the same.
After considerable losses in the ratio of citizens per representative, democracy could be considered violated. Moreover, the special-interest-controlled president has bully power over the underrepresented, weak Congress.
Increase the number of representatives to improve the representative ratio. Quintuple the number of members of Congress, going from 435 to 2,200; or even better, double that to 4,400.
The same principles apply at the municipal level. Towns that had five elected council members or school board members when they were small, but have since grown in size, need proportionate adjustment to the council and school board to maintain a constant representation ratio.
Walter McInerney, Manasquan