Today’s question was submitted via Twitter - @brianmuddradio what was the # Brian? 46 states have a lower population than the city of Los Angeles? LA would nullify 46 states.
Bottom Line: With the Democratic field of 2020 candidates continuing to grow and several continuing to call for the abolition of the Electoral College, the topic has remained a hot one. I’ve previously addressed the history and purpose of the Electoral College but haven’t specifically talked about the impact of large cities.
LA’s population isn’t larger than the population of 46 states, but it is significant. To your larger point, the population of New York is more than double that of LA. According to the 2019 Census estimates, the population of New York stands at 8.6 million people. Los Angeles is second with 4.1 million.
- Los Angeles’s population is larger than 23 states.
- New York’s population is larger than 39 states.
When we’re talking about the validity of the Electoral College, the point you’re addressing remains. If we went to a national popular vote as opposed to the Electoral College, candidates would be as equitably served politically by simply camping out in New York and super-serving their interests as they would be by visiting and vying for the support of 39 of our 50 states. Let that sink in for a minute. What does New York City have in common with virtually anywhere else, let alone the 39 least populous states? New York City doesn’t even have anything in common with New York state other than a name.
That’s exactly why the founders were smart enough not to set up a national popular vote. Since I’m addressing the topic again, the U.S. Senate is the clearest indication of the thoughtfulness and precision of our Representative Republic being designed to protect the interests of all Americans. Every state having two Senators, regardless of the size of the state, is without a doubt confirmation of the desire to ensure that tyranny by the largest cities and states didn’t occur.
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