AHC: Intermediaries between Union and States

[Alcsentre Calanice]

Could it have been possible to create intermediary levels between the US and their states?

For example, a union of the different states of the western coast?

 

[Schnozzberry]

Could it have been possible to create intermediary levels between the US and their states?

For example, a union of the different states of the western coast?

Something along these lines was proposed at various points of the Constitutional Convention, as an attempt to strike a balance between the small states who wanted equal representation of the states, and the large states who wanted assessment based on population. What killed the proposals was the compromise where the house was by population, but the senate was equal representation. So, in theory, a different Constitutional Convention would be a good and reasonable POD to get a stage between federal and state governments.

 

[samcster94]

Something along these lines was proposed at various points of the Constitutional Convention, as an attempt to strike a balance between the small states who wanted equal representation of the states, and the large states who wanted assessment based on population. What killed the proposals was the compromise where the house was by population, but the senate was equal representation. So, in theory, a different Constitutional Convention would be a good and reasonable POD to get a stage between federal and state governments.

Why that convention?? The idea of "regional government" might be more welcome for a hypothetical second Convention during an alternate Reconstruction where Andrew Johnson is never President{and new "West Virginias" are made out of pro-Union regions}.

 

[Schnozzberry]

Why that convention?? The idea of "regional government" might be more welcome for a hypothetical second Convention during an alternate Reconstruction where Andrew Johnson is never President{and new "West Virginias" are made out of pro-Union regions}.

It was born out of political disagreements on how to distribute votes. The small states repeatedly threatened to quit the convention if they were forced to operate under proportional representation in the federal government, and since (in theory), the small states had the majority of votes in the convention, they could deadlock it on occasions. As such, a series of weird and sometimes insane ideas were put forward, amongst which were plans to create blocks of states which would all have equal votes, as a middle ground between the two ideas. It didn't end up, because people like Roger Sherman, and Benjamin Franklin devised the system the USA uses today. But, if they failed, and the block idea somehow got into the forground, it might be the operating principle of the USA's legislature.

 

[Analytical Engine]

It was born out of political disagreements on how to distribute votes. The small states repeatedly threatened to quit the convention if they were forced to operate under proportional representation in the federal government, and since (in theory), the small states had the majority of votes in the convention, they could deadlock it on occasions. As such, a series of weird and sometimes insane ideas were put forward, amongst which were plans to create blocks of states which would all have equal votes, as a middle ground between the two ideas. It didn't end up, because people like Roger Sherman, and Benjamin Franklin devised the system the USA uses today. But, if they failed, and the block idea somehow got into the forground, it might be the operating principle of the USA's legislature.

Will someone (more knowledgeable than me in US political history) make TL of this?

I would read it, for one.

 

[M79]

Like, say, a collection of 13 or so groups of states as a regional form of representation instead of each individual state?

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/United_States

 

[Clandango]

The House and Senate are basically the intermediaries. Even more so originally, when the populace chose Representatives, while the legislatures chose the Senators.

 

[Socrates]

I wonder what would have happened had the constitutional convention fallen apart, and then the big states decide just to do a proportional representation one among themselves.