Term limits for Supreme Court justices is a good idea, but it would require a constitutional amendment. (yes, some theorize that you can get around that, but it is highly unlikely). Expanding the size of the Court could be accomplished through legislation. FDR tried this but failed.
Why not shrink DC? It's happened before. The Virginia side of the Potomac was "bitten" out of the original 10 x 10 district and given to Virginia. Electorally, it would only make Maryland more blue, which doesn't change much. But at least give the people representation.
As for Puerto Rico, they have a population larger than Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota COMBINED. It absolutely should be a state with (voting) representation.
I've long thought a solution to DC's taxation without representation is that their citizens should have a voting member of congress, and also should vote for Maryland senators.
The former had a chance about 20 or so years ago when Utah was "on the bubble" for another member of congress, and there was discussion of adding 2 -- one for DC and one for Utah.
Exactly. There is no "rule" that the district has to be a certain shape or size (originally a 10 mile by 10 mile square rotated into a diamond). You can just circle the major government buildings and the district can be simply that. Like I said, they reduces the size before.
Have you polled expanding the House? We would have to do it anyway if we admitted PR as a state (or else take away reps from other states to keep the 435 cap, which seems unlikely to be popular), and it is long past time to do it. The UK has something like 650 legislative districts with a much smaller population, so we know that a viable legislature can be at least that large. Even without multi member proportional districts, an expanded House would be a win for small d democratic accountability.
The thing with DC statehood is that people by and large aren't actually familiar with the issue.
Years ago, I was in a bar in New Orleans, and the bartender asked where I was from. I told him DC, and he responded, "Oh, so like Bethesda?" Many Americans simply have no idea that DC is a real city with real neighborhoods and families that have lived there for generations. They certainly don't understand that it has a bigger population than some states, and no representation in Congress. I'm optimistic that if it actually became a serious national conversation, people would come around to the idea.
That said, I also think Maryland retrocession is worth considering. It's not ideal, but it's better than having to worry about the kinds of stuff the District has been put through under the second Trump Administration, or worse. And, historically, it's had some Republican support.
I think another distrust of the court stems from McConnell's very partisan actions to not even hold hearings to confirm Obama's pick, Merrick Garland, and his haste in confirming Amy Coney Barrett, as people were already early voting for president in 2020. McConnell did not believe partisanship should have its limits.
That could be an advantage to having term limits on a set schedule, much like the Fed’s rotating 14 year terms. If not for McConnell’s shenanigans, the court would be 5-4 and likely much less radical.
expand the Court to 19, create 19 Circuits (in place of the current ones with California and Texas each their own circuit), reorganize DCs with no single judge districts/divisions, and appoint many more appellate and DC judges. Plan for doing this in the first few months of a new administration. Add DC, Puerto Rico, and other territories as states. Assumes control of Congress as well (obvs.).
I think I’ve said this before, but this helps me understand why Democrats are often perceived as weak or not up to the job. They have been too comfortable with systems as they stand. But I like the word “reform.” It has lots of historic precedent, can encompass an array of needed changes, and can attract support from an array of voter types.
Respectfully, Puerto Rico statehood should be decided by Puerto Ricans alone. Non Puerto Ricans shouldn’t even be asking the question. The island was colonized by the US and from what I’ve learned don’t want to become another Hawaii. Bad Bunny’s entire Superbowl performance spoke to this.
Term limits for Supreme Court justices is a good idea, but it would require a constitutional amendment. (yes, some theorize that you can get around that, but it is highly unlikely). Expanding the size of the Court could be accomplished through legislation. FDR tried this but failed.
I also don't know how you do that without causing more problems if the President or the party in power gets to choose those 4 Justices.
Why not shrink DC? It's happened before. The Virginia side of the Potomac was "bitten" out of the original 10 x 10 district and given to Virginia. Electorally, it would only make Maryland more blue, which doesn't change much. But at least give the people representation.
As for Puerto Rico, they have a population larger than Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota COMBINED. It absolutely should be a state with (voting) representation.
I've long thought a solution to DC's taxation without representation is that their citizens should have a voting member of congress, and also should vote for Maryland senators.
The former had a chance about 20 or so years ago when Utah was "on the bubble" for another member of congress, and there was discussion of adding 2 -- one for DC and one for Utah.
Interesting idea. Does anybody really have to be a resident of DC? Make them all citizens of Maryland and move on.
Exactly. There is no "rule" that the district has to be a certain shape or size (originally a 10 mile by 10 mile square rotated into a diamond). You can just circle the major government buildings and the district can be simply that. Like I said, they reduces the size before.
Have you polled expanding the House? We would have to do it anyway if we admitted PR as a state (or else take away reps from other states to keep the 435 cap, which seems unlikely to be popular), and it is long past time to do it. The UK has something like 650 legislative districts with a much smaller population, so we know that a viable legislature can be at least that large. Even without multi member proportional districts, an expanded House would be a win for small d democratic accountability.
The thing with DC statehood is that people by and large aren't actually familiar with the issue.
Years ago, I was in a bar in New Orleans, and the bartender asked where I was from. I told him DC, and he responded, "Oh, so like Bethesda?" Many Americans simply have no idea that DC is a real city with real neighborhoods and families that have lived there for generations. They certainly don't understand that it has a bigger population than some states, and no representation in Congress. I'm optimistic that if it actually became a serious national conversation, people would come around to the idea.
That said, I also think Maryland retrocession is worth considering. It's not ideal, but it's better than having to worry about the kinds of stuff the District has been put through under the second Trump Administration, or worse. And, historically, it's had some Republican support.
Most don't get that DC residents have taxation without representation.
I think another distrust of the court stems from McConnell's very partisan actions to not even hold hearings to confirm Obama's pick, Merrick Garland, and his haste in confirming Amy Coney Barrett, as people were already early voting for president in 2020. McConnell did not believe partisanship should have its limits.
Until he is on a press tour and whines about Trump.
100000%
That could be an advantage to having term limits on a set schedule, much like the Fed’s rotating 14 year terms. If not for McConnell’s shenanigans, the court would be 5-4 and likely much less radical.
expand the Court to 19, create 19 Circuits (in place of the current ones with California and Texas each their own circuit), reorganize DCs with no single judge districts/divisions, and appoint many more appellate and DC judges. Plan for doing this in the first few months of a new administration. Add DC, Puerto Rico, and other territories as states. Assumes control of Congress as well (obvs.).
I think I’ve said this before, but this helps me understand why Democrats are often perceived as weak or not up to the job. They have been too comfortable with systems as they stand. But I like the word “reform.” It has lots of historic precedent, can encompass an array of needed changes, and can attract support from an array of voter types.
Respectfully, Puerto Rico statehood should be decided by Puerto Ricans alone. Non Puerto Ricans shouldn’t even be asking the question. The island was colonized by the US and from what I’ve learned don’t want to become another Hawaii. Bad Bunny’s entire Superbowl performance spoke to this.
Now, DC on the other hand, should have statehood.
Puerto Ricans have had their say, repeatedly. Look up the history of the referendums.
Trouble is, Republicans don't like black and brown people, so they want to "trade" Puerto Rico for Greenland.