Ashik Siddique, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, said the U.S. Senate should be abolished to ensure government remains proportional to population [1].
This proposal challenges the foundational structure of the American legislative branch. By removing the Senate, the DSA seeks to eliminate a system where smaller states have equal representation to larger states regardless of population size.
Speaking at the C-SPAN Washington Journal studio in Washington, D.C., Siddique said that the current structure does not align with democratic principles of proportionality [1]. He said, "We do believe that government should be proportional to the population…We just don't see the point of the Senate" [1].
The push for abolition is part of a broader effort to transform the federal government. According to reports, the DSA plans to unveil a platform that would not only eliminate the Senate but also replace the president with an executive chosen by Congress [2].
Other elements of the organization's platform include calls for public ownership, noncitizen voting, and an end to deportations [3]. These proposals represent a fundamental shift toward a parliamentary-style system of governance, a departure from the current presidential system established by the Constitution.
Siddique said that a proportional government would be more democratic [1]. He said that there is no functional purpose for a legislative body that does not reflect the actual distribution of the population [1].
“"We just don't see the point of the Senate."”
The proposal to abolish the Senate represents a move toward a unicameral legislature, which would shift significant political power toward high-population states. This would effectively end the 'Great Compromise' of the U.S. Constitution, which balanced the interests of small and large states, and would require a constitutional amendment to implement.
