Stop blaming corruption. Washington’s real problem is basic arithmetic
Five hundred thirty-seven elected federal officials are responsible for approximately 349 million Americans. That seems more than fair, doesn’t it? The Constitution guarantees every citizen an equal claim to representation, but it does not tell us how much representation that claim can realistically provide. It is a mathematical and philosophical question, not constitutional.
TL;DR
- 537 elected federal officials are responsible for approximately 349 million Americans.
- Representation has practical and restrained dimensions beyond moral or legal terms.
- A representative's ability to represent is limited by their finite time and attention.
- A calculation shows that providing even one minute of attention per citizen would require an unmanageable amount of representative time.
- This illustrates a significant bottleneck in the federal government's capacity for official focus.