AP US Government FRQ practice

In the aftermath of a closely contested national election, a political action committee (PAC) representing voters in highly populated states launched a public campaign to amend the Constitution. The group argued that the current structure of the United States Senate, where every state receives two seats regardless of population, is fundamentally undemocratic. They highlighted data showing that states representing a small minority of the U.S. population can elect a majority of the Senate, effectively allowing voters in smaller states to block legislation supported by the majority of the American public. The PAC claimed this structure violates the core democratic value that every citizen's vote should carry equal weight.

Opponents of the campaign, primarily from rural and less populous states, defended the current system. They argued that the Senate was never intended to be a purely majoritarian body like the House of Representatives. Instead, they claimed the chamber was designed to foster deliberation and ensure that the specific interests of sovereign states were protected against the 'tyranny of the majority.' The debate intensified when a proposed amendment to change Senate representation was introduced in Congress but failed to gain the necessary support to move forward.