Politics with Paul

Approachable, nonpartisan, and nonideological analysis of various political topics by nonpartisan political analyst, writer, researcher, and speaker Paul Rader.

The US Senate: Abolish, Keep the Same, or Reform? | Politics with Paul #109

E110 • Sep 8, 2026 • 42 mins

The US Senate often finds itself in the middle of controversy and as the subject of scorn. But does this mean we should eliminate it completely? Is it outdated ... or still a necessary part of American government? In today's episode of Politics with Paul, we tackle this question. While it's not a popular view, at its core are some of the most essential questions about how our government should work. The episode also covers why we need to know why the US Senate was created, the question of whether it is an extreme position, and potential changes to the US Senate including a lower threshold to override filibusters or slight changes to the number of Senators per state.

Key Points

The US Senate was established to balance the power between larger and smaller states and to create a more deliberative legislative body.
Arguments for abolishing the Senate often cite its undemocratic nature, as each state gets equal representation regardless of population size, which can skew the democratic principle of "one person, one vote."
Reforming the Senate, such as adjusting the filibuster rules or altering the number of senators per state, could address some criticisms without eliminating the institution entirely.

Other Works

FREE 5-day educational email course on how to fight polarization: https://detoxifyamericanpolitics.com/
Buy my book about political independents: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Independents-Rarely-Win-Elections-ebook/dp/B09K8PYM5J/
Medium articles on elections and political science: https://paulrader-42650.medium.com/

Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulrader352/
My website: https://paulrader.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulRaderWrites
Email: [email protected]

Speakers

Paul Rader

Host • 100%

Chapters

0:00	Intro: The Debate on Eliminating the US Senate
2:00	Understanding the Purpose of the US Senate
7:50	A Historical Example of Trying to Abolish the US Senate
10:39	Is Abolishing the US Senate an Extreme Position?
14:12	The Difference Between Radical and Extreme
16:40	The Arguments at the Core of Senate Abolition Debate
18:32	Is the US Senate Undemocratic? And is That Problematic?
21:48	Does the US Senate Slow Down Government Too Much?
25:37	What About Reforming the US Senate, Not Eliminating it?
31:46	Potential Reforms for the US Senate
40:37	Closing and Links to My Works

Transcript

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