> For example, if Wyoming were truly represented proportionally then resource extraction would be freer to damage the Wyoming environment.
In theory this would appear to be true. But in practice, the opposite seems more common in history. Wyoming's government is more beholden to its rich and powerful interests, and has less power to resist their beck and call. Consequently resource extraction interests are able to behave in ways that a federal government may not (and in many cases, does not) tolerate.
One of the central roles of government is to add balance to the struggle between the interests of the majority and the power of existing wealth. The smaller and more local the government, the less ability it has to add this balance. My county could not possibly effectively taken on a multinational corporation that was or planned to act in ways against our collective interests. In fact, even my state is having problems doing that right now (but it is certainly in a better position than the county).
In a world of gentleman farmers and homesteads, perhaps local governments would be enough to mount a steadfast defence of the interests of the many over those of the few. But we live in a world of gigantic and almost unimaginably powerful corporations, and local (even state) governments are not effective tools when we need to bend their behavior to our will.
The problem of people feeling unrepresented within the government does not go away by subdividing things down to smaller units and thus allowing the State of Jefferson etc. to exist. It might help, somewhat, but it would not eliminate it. When views on, for example, the correct response to a public health emergency (or even the actual existence of a public health emergency), become sufficiently polarized and divergent, different sides in such a scenario are always going to feel unrepresented by whatever action/inaction a government takes.
In addition, it is not clear to me that actively encouraging The Great Sort by creating politically-motivated jurisdictions is a great idea for the long run.
In theory this would appear to be true. But in practice, the opposite seems more common in history. Wyoming's government is more beholden to its rich and powerful interests, and has less power to resist their beck and call. Consequently resource extraction interests are able to behave in ways that a federal government may not (and in many cases, does not) tolerate.
One of the central roles of government is to add balance to the struggle between the interests of the majority and the power of existing wealth. The smaller and more local the government, the less ability it has to add this balance. My county could not possibly effectively taken on a multinational corporation that was or planned to act in ways against our collective interests. In fact, even my state is having problems doing that right now (but it is certainly in a better position than the county).
In a world of gentleman farmers and homesteads, perhaps local governments would be enough to mount a steadfast defence of the interests of the many over those of the few. But we live in a world of gigantic and almost unimaginably powerful corporations, and local (even state) governments are not effective tools when we need to bend their behavior to our will.
The problem of people feeling unrepresented within the government does not go away by subdividing things down to smaller units and thus allowing the State of Jefferson etc. to exist. It might help, somewhat, but it would not eliminate it. When views on, for example, the correct response to a public health emergency (or even the actual existence of a public health emergency), become sufficiently polarized and divergent, different sides in such a scenario are always going to feel unrepresented by whatever action/inaction a government takes.
In addition, it is not clear to me that actively encouraging The Great Sort by creating politically-motivated jurisdictions is a great idea for the long run.