When the Declaration of Independence was written, the Colonies alleged a number of abusive decisions and actions by England and railed against these actions being taken by King George III and the British Parliament without any representation.
These conditions guided how the Constitution and Bill of Rights were constructed. Many of the provisions of the Constitution were adopted to preempt or prevent these abuses from reoccurring.
The government was also designed in such a way that it was difficult to alter the Constitution or pass unfair or unpopular laws. The rules for amending the Constitution are provided within the Constitution. The division of legislative, administrative and justice functions acts as a check and balance to tyranny. The bicameral system of House and Senate balances what’s good for the country and what’s good for individuals.
The House is organized according to the population. House rules are aligned with the idea that the House is there to directly represent the People. The Senate is the “upper” house and is based on the Roman and British concepts or representative government. While it only takes a simple majority to pass a bill in the Senate, it takes a 60% super majority to allow it to reach the point of consideration for a vote which keeps fringe issues from squeaking by on narrow, simple majority votes. The intention is to prevent the tyranny of a 51% majority.
Recent attempts to restructure procedures by changing the requirements to pass a bill put us on a one-way street that permanently forfeits the freedoms built into the Constitution in exchange for short term and questionable benefits.
Maybe we should slow down and take a more prudent path.