Plan to split California into 37,253,956 States

[Scott5114]

I have already annexed the neighboring states and am currently tithing my fiefdom.

Dude, tithing your fiefdom is something you do that's private. Yes, yes, we all do it, but we don't want to hear about it!

[Scott5114]

Does it say anywhere in the Constitution that you can't be a Senator and a Representative at the same time, or that the two Senators have to be different people, huh, smart guy? Hmmmmmm??

Those are interesting questions.  I can't find where it says that a Senator and a Representative can't be the same person.  Maybe someone should run for both offices in order to draw a case so the courts can figure that out.

The Constitution says "no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate."  I think it's possible, in a single-resident state, that the resident would give his consent, as the voice of that state, for deprivation of equal suffrage and accept his state having a single Senator (himself, of course).

The two Senate seats are separate positions. In this nonsensical scenario, someone could stand as a Class One senator and then two years later stand as a Class Two senator (or Two and Three, or Three and One, depending on where in the cycle the state joins). When voting, the Senator would presumably cast two votes, one for the Class One position and one for the Class Two.

More practically, the 37,253,956-state scenario would not come to pass, simply because I think there is a population threshold to be admitted to the union.

[kj3400]

If I wanted practicality, I'd have gone to Alanland!

[Brandon]

If I wanted practicality, I'd have gone to Alanland!

Some might ask if states like California and Illinois are any different from Alanland, but I digress.

[hbelkins]

I just wonder how many of the people in California named Alan might want to name their state Alanland. And would there be any confusion if one of them named Allen wanted to name his state Allenland?

[vdeane]

If I wanted practicality, I'd have gone to Alanland!

Some might ask if states like California and Illinois are any different from Alanland, but I digress.

Not enough goats.

[SSOWorld]

If I wanted practicality, I'd have gone to Alanland!

Some might ask if states like California and Illinois are any different from Alanland, but I digress.

Not enough goats.

And pooing is not cool either

[Pete from Boston]

If I wanted practicality, I'd have gone to Alanland!

Some might ask if states like California and Illinois are any different from Alanland, but I digress.

Some ask, "Is California too large?"  I ask, "Is California large enough?" Calivania and Calhio are full of room to grow.

[hbelkins]

Just as long as there's not a state called "Calrog." 

[admtrap]

More practically, the 37,253,956-state scenario would not come to pass, simply because I think there is a population threshold to be admitted to the union.

Nope!  Nevada was a state for many years before air conditioning was invented allowing the state to actually become significantly inhabited. 

But the size of the House of Representatives is fixed by law at 435 members.  So I'm not sure how 37,253,956 Representatives are going to fit, and I don't think Texas will be happy when it has the same say in the House as Wyoming does.

[Pete from Boston]

More practically, the 37,253,956-state scenario would not come to pass, simply because I think there is a population threshold to be admitted to the union.

Nope!  Nevada was a state for many years before air conditioning was invented allowing the state to actually become significantly inhabited. 

But the size of the House of Representatives is fixed by law at 435 members.  So I'm not sure how 37,253,956 Representatives are going to fit, and I don't think Texas will be happy when it has the same say in the House as Wyoming does.

It's less a constitutional issue than it is a chair supply issue.

[Brandon]

More practically, the 37,253,956-state scenario would not come to pass, simply because I think there is a population threshold to be admitted to the union.

The threshold, according to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 is 60,000 in a territory.

Nevada was a special case, having a very low population.  It became a state in order to add to reliable electoral college votes for Lincoln and two reliable Senate votes.  Without the necessity of war and copperhead Democrats, it's likely Nevada would've become a state about the same time as Arizona and New Mexico.

[Pete from Boston]

There was a Straight Dope column years ago about autoindependence.  The main hangup seemed to be if one goes on vacation (or, in this case, to vote in Congress) one's population drops to zero, possibly causing legal dissolution and definitely opening one's territory to hostile seizure.