A severely malapportioned Senate, in which all states are given the same representation, regardless of population. The filibuster, a supermajority rule in the Senate (not in the Constitution) that allows a partisan minority to permanently block legislation backed by the majority. The Electoral College, an indirect system of electing presidents that privileges smaller states and allows losers of the popular vote to win the presidency. Extreme supermajority rules for constitutional change: a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress, plus approval by three-quarters of U.S. states.
