"Extend the sphere"

#18
Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama has been asking what can be done to engage the citizenry? Founder and President James Madison said we should "extend the sphere." That means enlarge the House of Representatives - and we haven't added representation in almost 100 years, so now would be a good time to do so.

Federalist #10, James Madison
"Extend the sphere, and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other. Besides other impediments, it may be remarked that, where there is a consciousness of unjust or dishonorable purposes, communication is always checked by distrust in proportion to the number whose concurrence is necessary."

When in doubt, look to the Constitution - it shows how to engage the citizenry. (See Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the US Constitution.)