As Population Concentrates In Fewer States, Important Side Effects Arise

A recent analysis by The Washington Post suggests that roughly half of the U.S. population will live in only eight states by 2040, and North Carolina is among them.

The resulting concentration could have major implications for the state, and for Washington, D.C.

The projections, which come from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, matter for a few major reasons.

Number one, continued population growth in places like North Carolina could produce new challenges when it comes to things like housing and infrastructure. Many of the state's major cities already face rising rents and high costs of living.

The Weldon Cooper Center projections suggest the Tar Heel State could be home to 12.5 million people by 2040, roughly 3 million more than it had in 2010.

But such growth could also pose a problem for fair representation in congress, particularly in the U.S. Senate.

Unlike the House, which has proportional representation that changes as state populations shift, the upper chamber is static. There are always two representatives hailing from each state, no matter its size.

If the nation's population were evenly distributed among the states, then everyone would have (more or less) an equal voice when it comes to big issues that arise in the Senate. That includes not just passing bills, but confirming cabinet secretaries and judges.

But as more people cluster into fewer places, the distribution of senators does not change. And viewed through the lens of these population projections, that's a big deal.

Essentially, the Post points out, if people continue to concentrate into fewer and fewer states, the result in the Senate will be an increasingly imbalanced minority rule, meaning the majority of U.S. Senators will be chosen by a small minority of the population.