Thread by @YNot_1989

#WhatIf Gregory Watson pushed to pass the Congressional Apportionment Amendment instead of the Congressional Compensation Amendment? (1) #alternatehistory en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressi…

In May of 1992, after a decade of spite-fueled lobbying, the final state to ratify the Congressional Apportionment Amendment... and all hell breaks loose.

Like in OTL, many Congressmen are livid that a new amendment has been imposed upon them, and try to block certification. (2)

On May 18, 1992, the Archivist of the United States, Don W. Wilson, certifies that the amendment's ratification had been completed, despite more legitimate calls that the wording of the amendment is unworkable. (3)

With elections only months away, the ratification of the 27th Amendment creates a minor crisis as constitutional scholars and elected representatives debate how to actually implement it.

Congress kicks the can down the road, requiring redistricting go into effect in 1994. (4)

Despite setting a date, the argument persists over the wording of the amendment with many focusing on the mathematical discrepancies of the last line.

Ultimately Congress passes a law setting representation at 50,000 people per district. It is challenged immediately. (5)

In 1994 there are 4,974 seats in Congress, and the major parties are finding it nigh impossible to control even the most basic elements of local races.

The Supreme Court delays their ruling on the Apportionment Act of 1993 to avoid further chaos. (6)

In 1994, the midterm results are simply insane. There are a little over 2000 representatives from the Democrats and Republicans, 2000 independents, and the rest being a variety of minor parties, most with no presence outside of their home state or even local county. (7)

As Congress struggles to even fit 4,974 people into the House, the Supreme Court rules that while the exact wording of the 27th Amendment makes any number of representatives unconstitutional, the intent of the Amendment is clear, and upholds the 1993 Apportionment Act. (8)

By the time of the SCOTUS ruling, two months have gone by without a House Speaker. Republicans and Democrats have been trying to rope together a governing coalition with the thousands of new representatives without much luck. (9)

President Clinton calls a meeting with party leaders and the Democrats make a plan to form a true coalition government, rather than forcing new members of the House to switch parties. (10)

With a 30 seat majority, the majority coalition is formed in the House, while the Republicans still control the Senate. Clinton will go down as the "Last Democratic President" as the party splinters in the House and new parties form as a part of the Clinton Coalition. (11)

This strange Third Way coalition runs up against an opposition formed by the Republicans with the Libertarians, Populists, and Constitution parties at its core. The Conservative Coalition struggles against the Third Way Coalition for the rest of the 1990s. (12)

After 9/11 the Conservative and Third Way Coalitions (neither of which have official names), dissolve and the Patriot Coalition is formed with 79% of the seats in Congress after 2002. (13)

By 2004 more liberal members would break off to join the Liberal Coalition, while George W. Bush would be the first President to officially run as the "Patriot Coalition" candidate. (14)

In 2006 the Liberal Coalition had dissolved and a new "Main Street" Coalition had taken over the House. The Main Street Coalition was the longest lasting coalition since 1995, and is in many ways a revival of the Third Way coalition. (15)

The MSC's main rival was the resurrected Conservative Coalition. House election are now functionally battles for control of the MSC which retains power through a 2006 rules change that adopted Approval Voting for the election of Speaker. (16)

The Conservative Coalition has taken power three times in the nation's history 2002, 2004, 2010, and 2016. The CC has been losing seats in recent years, as has the MSC as former fringe coalitions gain ground with charismatic new leaders. (17)

The expansion of the house, with now 6,629 representatives has been generally seen as a positive by most Americans. With only 50,000 constituents, constituents have an easier time directly connecting with their representatives... (18)

And demographically the House is much more representative. Over 800 members of the House are black, about 400 are AAPI, and around 70 are Native Americans. Further, ~800 speak Spanish as a primary language. (19)