I'd call the Senate constitutionally mandated sampling error. In representational terms, a sterling example of Twain's aphorism, "lies, damn lies and statistics", with the same level of legitimacy. The 20 lowest population states with 40 senators have a complained population less than California. The crisis of legitimacy this poses puts the US well into anocracy (partial democracy) territory. So the question is whether the US can reinvent itself to become a truly one person, one vote democracy. Or will it fall under permanent minority rule by the least representative, least productive and innovative most fossil fueled parts of its polity.

Reinvention would include reforming the Senate to guarantee each state one senator and allocate the remaining 50 Senate seats in proportion to population:

California 7, Texas 5: 12 total

NY, FL 4 each: 8 total

PA, IL, OH, MI, GA, NC, NJ, VA 3 each: 24 total

MA, MN, TN, VA, CO, MD, IN, MO, SC, WI, AZ, WA, KS, OK, MS, CT, AL, KY, LA, AR, NV, UT, IA 2 each: 46 total

WYO, ID, ND, SD, MT, AK, HI, VT, NH, ME, RI, NE, NM: 1 each: 13 total. Demote all the micro-population states, red and blue.

WYO, ID, ND, SD, MT, UT, NV, NH, VT, ME, NE, AK, HI, NM, AR, MS, AL, LA, OK, KS having a total of 40 senators when their combined populations add up to a fraction of California's alone is completely unsustainable and illegitimate. One solution would be to break up California into four states with eight senators. A more practical solution to breaking up big states is to reallocate senate representation on a 1+ according to population basis.