No, the idea was the House would represent the people and the senate the states. I know the 17th amendment probably did away with the senate representing the state giving the people voting power of electing their senators instead of the state legislatures appointing them.But think of this with just a president and the house. Go back to 2009 when the presidency and the house were both Democratic, one party control, no checks on what that one party could do. The Democrats could have passed massive tax increases on all, passed health care on all, Gun control on all, they could have passed any and all of their agenda. With one party control, lets say they passed a bunch of far left extreme legislation which all became law.
now in 2012 lets say the republicans took the house and the presidency, they didn't like what the democrats had just passed. So they repealed all tax increases and set a flat tax at 5% on all, they repealed all health care laws, all gun control laws, and anything else they didn't like and then proceeded with their own agenda, passing far right wing stuff. Then 4 year hence, the Democrats regained power and they inturn repeal everything the Republicans did and re-passed and enacted what ever they wanted. Now the nations goes through these wild swings, from one side to the other, no middle ground what so ever. No even keel.
The senate brings about an equilibrium. With its filbuster to protect minority party rights it prevents these wild swings. Like the senate or not, it helps keeps things and laws on a more even keel, more in the middle than what having no senate would do. It is not the senate that is broke, it is the elected officials who reside there. Politics is the art of the possible, politics is about compromise, give and take, working with the other party for the good of the country. Sure each party can have their political agendas, but be willing to take a couple of steps back by giving something to the other party in order to take three steps forward by taking something from the other party.
Head strong leaders in the senate of my way or the highway mental frame is why so much ruckus and gridlock is going on. think back to when Dole and Mitchell were the leaders, not that old go back to Dashle and Lott. Differences were worked out and government worked. Take away Reid and McConnell, replace them with maybe a Alexander and Manchin, or a Collins and Tester or someone who do not think the other party is all about evil.