Canadian Politics Today

The system is designed for checks and balances so that the majority can't dominate the minority and the minority can't dominate the majority.  The system is designed for gridlock and compromise

It may have been designed that way, but it doesn't seem to be working that way in action.

The way American society has evolved, plus the way the electoral college and senate work, have given Republicans both an inside advantage to political power (at least twice in the past few decades they have won the presidency while losing the popular vote, the republican-controlled senate has blocked normal functioning of the government, and currently the supreme court has had multiple members nominated by someone who lost the popular vote, and confirmed by a party in the senate representing less than a majority of citizens. And the supreme court will be deciding on things like Abortion, gun rights, gay rights, etc. for everyone.

There is a difference between "Small states must be protected from abuse by big states" and "small states will be given excessive power to exert the will of the minority over the majority".

and the failure of Congress is because people stonewall and don't want to compromise on anything.

Correction.... in recent history it appears to be the republicans who are refusing to compromise. (Recall Moscow Mitch blocking Obama's judicial nominees, not because they were unreasonable, but because he was a prick.)