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Aug 12, 2021 · The number of voting members in the U.S. House of Representatives has been stuck at 435 for more than 100 years 1This number increased to 437 in 1959 to accommodate the statehood of Alaska and Hawaii but returned to 435 in 1963, after the reapportionment process in 1960. even though the country’s population has more than tripled in that time.
- Why 435?
- The Problem with Being Stuck at 435
- How to Expand The House
There have been 435 seats in the House for so long now that it might seem as if the Founding Fathers had foreseen it as a natural ceiling for the chamber’s size. But that isn’t the case: 435 is entirely arbitrary. The House arrived at that number because of political expediency — and it has stayed there because of it, too. Up until 1910, when the c...
In 1910, the largest state, New York, had about 9 million more people than the smallest — that is, least populous — state, Nevada. But today, the largest state, California, has nearly 39 million more peoplethan the smallest, Wyoming. This staggering gap makes it far more likely for states to end up with wildly unequal district populations thanks to...
A number of ideas have emerged for how best to expand the House. Some reformers have suggested a one-time, arbitrary fix, like adding 50 seats. Others have argued for a more substantive overhaul, like resizing the House based on the population of the smallest state— often called the Wyoming rule, as Wyoming has occupied this position since 1990. Bu...
- Geoffrey Skelley
Apr 20, 2021 · House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (right) speaks outside the U.S. Capitol in March with other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the size of which has stayed at 435 voting members for decades.
- Hansi Lo Wang
Oct 17, 2022 · The Congress that began in 1913 was the first to have 435 seats, representing just over 97 million people in 46 states – an average of 223,505 people per member of the House.. The number of ...
Jan 2, 2024 · There are 435 members of the House. Each state gets a different number of representatives based on the total population. California is the nation’s most populous state and has 52 representatives.
[13] If the House had a similar ratio of representatives to constituents as it did after the 1930 United States census, it would currently have 1,156 members (still just the second largest lower house, after China). [14] The United States has unusually large constituencies compared to other OECD countries, [14] the third largest in the world.
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1 day ago · The House of Representatives originally comprised 59 members. The number rose following the ratification of the Constitution by North Carolina and Rhode Island in 1790; the first Congress (1789–91) adjourned with 65 representatives. By 1912 membership had reached 435.
