The House of Representatives

The number of people represented by each member of the U.S. House of Representatives has more than tripled since the size of the House was permanently set at 435 members in the early 20th Century. How does the size of the House of Representatives compare to similar legislative bodies in other democracies? Should the number of representatives be increased in the House right now? Would representation be improved if more representatives were added? Why or why not? Is there a limit to the size the House can reach before it cannot operate effectively and efficiently as a legislative body? Explain your position on this question

Full Answer Section

Another argument in favor of increasing the number of representatives is that it would make the House more democratic. Currently, the House is dominated by a handful of large states. With more representatives, smaller states would have a greater voice in the House.

However, there are also some arguments against increasing the number of representatives in the House of Representatives. One argument is that it would make the House less efficient. With more representatives, it would be more difficult for the House to pass legislation and to conduct oversight of the executive branch. Additionally, a larger House would be more expensive to operate.

Another argument against increasing the number of representatives is that it would lead to gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing electoral districts in a way that gives one party an unfair advantage. With more districts, there would be more opportunities for gerrymandering.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to increase the number of representatives in the House of Representatives is a complex one with no easy answers. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument.

I believe that the number of representatives in the House of Representatives should be increased. I believe that this would improve representation and make the House more democratic. However, I also believe that it is important to address the concerns about efficiency and gerrymandering. I believe that these concerns can be addressed by carefully designing the reapportionment process.

I believe that the ideal size of the House of Representatives is somewhere between 500 and 600 members. This would give each representative a manageable number of constituents, while still making the House large enough to be representative and democratic.

Sample Answer

The number of people represented by each member of the U.S. House of Representatives has more than tripled since the size of the House was permanently set at 435 members in 1911. The current ratio is about 747,000 people per representative. This is much higher than the ratio in most other democracies. For example, the United Kingdom has a ratio of about 100,000 people per representative, and Canada has a ratio of about 125,000 people per representative.

There are several arguments in favor of increasing the number of representatives in the House of Representatives. One argument is that it would improve representation. With more representatives, each representative would have a smaller number of constituents to represent, which would make it easier for them to understand the needs of their constituents and to be responsive to them. Additionally, a larger House would be more diverse, which would better reflect the diversity of the American people.