Representation and Taxation

[Keith Broaders]

.One of the powers that Patrick Henry and other Anti Federalist feared was the potential abuse of power that would result if the National government obtained the power to tax the people directly.

For that reason the new Constitution allowed the central government to tax the states, but not the poepe.

Each of the States would be entitled to 1 represesentative for every 30,000 inhabitants and would be taxed according to their population.

The Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929 froze the number of Representatives in the House at 435 which increased the power of the individual representatives and reduced the power of their constituents. 

What Congress should have done was  enforce the Constitution as it was written.

According to Article I Section 2 Clasue 3 Every state shall be entitled to at least 1 representative and no state shall have more than 1 representative of every 30,000 inhabitants.

This clause requires that all Comgressional District shall consist of 1 representative and 30,000 or more inhabitants.

The rule of proportionality requires that the ratio of inhabitants to representatives must be consistent in all of the states.