Inadequate Representation

[Keith Broaders]

Inadequate Representation

The population of Colony of Virginia in 1619 was approximately 2,400 and the people were had 22 representatives in the House of Burgesses/ They had one representative for every 109 people living in the state of Virginia. 

When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, Virginia had a population just under 600,000 are were represented by 126 elected officials or one representative for every 4,722 people.

Today, Virgina  has a  population of over 8 millions and the people are represented by one assemblyman for every  80.000 Virginians.

When the people are adequately represented the rights of the people are secure, but when there are a relatively small number of representatives the rights of the people can easily be abused.

In 1854 California froze the number of seats in the state assembly at 80. The population at that time was about 400,000 and today we have a population of nearly 40 million and we still have only 80 representatives.