Unequal Representation in the House

[Keith Broaders]

There are 53 Congressional Districts in California with an average size of 702,000 people. Rhode Island has two Congressional Districts with an average of 526,000.constituents.If California was equally represented by one representative for every 526,000, California would be entitled to 17 additional Congressional Representatives.

There are an average of 176,000 people in each of the 53 districts are not counted for the purpose of Congressional apportionment.A total of over 9 million or 24% of Californians are not even being counted.

Texas has a population of 25,145.561 and has 36 Congressional Districts with an average size of 698.488.

If Texas and Rhode Island were equally represented by one representative for every 526,000 people Texas would be entitled to 11 more Congressional Representatives. In the 2010 Census there were 6,208,568 or 24.6% of Texans were not counted for the purpose of apportionment in the House of Representatives. 

In 2010 the population of Florida was 18,801,131 and had 27 Congressional Representatives with districts averaging 696,338. If Florida and Rhode Island were equally apportioned, Florida would have 11 more representatives.

3/5's of the slaves in Florida were not counted for apportionment in the House of Representatives in the 1800's. Today only 3/4th of the (slaves) in Florida are counted for the purpose of apportionment. Instead of disenfranchising 3/5's of the slaves, today we are allowing Congress to disenfranchise 170,338 Floridians in each of Florida's  27 Congressional Districts. 

New York has 27 representatives and Congressional Districts with an average size of 717,707. If  the districts in both states were equally apportioned New York and Rhode Island would have one representative for every 526,000 people . A total 191,707 people in each of the 27 Congressional Districts was not counted for the purpose of Congressional Apportionment.

[Keith Broaders]

History of Apportionment

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