Multi-member districts (MMDs) are electoral districts that send two or more members to a legislative chamber. Ten U.S. states have at least one multi-member district, allowing for more representation in those areas. However, the number of representatives in Congress is not solely determined by the existence of MMDs.
With Congress increasingly polarized, there are growing calls to replace the winner-take-all approach for House elections with a system that better reflects the diversity of opinions within each state. This could potentially lead to a more accurate representation of the population's views in the House of Representatives.
The number of voting members in the U.S. House of Representatives has been stuck at 435 for more than 100 years. This number increased to 437 following the admission of Hawaii and Alaska as states in 1959, but reverted back to 435 after the 1960 census.
At the Federal Convention of 1787, now known as the Constitutional Convention, the framers of the United States Constitution established in Article I the guidelines for representation in the House. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative, with the remaining seats allocated based on population size.
The 118th Congress achieved a variety of demographic milestones when its members took office, though it still remains out of step with the country's diversity. Efforts to increase diversity and representation in Congress have been ongoing, but progress has been slow.
Since 1913, the number of seats in the House has remained constant even though the nation's population has more than tripled. This has led to disparities in representation, with some states being underrepresented while others have more representatives than their population would suggest.
The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution and established a weak central government with no executive or judicial branches. Representation in Congress was based on state equality rather than population size.
Texas will have 38 congressional seats as a result of the latest U.S. census. It's one of six states to gain seats, and it's the only state in the top ten most populous states to do so. This shift in representation highlights the changing demographics and population distribution across the country.
Last November revealed the capstone of misrepresentation in American democracy when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.9 million. This discrepancy between the popular vote and the Electoral College results underscores the need for a more equitable and representative system of government.
