{"id":18896,"date":"2021-01-19T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=18896"},"modified":"2024-11-19T13:56:32","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T18:56:32","slug":"a-house-full","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=18896","title":{"rendered":"A House Full"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Posted from the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas by Linda Lou Burton<\/em> – Yesterday I talked about the US Census. Now you can see why the count of PEOPLE is so important in our united STATES! Each state gets two senators, but the Constitution provided for a House of Representatives based on population. Let\u2019s go back to that original document, where Section 1 states: All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.\u00a0<\/em>Section 2 spells out the directives for the House \u2013 two-year term, at least 25 years old, a resident of the US at least seven years, and a resident of the state they represent.<\/p>\n

The Logic<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Constitution intended to have two different groups each with a different method of representation: the Senate, always, to have TWO representatives from each state, no matter the land area of the state, or the number of people who live in that state. Meaning, today, Rhode Island, the smallest US state with 1,545 square miles, and Alaska, the largest state with 665,384 square miles, are entitled to the same number of senators: TWO.<\/p>\n

But the House of Representatives, the Constitution writers figured, should be based on the number of people in each state \u2013 We The People<\/em>, remember? So they rigged up a system to count people, and then allot a certain number of representatives based on population.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Today, the number of Representatives is fixed at 435 (a House full!), representing \u2013 got your calculator handy? \u2013 whatever a state\u2019s population may be. Here\u2019s a link to see, and track, who represents you, and how that divvies up state by state, and political party by party; it’s the website maintained by the House of Representatives. https:\/\/www.house.gov\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>From That House Site:\u00a0Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states. Currently, there are five delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A resident commissioner represents Puerto Rico.\u00a0Learn more about representatives at\u00a0The House Explained<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Unlike the Senate, where residents of the District of Columbia and US Territories have no voice, the House provides for delegates who have no vote, but do have floor privileges, can serve on committees, and can introduce legislation.<\/p>\n

Can you guess which state has the most delegates in the House? You guessed California, of course, because California has the most people.<\/p>\n

In 2021, California has 53 delegates in the House of Representatives.\u00a0<\/em>Seven states \u2013 Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming<\/em> \u2013 have 1 delegate each in the House of Representatives because these states have the fewest people. Does this change as population shifts? Yes, it does. \u201cReapportionment\u201d is the word.<\/p>\n

Seeing the People<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Imagine the differences in needs and viewpoint scattered out there in our 50 states! To really get a handle on these variations, read the summaries I wrote during my Journey Across America<\/em> as I experienced PERSONALLY what makes up our country. What a way to dispel pre-conceived notions and see what is really<\/em> there. It took me two years and 31,710 miles to get around to all of you. But I can vouch for this: the United States is\u00a0 full of great people.<\/em><\/p>\n