For greater than a century, the scale of the Home of Representatives has been frozen at 435 seats; in that very same interval, the US inhabitants has tripled. Which means right this moment, the typical consultant is chargeable for greater than 750,000 constituents. Students and politicians say this imbalance is why many People really feel like Congress is disconnected from them.
So what if we…added extra seats? That’s what Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) is proposing in a brand new invoice, as a result of he believes it’s nearer to what the nation’s founders initially envisioned. Whereas increasing Congress may make our ratio of voters to representatives smaller, it additionally raises a tough query: Can a bigger, extra crowded legislature really govern, or are we simply including extra voices to the gridlock? Vox dives into the mathematics, the historical past, and the potential way forward for a “greater” American democracy.
Study extra about increasing the Home of Representatives:
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This story was supported by a grant from Defend Democracy. Vox had full discretion over the content material of this reporting.
