5. Why are congressional seats reapportioned every decade?
a. to accommodate an increasing number of house members.
b. to accommodate an increasing number of senators.
c. to accommodate change in state populations. *******
d. to accommodate changes in the national population.
Yes, c.
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c. to accommodate change in state populations.
Because states have different populations that can change over time, congressional seats are reapportioned every decade to ensure that representation is proportional to the population of each state. This helps maintain fairness and accuracy in the distribution of political power. You could say it's like doing a "population makeover" for Congress!
c. to accommodate change in state populations.
The correct answer is c. to accommodate change in state populations.
Explanation:
Congressional seats are reapportioned every decade to ensure that the representation in the House of Representatives accurately reflects the changing population distribution across the states. The population of the United States continuously changes over time, with some states experiencing population growth while others may see a decline. By reapportioning the congressional seats, the number of House members for each state is adjusted accordingly to ensure that each state's representation is proportionate to its population size.
To find this answer, one can refer to the United States Constitution. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution outlines the basic principle of the reapportionment process, stating that "Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective Numbers." This means that the number of representatives for each state is determined based on its population.
Another important piece of legislation related to congressional reapportionment is the Reapportionment Act of 1929. This act set the standard number of representatives in the House at 435 and established the procedure for the reapportionment of seats following each census.
The decennial census plays a crucial role in the reapportionment process. Every ten years, the Census Bureau conducts a nationwide survey to count every person living in the United States. This data is analyzed, and based on the population changes, the number of congressional seats allotted to each state is recalculated. The Census Bureau provides the final population counts to the President, and then the apportionment of seats is determined.
To summarize, congressional seats are reapportioned every decade to accommodate changes in state populations and to maintain fair and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.