A small country consists of seven states; there are 189 seats in the legislature that need to be apportioned among the seven states; and the population of each state is shown,
State A: 1283
State B: 2374
State C: 2725
State D: 2155
State E: 1592
State F: 2511
State G: 2017
Find the standard quota asked for State C.
I do not understand how to solve this problem. Please explain the steps.
Thank you!
To find the quota for State C, add up the populations for all of the states.
Divide 2725 by the total population to get the decimal fraction allotted to State C.
Multiply the decimal fraction by 189.
To find the standard quota for State C in an apportionment problem, you need to use the method called the "Hamilton Method" or "Method of Equal Proportions."
Here are the steps to solve this problem:
Step 1: Calculate the total population of all states.
Add up the populations of all seven states:
1283 + 2374 + 2725 + 2155 + 1592 + 2511 + 2017 = 14,657
Step 2: Calculate the standard divisor.
Divide the total population by the total number of legislative seats:
14,657 / 189 ≈ 77.47
Round this number down to the nearest whole number to get the standard divisor:
Standard divisor = 77
Step 3: Calculate the standard quotas for each state.
To find the standard quota for State C, divide the population of State C by the standard divisor:
2725 / 77 ≈ 35.39
Round this number down to the nearest whole number to get the standard quota for State C:
Standard quota for State C = 35
Therefore, the standard quota asked for State C is 35.
Note: The Hamilton Method is just one way to approach apportionment problems. Different countries or regions may have different methods for allocating seats in the legislature.