In the beginning of our nation seats were reapportioned after the first three years, but today we reapportion seats in the House every 10 years.
A) True
B) False
The correct answer is B) False.
In the United States, seats in the House of Representatives are reapportioned every 10 years, not at the beginning of the nation. This process is called "reapportionment" and it is based on the results of the decennial census, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The census is a population count of the entire country that takes place every 10 years.
After the census is conducted and the population data is collected, the number of seats in the House is adjusted among the states to ensure proportional representation. This means that states with larger populations typically have more seats in the House, while states with smaller populations have fewer seats.
The reapportionment process is guided by the "method of equal proportions," which uses a mathematical formula to determine how many seats each state should have based on its population. This formula aims to allocate seats fairly among the states, while accounting for the requirement that each state must have at least one representative.
It's important to note that the actual redrawing of congressional district boundaries within each state, known as "redistricting," is a separate process handled by state legislatures. Redistricting can occur more frequently than the reapportionment of seats and often faces scrutiny for potential gerrymandering, which is the manipulation of district boundaries for political advantage.
So, to summarize, seats in the House of Representatives are not reapportioned at the beginning of the nation. Instead, they are reapportioned every 10 years based on the results of the decennial census.