Malcolm Rivera
The representation of states in the US government is decided through a unique plan for congressional representation called the Great Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise. This compromise was reached during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, where delegates from smaller states insisted on preserving their equal vote while delegates from larger states argued for representation based on population. The compromise resulted in a bicameral national legislature, consisting of the Senate with equal representation from each state, and the House of Representatives with membership based on a proportional population formula. The House of Representatives is elected by the voters in each state, while the Senate is composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the state legislature for six-year terms. This system of representation, as outlined in the US Constitution, has been further shaped by amendments, such as the 14th Amendment, which ordered the Census to count every individual regardless of skin color, and the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Legislative powers | Vested in a Congress of the United States, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives |
| House of Representatives | Members chosen every second year by the people of the states |
| Proportional representation | Based on state population according to the constitutionally mandated Census |
| Apportionment | Based on the "whole number of white & other free Citizens," and "three-fifths of all other persons," meaning enslaved African Americans |
| Equality | Each state has an equal voice, with equal representation from each state |
| Bicameral legislature | Consisting of two houses, with the “rights of suffrage” in both houses proportional to the size of the state |
| Senate | Comprised of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature for six years, with each senator holding one vote |
| House Monopoly | Opposition to the House's monopoly on revenue bills |
| Taxation | Linked to representation, with local taxes contributing to the national government |
| Census | Ordered to fully count every individual regardless of skin color |
| Suffrage | Limited to male citizens over the age of 21, with subsequent amendments enfranchising women and those over the age of 18 |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
The states were heavily divided over the representation in each branch of Congress. The delegates from larger states argued that their states contributed more of the nation's financial and defensive resources and, therefore, ought to have a greater say in the central government. On the other hand, delegates from smaller states insisted on preserving the equal vote they had enjoyed under the Articles of Confederation.
To resolve these concerns, the Convention delegates formed a compromise committee, which proposed a plan that became known as the Great Compromise. The committee proposed that each state would have equal representation in the upper house or Senate, with each state having two members, and proportional representation in the lower house or House of Representatives, with membership based on a proportional population formula. This retained the bicameral legislature as proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut.
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Proportional representation in the Senate
The topic of proportional representation in the Senate is a complex and highly debated issue in the United States. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 established equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. This plan, known as the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise", aimed to resolve the controversial aspect of congressional representation.
The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral national legislature with proportional representation in both houses based on the size of the state. However, delegates from smaller states objected, arguing that each state should have an equal voice, regardless of its size or population. This debate led to the creation of the Senate, with equal representation from each state, and the House of Representatives, with membership based on population.
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified after the Civil War, addressed the issue of representation by ordering a Census to count every individual, regardless of skin colour. It stipulated that males over the age of 21 could not be discriminated against when voting unless they had participated in rebellion or "other crime". The amendment did not directly provide for the enfranchisement of African Americans and did little to ease racial tensions. It was not until the 19th Amendment in 1920 that women gained the right to vote, and the 26th Amendment in 1971 lowered the voting age to 18.
The Uniform Congressional District Act, enacted in 1967, mandated the use of single-member districts for House elections, prohibiting bloc voting and moving towards fairer representation. Proportional representation in the House of Representatives aims to ensure fair outcomes among political parties and groups with shared characteristics or interests, with seats apportioned based on state population according to the constitutionally mandated Census.
While the focus has primarily been on proportional representation in the House of Representatives, the Senate maintains equal representation from each state, with two senators from each state serving six-year terms. Senators are elected by their respective states, and elections are held simultaneously with House elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise
The delegates from the small and large states were divided on the issue of the apportionment of legislative representation. Delegates from larger states argued that they contributed more to the nation's financial and defensive resources, and so ought to have a greater say in the central government. Delegates from smaller states, on the other hand, insisted on preserving the equal vote they had enjoyed under the Articles of Confederation.
Slaveholding states wanted their entire population to be counted to determine the number of Representatives they could elect and send to Congress. Free states wanted to exclude the counting of slave populations in slave states, as those slaves had no voting rights. A compromise was struck to resolve this impasse, counting three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives. This effectively gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states.
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Apportionment of representatives
The representation of states in the US Congress is decided through a process called apportionment. The US Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state is guaranteed two seats in the Senate and at least one seat in the House of Representatives, regardless of population size.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 established equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. This was called the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise". This compromise resolved the most controversial aspect of the drafting of the Constitution.
The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and introduced by Edmund Randolph, proposed a bicameral national legislature with proportional suffrage in both houses based on state size. However, delegates from smaller states objected, arguing that each state should have an equal voice, as under the Articles of Confederation. A compromise was reached, with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House, based on state population.
The number of seats in the House of Representatives is capped at 435, as per the Reapportionment Act of 1929. The Huntington-Hill method of equal proportions has been used to distribute the seats among the states since the 1940 census reapportionment. The apportionment is based on the decennial census mandated by the US Constitution. The census counts every individual, regardless of skin colour, as per the 14th Amendment.
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Congressional apportionment
The US Constitution mandates that a census is conducted every 10 years to determine the number of seats each state is entitled to. The first decennial census was conducted in 1790, and the most recent was in 2020. The census counts the total resident population of each state, including citizens and non-citizens. The population of the District of Columbia is not included in the apportionment population.
The results of the census are used to calculate the number of seats to which each state is entitled, with each state guaranteed at least one representative. The calculation method has changed over time, with the most recent method, adopted in 1941, based on a mathematically determined priority listing of states.
The process of congressional apportionment is separate from redistricting, which refers to the redrawing of district boundaries within a state to ensure that each district has roughly equal populations.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Congress is made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Each state has equal representation in the Senate, with two senators chosen by the state legislature for six-year terms.
The House of Representatives has proportional representation, with members apportioned based on state population according to the constitutionally mandated census.
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates debated representation, with those from larger states arguing for proportional representation and those from smaller states wanting equal representation. A compromise was reached, known as the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise", resulting in the bicameral system with equal state representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House.
