That Which Was The Ratio Of Individuals To Congressional Reps In The Beginning Of America?

[cinnard]

Absolutely everyone understands that it's a lot more challenging than it really is for only 1 to repair breakfast for one hundred folks... Therefore I want to recognize what the populace of each of the 13 states was in the beginning of the United States and just how numerous Senate and Congressional representatives there have been for each situation. Then I'd prefer to comprehend what it really is these days. The percentages need to be astounding.

[reinhard98]

It was originally set at 40,000 individuals, but George Washington thought that was also numerous individuals and the govt wouldn?t be responsive to the people.  It was then decreased to 30,000.   Right now every single Representative speaks for 700,000 men and women, or claims to.   Each and every state has always had two senators.  There have been about three,929,000 folks in 1790.  59 Representatives started out the 1st session of the Home, but it was improved to 65 by its finish.

[francisco]

30,000 people represented by 1 Representative It was originally set at 40,000 people, but George Washington thought that was too many people and the govt wouldn?t be responsive to the people.  It was then reduced to 30,000.   Today each Representative speaks for 700,000 people, or claims to.   Every state has always had 2 senators.  There were about 3,929,000 people in 1790.  59 Representatives started out the 1st session of the House, but it was increased to 65 by its end. Pales 73 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Herald]

We're way off where we should be. Very interesting question.    Let's start by establishing the original population of the infant United States.  The total population was about 2.67 million, broken down as follows:     New Hampshire - 87,800     Massachusetts(including Plymouth) - 317,700     Rhode Island - 52,900     Connecticut - 206,700     New York - 210,500     New Jersey - 139,600     Pennsylvania - 327,300     Delaware - 45,400     Maryland - 245,500     Virginia - 538,000     North Carolina - 270,100     South Carolina - 180,000     Georgia - 56,100 http://merrill.olm.net/mdocs/pop/colonies/colonies.htm   Now, "at the start of the United States" could be taken one of two ways, either as under the Articles of Confederation, or under the Constitution.  Under the Articles it's easy, each state had one vote in Congress, irrespective of population.  So the ratios varied widely.  There was no Senate.   Under the Constitution, "The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand..."  The Senate is fixed at two for every state, irrespective of population. (U.S. Constitution, Article One, section 2 paragraph 3, and section 3 paragraph 1.)   HOWEVER, while the Senate ratio remains unchanged, a quick look at current numbers shows us 435 Congressional Representatives for a population of over 300,000,000.  What works out to about 1:690,000.  Apparently, in 1911, Congress passed a law that effectively reset the Constitutional ratio.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Law_62-5  I can't find that the constitutionality of this law was ever challenged.              PoorRichard 73 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Kendric]

The Census Bureau has the results of every census available online.  Here is the 1790 census:  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1790.htm Vermont: 85,539 New Hampshire:  141,885 Maine:  96,540 Massachusetts:  378,787 Rhode Island:  68,825 Connecticut:  237,946 New York:  340,120 New Jersey:  184,139 Delaware:  59,094 Maryland:  319,728 Virginia:  747,610 Kentucky:  73,677 North Carolina:  393,751 South Carolina:  249,073 Georgia:  82,548 South Western Territory:  35,691 Total Population:  3,494,953(including the territories) Just looking at the total, the first Congress had 105 members of the House of Representatives, so each member represented an average of 33,285 people. Current U.S. total population is about 303,484,000(when I checked).  Spread across 435 members of the House, each Representative stands for an average of 697,664 people. Each Representative today is expected to represent 20.96 times as many people as the first ones.

[MacMurra]

In 1789, the approximate US population was 3,900,000 million people vs. 65 representatives. In 2007, the approximate population was 300,000,000 and we had 435 representatives. There were 26 senators in 1789, and there are 100 now. The ratio of citizens to senators has gone from 150000:1 to 3,000,000:1.

[Laochailan]

Pales said: 2 PoorRichard, regarding your answer "We're way off where we should be.":The Representative:People was changed in the 1960s.I don't know the law either, but I know my state went from 2 to 1 Representative in Congress. 73 months ago

[Halfburinn]

Very interesting question.    Let's start by establishing the original population of the infant United States.  The total population was about 2.67 million, broken down as follows:     New Hampshire - 87,800     Massachusetts(including Plymouth) - 317,700     Rhode Island - 52,900     Connecticut - 206,700     New York - 210,500     New Jersey - 139,600     Pennsylvania - 327,300     Delaware - 45,400     Maryland - 245,500     Virginia - 538,000     North Carolina - 270,100     South Carolina - 180,000     Georgia - 56,100 http://merrill.olm.net/mdocs/pop/colonies/colonies.htm   Now, "at the start of the United States" could be taken one of two ways, either as under the Articles of Confederation, or under the Constitution.  Under the Articles it's easy, each state had one vote in Congress, irrespective of population.  So the ratios varied widely.  There was no Senate.   Under the Constitution, "The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand..."  The Senate is fixed at two for every state, irrespective of population. (U.S. Constitution, Article One, section 2 paragraph 3, and section 3 paragraph 1.)   HOWEVER, while the Senate ratio remains unchanged, a quick look at current numbers shows us 435 Congressional Representatives for a population of over 300,000,000.  What works out to about 1:690,000.  Apparently, in 1911, Congress passed a law that effectively reset the Constitutional ratio.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Law_62-5  I can't find that the constitutionality of this law was ever challenged.             

[Ramsay]

Representation is spread more than 20 times as thin as when the country was founded. The Census Bureau has the results of every census available online.  Here is the 1790 census:  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1790.htm Vermont: 85,539 New Hampshire:  141,885 Maine:  96,540 Massachusetts:  378,787 Rhode Island:  68,825 Connecticut:  237,946 New York:  340,120 New Jersey:  184,139 Delaware:  59,094 Maryland:  319,728 Virginia:  747,610 Kentucky:  73,677 North Carolina:  393,751 South Carolina:  249,073 Georgia:  82,548 South Western Territory:  35,691 Total Population:  3,494,953(including the territories) Just looking at the total, the first Congress had 105 members of the House of Representatives, so each member represented an average of 33,285 people. Current U.S. total population is about 303,484,000(when I checked).  Spread across 435 members of the House, each Representative stands for an average of 697,664 people. Each Representative today is expected to represent 20.96 times as many people as the first ones. Sources: http://www.census.gov theGreenMan 73 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.

[Donn]

PoorRichard, regarding your answer "We're way off where we should be.":The Representative:People was changed in the 1960s.I don't know the law either, but I know my state went from 2 to 1 Representative in Congress.