U.S. Citizenship Civics TestSystem of GovernmentMedium
A civics student is learning about congressional representation. If a state's population increases significantly, what is likely to happen regarding its representation in the U.S. House of Representatives?
- AIts number of Representatives will decrease.
- BIts number of Representatives will increase.
- CIts number of Senators will increase.
- DIts representation in both the House and Senate will remain unchanged.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Its number of Representatives will increase.
Representation in the House of Representatives is based on a state's population, as determined by the decennial census. A significant population increase would likely lead to an increase in the number of Representatives apportioned to that state.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A population increase would not decrease the number of Representatives.
- C. The number of Senators is fixed at two per state, regardless of population.
- D. While Senate representation remains unchanged, House representation would change with population shifts.
House Apportionment
The process of distributing the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states based on population changes identified by the decennial census.
- Based on population (Article I, Section 2)
- Determined by the U.S. Census every 10 years
- Can lead to states gaining or losing seats
Memory trick: House 'Head'count: more people, more seats.