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What sounds like a reasonable number of constituents that each member of the US House of Representatives should represent? For nearly a hundred years, the US House of Representatives has been capped at 435 members. Over the past 100 years, this means that each representative is responsible for more and more people, and currently each representative is accountable to around 700,000 constituents. Should we strive for a lower number or perhaps a higher number?
Personally I am in favor of drastically lowering the number of people each representative represents. I believe this will set the stage for representatives to be held more accountable to their constituents come election time, as well as make it easier for citizens to reach their representative (and subsequently for representatives to reach their constituents). I also believe this will allow for more third-party and independent candidates to contest and win elections. Having a higher number of representatives would also allow for elections to be more hotly contested in local areas and make individual votes count more.
It would probably not be doable, but 1-100,000 is a good number. That is about what it is in the UK and members of parliament seemed to be able to be very responsive to their constituencies if they wanted to be.
In North Carolina the ratio of people to state House member is about 1-68,000 and their is quite good access to representatives.
The problem is such a group would be very unwieldy for the purpose of getting legislation passed. Even so the 1-700,000 ratio essentially means that legislatures cannot be very responsive to individual constituents, and rely on big money which makes the whole system less representative.
It would probably not be doable, but 1-100,000 is a good number. That is about what it is in the UK and members of parliament seemed to be able to be very responsive to their constituencies if they wanted to be.
In North Carolina the ratio of people to state House member is about 1-68,000 and their is quite good access to representatives.
The problem is such a group would be very unwieldy for the purpose of getting legislation passed. Even so the 1-700,000 ratio essentially means that legislatures cannot be very responsive to individual constituents, and rely on big money which makes the whole system less representative.
If each rep had 100,000 constituents, the house would have 3147 voting members.
Just more hyper polarized loons from both sides unless we do something NATIONALLY to make the drawing of districts to be neutral and fair. This means more GOPS in CA and more Dems in OH where in each the other party makes IDIOTIC districts to favor themselves.
New Hampshire has 435 Representatives for about 1.3 million people and that legislature is almost completely non functional. When almost anyone can be a Representative the collection of fools is really remarkable. I suggest we reform both districting and campaign financing by having a computer program set the district lines based solely on population distribution and have campaigns financed by human individuals, not corporations, with limited contributions. Advertizing time would be contributed by the media as part of their corporate charters.
New Hampshire has 435 Representatives for about 1.3 million people and that legislature is almost completely non functional. When almost anyone can be a Representative the collection of fools is really remarkable. I suggest we reform both districting and campaign financing by having a computer program set the district lines based solely on population distribution and have campaigns financed by human individuals, not corporations, with limited contributions. Advertizing time would be contributed by the media as part of their corporate charters.
I've been saying that for years. Drawing district boundaries should be a mathematical exercise with no social engineering.
And at their current rate, that's an extra $471,888,000 a year we'd be paying in congressional salaries.
Don't forget their pensions and other benefits.
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