Congressional Representation and Constituents The Case for Increasing the U. S. House of Representatives |
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| Author:
| Frederick, Brian |
| Series title: | Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representation Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-203-86461-6 |
| Publication Date: | Dec 2009 |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis Group
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| Imprint: | Routledge |
| Book Format: | Digital (delivered electronically) |
| List Price: | USD $52.95 |
Book Description:
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The U.S. House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 members for almost a century, and in that time the nation's population has grown by more than 200 percent. With the number of citizens represented by each House member now dramatically larger, is a major consequence of this historical disparity a diminished quality of representation?
Brian Frederick uses empirical data to scrutinize whether representation has been undermined by keeping a ceiling on the number of seats...
More Description
The U.S. House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 members for almost a century, and in that time the nation's population has grown by more than 200 percent. With the number of citizens represented by each House member now dramatically larger, is a major consequence of this historical disparity a diminished quality of representation?
Brian Frederick uses empirical data to scrutinize whether representation has been undermined by keeping a ceiling on the number of seats available in the House. He examines the influence of constituency size on several metrics of representation--including estimating the effects on electoral competition, policy responsiveness, and citizen contact with and approval of their representatives--and argues that now is the time for the House to be increased in order to better represent a rapidly growing country.