The US House of Representatives will look a little different next year after a new decennial census. Predominantly Republican states such as Texas and Florida gain seats, while Democratic states such as New York and California lose seats.
The composition of the House of Representatives, which is determined on the basis of the number of inhabitants in each state. For example, Texas now has 36 delegates, that’s going to be 38. A total of 435 seats can be divided. The distribution of seats is recalculated every 10 years after a census has taken place.
At the moment, the Democrats have a small majority in the House of six seats. With the new division, that majority would disappear: Republican states gain three more seats, Democratic states lose three.
Whether the Democrats really lose their majority depends on the elections next November: these mid-terms will elect new House of Representatives.
Unlike the presidential elections, there is no winner takes all system in which the entire state is won by one party. In each state, one member is elected per constituency. That means that a state with a majority of Republicans can also have some Democratic representatives, and vice versa.
The census showed that the U.S. population grew by 7.4 percent to 331 million. That’s the smallest decennial increase since 1930. The growth was greatest in Utah, with an increase of 18 percent. Only in West Virginia did the population shrink by 3.2 percent.
About the author: Christy Olsen
Christy Olsen, a young author who followed in her father's footsteps and took up journalism at school. She often introduces a lot of subjective things into his texts, always tries to state the essence and give a proper assessment.
