The People's Perspective on the Size of the People's House
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6103012 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brian Frederick (0000-0003-0653-5957, Bridgewater State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2008 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 329-335 |
| Publication date | 2008-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1049096508080517 |
| OpenAlex | W2105949187 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 31 |
The quality of representation the citizenry receives from its political leaders is central to evaluating the character of any democratic institution. Moreover, the number of elected members that comprise an institution can be vital in determining whether citizens have access to and can influence the decisions of their representatives (Dahl and Tufte 1973). The United States House of Representatives has been frozen at 435 members for almost a century. This durability of this alignment is astonishing; in its first century of existence, the U.S. House experienced a virtually uninterrupted string of decennial increases in its membership. Despite the magnitude of the effects of this stasis on representation, political scientists have not extensively examined this subject (Squire and Hamm 2005). While the House has remained constant in size for nearly 100 years, the nation's population has grown by more than 200% over this duration. Members of the House on average represent more than 600,000 citizens; a figure that increases with population growth as long as the size of the body remains constant. This development has sparked a debate among some observers about whether it is time to increase the size of the House of Representatives
Art · Democracy · House of Representatives · Institution · Political science · Politics · Population · Sociology · Squire · Visual arts · Demography · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Gender Politics and Representation · History · Law · Mathematics · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies
What Americans know about politics and why it matters
A Woman's Place Is in the House
Issue Evolution
The Calculus of Consent
Size and Democracy
Congress as Public Enemy
Nelson W. Polsby. 1968. “The Institutionalization of the U.S. House of Representatives.” American Political Science Review 62 (March)
The Politics of Presence
Women, War, and Winning Elections
Women, War, and Winning Elections
Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation
Principles of Legislative Organization and Administration
Apportionment, Politics, & Political Science
Beyond Administrative Apportionment
Ideological Realignment in the U.S. Electorate
Issue Evolution Reconsidered
"Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent "Yes
Representation in Congress
Why 435? A Question of Political Arithmetic
The Effects of Political Representation on the Electoral Advantages of House Incumbents
Spirals of Trust? The Effect of Descriptive Representation on the Relationship between Citizens and Their Government
Minority Politics Courses
Outcomes of Presidential Elections and the House Size
Moral Issues and Voter Decision Making in the 2004 Presidential Election
Making the House More Representative
Representation and Governance
The Politics of Size
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,27 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |