Essay on Representatives

Submitted By Miami30
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Reasons for Amending the Constitution
The mode of representation in the American system of governance is based on state boundaries and apportionment of the representatives is limited to a total number of 435 representatives where each state is guaranteed of at least one representative (Miler, 2010). The system of apportionment, which is based on population, was meant to bring about equal representation of the citizens in the House of Representatives. The small states are overrepresented in the House of Representatives while those that are big tending to be underrepresented (Frederick, 2009). The House of Representatives currently can represent to 700,000 people per Representative. If the House decides to add more Representatives there will be more expenditure such as can compromise a significant fraction of the Federal Budget, Resources could be held constant; cost divided by 1,000 instead of 435, the value of each vote would fall. Increasing the House of Representative can effect allowing Electoral College vote conform better to the population? States such as Texas or California the big states gain many more seats and votes to the population while some states that are well below the average such as Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska may gain just one or possibly none. This will lessen the electoral skew created by the EC vote being equal to the sum of Senators and Representatives because the ratio of representatives to Senators will be so much greater. Adding more Representatives to the house could only produce more backbenchers, people who have no particular responsibilities but a good forum to make noise.

Description of the Legislative Authority in Congress
The authority of the Legislative branch involves the power on the constitution to pass, amend and revoke laws. The people that are granted the responsibility and have power to amend or make the laws are officials that have been elected. Congress has a set of powers that include the ability to control creation of currency, declare war against other nations, regulate internal and external trade, organize and maintain the military and impose and attain taxes. The powers given to Congress can be separated in three specified areas, such as the enumerated, implied, and inherited powers. The powers specifically given to Congress may be referred as enumerated such as declaring war on a foreign country. As far as general authorities, the Congress assumes it, otherwise known as implied power. The congress has the right to assign a post office but as far as to when, where and how, are assumed by the Congress. In other words it is not specified how to build a post office, the Congress fills in the gaps and determines how it will be build and how will it function over all. Congress must run its course and in order to do so smoothly, they are granted the enlisted power to run foreign affairs.
Should the Constitution be amended to regulate the proportion of representatives so that each would represent no more than 50,000 citizens?
The proposed amendment to the constitution would improve the representation of the American people in the House of Representatives in a very big way. The Equal Protection clause in the U.S constitution requires that the House of Representatives apportionment scheme be based on population to ensure that the right of every citizen to equal representation and to have their votes weighed equally with those of all other citizens is enforced. (Anzalone, 2002) Limiting the maximum number of citizens a representative can represent can highly increase the effectiveness if equal and active representation. The individual citizen’s ability to exercise an effective voice is the only instrument of state government that exemplifies direct representation (Anzalone, 2002)

The founding fathers of the United States of America intended that the population of each congressional district should not exceed 50,000 to uphold the spirit of equal representation. Today, the
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