American Consequences - March 2020

meant when they defined the apportionment population. Finally, the nation’s population is currently Just as in 1920, there are conflicting views today about immigration and how much representation states should have in Congress and the Electoral College. appropriate size of membership. On the basis of 2019 data, it seems likely that 10 states will lose a representative. Some political analysts and advocates favor an expansion of Congress, since that would mean that members would represent fewer constituents. If Congress, next year, decided to increase its size to 460, no state would lose any of its current seats. A new Congress will be elected this November and members will meet for the first time on January 3, 2021. One of their first obligations will be reapportionment. Will this go smoothly – or will the controversies of the 1920s once again influence what use Congress makes of census counts? © The Conversation Walter Reynolds Farley is a research scientist at the Population Studies Center, the Dudley Duncan Professor Emeritus of Sociology, and a lecturer at the Ford School. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago. three times as large as in 1911, when Congress decided that 435 was the

method would be used to allocate seats on the basis of the 1930 count. Census 1920 is unique, since it was the only one not used for reapportionment. ECHOES OF THE PAST Is there any chance the census count of 2020 will be dismissed? Just as in 1920, there are conflicting views today about immigration and how much representation states should have in Congress and the Electoral College. In the pending federal suits, plaintiffs contend that the administration’s lack of sufficient planning and funding will substantially undercount Americans, especially minority groups. Should federal judges find in the plaintiffs’ favor, members of Congress may be skeptical about data from Census 2020. What’s more, at present, there are many individuals and several organizations arguing that congressional and Electoral College seats should be allocated according to the count of citizens or the count of voting-age citizens, as opposed to all residents. The state of Alabama has already filed suit contending that Alabama will likely lose a seat to Texas because aliens are included in the count used to apportion seats. If Congress were to apportion seats on the basis of citizens only, the Supreme Court may have to rule about what the framers of the Constitution

American Consequences

65

Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker