Strategy 1 Achieve Equality of Voice and Representation
Enlarge the House of Representatives

Recommendation 1.1
Substantially enlarge the House of Representatives through federal legislation to make it and the Electoral College more representative of the nation’s population.

Sources: Population Data – U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Census Apportionment Data, Table B; 2000/2010 Census Apportionment Data, Table 1; 2014 National Population Projections, Table 1
The total number of House seats expanded gradually for decades. In 1929, Congress capped the size of the House at 435 seats. Since then, the nation’s population has grown by around 170 percent, and the number of constituents represented by each congressperson has expanded significantly.

This growth has a variety of consequences. One study found that elected officials with more constituents are less responsive to voters, more beholden to special interests, and more likely to support legislation opposed by their constituents. Additionally, because of the large variance between the population size of different districts, some voters wield disproportionate power in electing representatives and the president.
In order to implement Recommendation 1.1 by 2026, the Commission proposes the following milestones to complete by year-end of:
2020
- Establish a working group to foster debate and build consensus around a number or methodology for enlarging the House (e.g. determine a formula and the justification)
2021
- Establish hearings in the House and Senate on the issue of enlarging the House
2022
- Establish bipartisan support for a formula/number by which to increase the size of the House
2024
- Introduce legislation in House and Senate with bipartisan sponsorship
2026
- Hold vote that achieves bipartisan support on legislation to expand House in House and/or Senate