09-19-2008, 05:05 PM
Hi,
The system made sense at the turn of the nineteenth century when communication was slow. As is often the case, the established system remains in force long after the reasons for its establishment no longer apply.
--Pete
Quote:Question; do al the states have a fixed number of members in the house of representatives depending on the number of inhabitants or are they elected on a federal level?The seats in the House are divided among the states proportionately by the population of each state, with the proviso that each state has at least one representative. The federal laws do not, AFAIK, specify how the states with more than one representative determine how to appropriate their representatives. However, again AFAIK, all the state appropriate their representatives by dividing the state in 'congressional districts', each district electing one representative. Thus, for a third party candidate to be elected to congress, he must have the support of the majority of the people in his district. What is amazing is not how few third party (including independent) congressmen there are but that there are any at all.
The system made sense at the turn of the nineteenth century when communication was slow. As is often the case, the established system remains in force long after the reasons for its establishment no longer apply.
--Pete
How big was the aquarium in Noah's ark?