American Government Complete Practice Test 2026 – Basic Skills Exam Prep

Population determines representation in the U.S. House. After the decennial census, seats are apportioned among the states based on how many people live in each state relative to the others. Since there are 435 voting members in total, states with larger populations gain more seats and smaller states may lose seats, while every state must have at least one representative. This system ties the number of representatives to how many constituents a state has. Land area, GDP, or tax revenue do not determine representation.