The guide for apportionment found in the United States Constitution has been debated ever since its creation. While each state is allowed two senators in the Senate, representation in the House of Representatives is based solely upon state population, with each state being allowed a minimum of one representative. While this seems to be a relatively fair system to follow, examination of the current state of the House of Representatives would prove otherwise. Though each state is allowed their minimum of one representative, many states (albeit with much larger populations) dramatically exceed this minimum. California, for example, currently has 53 representatives in the House and Texas has 36. Many other states, however, still only have one representative, such as South Dakota, Vermont, Alaska, and many others. Furthermore, there are millions of U.S. citizens with no representation at all, these being citizens in The District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rice, and other territories. While this is the way that the writers of constitution intended it to be, with state representation being based upon state population, this guideline does not appear to be adequate for today’s state populations. I feel that one way to make Congressional apportionment in the House of Representatives a bit more fair is to alter the guidelines for apportionment. First, I believe that the minimum number of representative for a state should be increased. For example, instead of a minimum of one representative, a minimum of five should be set. Secondly, I believe that the maximum number of representatives allowed for a state should be capped. California has a staggering 53 representatives; that’s almost 1/8 of the total House population. While California does have a higher population, I don’t believe representation should be allowed to reach such heights. Lastly, I believe that all U.S. citizens and all U.S. territories should be allowed representation in the House. As American citizens, their desires and beliefs deserved to be accounted for and represented also. There is no guarantee that these changes will make the system of Congressional apportionment that fairest that it could be, I believe that the changes that I have outlined would be a step in the right direction.

Who has dual citizenship and a passion for theatre and the arts? You guessed it, my peer mentor, Julia Grant. Julia is a third-year Finance major at The Ohio State University. Julia grew up in Westerville, Ohio, but she also has citizenship in Canada. She loved Westerville for its family oriented atmosphere and the great experience she had growing up there. Her decision to attend The Ohio State University was greatly influenced by Westerville’s close proximity to the university. However, before choosing OSU, Julia also considered a couple Canadien universities. Julia was initially drawn to business due to its versatility and practicality. In the next few years, Julia hopes to live in a large city such as New York or Chicago where she can put her finance skills to the test. In addition to finance, Julia also holds interests in choir, the arts, and theatre. Julia thanks the Politics, Society, and Law program for the many experiences and opportunities it as provided in the realms of politics, law, and social and international affairs.