Overview
MGF 1131 Mathematics in Context
Apportionment Project
In this project we will apportion the number of house representatives each state would receive by using Hamilton’s method of apportionment. Recall there are 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
Research:
Find the population of each state in the union from the 2020 census (territories do not receive voting members, therefore their population will not be included). Find the current number of house members each state currently has.
Calculations:
Use the population data you find to calculate the number of house members each state would receive by this method. Compare your results to the actual counts (keep in mind, Hamilton’s method is not currently use, so your solutions should differ).
Hamilton’s Method:
There are five steps we follow when applying Hamilton’s Method of apportionment:
- Find the standard divisor.
- Find each state’s standard quota.
- Give each state the state’s lower quota (with each state receiving at least 1 seat).
- Give each remaining seat one at a time to the states with the largest fractional parts of their standard quotas until no seats remain.
- Check the solution by confirming that the sum of the modified quotas equals the house size.
Hint: I recommend using a spreadsheet to help with your calculations. Upload you completed project in the drop box.