Created a C Program
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:04 pm
I've created a C program which automatically apportions the states based on entered criteria. One thing I remember from reading a case about apportionment was a question of how close to one man, one vote would apportionment have to be to meet the requirements of the constitution. This program allows apportionment to a size determined by one of 3 functions.
First, you can simply enter a number of seats and it will assign the seats to fit that number. This is the way our seating currently works and is set to 435 seats.
Second, you can enter a ratio that all states would have to fall below. You can enter something like 30000, and it will apportion out the seats until every state is under the 30000 ratio. Based on our current census this comes to 10529 seats:
Thirdly, you can enter a Max/Min ratio which will keep adding seats until the Max ratio divided by the Min ratio is less than a certain number. Currently, Montana has 999,243 persons for their 1 representative while Rhode Island has 1,052,567 persons covered by 2 representatives. Montana's members have the least representation, while Rhode Island has the most. One citizen in Rhode Island has a value of 1.899 citizens in Montana. Now, it's not possible to reduce this to 1 without expanding the size of the house to the millions, however, you can get quite a bit closer to 1. In order to have a Max/Min of less than 1.6, you would need 759 seats (which actually gives you 1.51), less than 1.4 you would need 841 seats (which actually gives you 1.356), less than 1.2 you would need 1381 seats. It's interesting going by this, because in some cases increasing the seats can actually give you a worse max/min, such as when our 420th seat was added (Rhode Island #2), the max/min ratio went from 1.753 to 1.899. This function stops adding seats as soon as the max/min falls below the stated number.
Also, it has the capability of adding representation to our other territories. Here is how it would change with Puerto Rico and Washington DC being added, but remaining at 435 seats:
If anybody wants me to run a scenario, please let me know. The program is extremely fast. It does about 1000 seats per second, but once it gets past about 13000 seats it has a rounding issue. I could try to fix this, but none of the scenarios I've heard described would exceed this.
First, you can simply enter a number of seats and it will assign the seats to fit that number. This is the way our seating currently works and is set to 435 seats.
Code: Select all
State Seats Population Ratio State Seats Population Ratio
Alabama 7 +0 4779736 682819 Alaska 1 +0 710231 710231
AmerSamoa 0 +0 65628 0 Arizona 9 +0 6392017 710224
Arkansas 4 +0 2915918 728979 California 53 +0 37593222 709306
Colorado 7 +0 5029196 718456 Connecticut 5 +0 3574097 714819
Delaware 1 +0 900877 900877 Florida 27 +0 18801310 696344
Georgia 14 +0 9687653 691975 Guam 0 +0 178430 0
Hawaii 2 +0 1360301 680150 Idaho 2 +0 1567582 783791
Illinois 18 +0 12830632 712812 Indiana 9 +0 6483802 720422
Iowa 4 +0 3046355 761588 Kansas 4 +0 2853118 713279
Kentucky 6 +0 4339367 723227 Louisiana 6 +0 4533372 755562
Maine 2 +0 1328361 664180 Maryland 8 +0 5773552 721694
Massachusetts 9 +0 6547629 727514 Michigan 14 +0 9883640 705974
Minnesota 8 +0 5303925 662990 Mississippi 4 +0 2967297 741824
Missouri 8 +0 5988927 748615 Montana 1 +0 999243 999243
Nebraska 3 +0 1826341 608780 Nevada 4 +0 2700551 675137
NewHampshire 2 +0 1316470 658235 NewJersey 12 +0 8791894 732657
NewMexico 3 +0 2059179 686393 NewYork 27 +0 19378102 717707
No.MarinaIsl 0 +0 88662 0 NorthCarolina 13 +0 9535483 733498
NorthDakota 1 +0 672591 672591 Ohio 16 +0 11536504 721031
Oklahoma 5 +0 3751351 750270 Oregon 5 +0 3831074 766214
Pennsylvania 18 +0 12702379 705687 PuertoRico 0 +0 3725789 0
RhodeIsland 2 +0 1052567 526283 SouthCarolina 7 +0 4625364 660766
SouthDakota 1 +0 814180 814180 Tennessee 9 +0 6346105 705122
Texas 36 +0 25145561 698487 USTerritories 0 +0 442545 0
USVirgin 0 +0 109825 0 Utah 4 +0 2763885 690971
Vermont 1 +0 625741 625741 Virginia 11 +0 8001024 727365
Washington 10 +0 6724540 672454 WashingtonDC 0 +0 601723 0
WestVirginia 3 +0 1852994 617664 Wisconsin 8 +0 5686986 710873
Wyoming 1 +0 600456 600456
Represented Persons = 308532682, Total Seats = 435, US Ratio = 709270
Max is Montana at 999243, Min is RhodeIsland at 526283
Max/Min = 1.899
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State Seats Population Ratio State Seats Population Ratio
Alabama 163 +156 4779736 29323 Alaska 24 +23 710231 29592
AmerSamoa 0 +0 65628 0 Arizona 218 +209 6392017 29321
Arkansas 100 +96 2915918 29159 California 1283 +1230 37593222 29301
Colorado 172 +165 5029196 29239 Connecticut 122 +117 3574097 29295
Delaware 31 +30 900877 29060 Florida 642 +615 18801310 29285
Georgia 331 +317 9687653 29267 Guam 0 +0 178430 0
Hawaii 46 +44 1360301 29571 Idaho 54 +52 1567582 29029
Illinois 438 +420 12830632 29293 Indiana 221 +212 6483802 29338
Iowa 104 +100 3046355 29291 Kansas 97 +93 2853118 29413
Kentucky 148 +142 4339367 29320 Louisiana 155 +149 4533372 29247
Maine 45 +43 1328361 29519 Maryland 197 +189 5773552 29307
Massachusetts 223 +214 6547629 29361 Michigan 337 +323 9883640 29328
Minnesota 181 +173 5303925 29303 Mississippi 101 +97 2967297 29379
Missouri 204 +196 5988927 29357 Montana 34 +33 999243 29389
Nebraska 62 +59 1826341 29457 Nevada 92 +88 2700551 29353
NewHampshire 45 +43 1316470 29254 NewJersey 300 +288 8791894 29306
NewMexico 70 +67 2059179 29416 NewYork 661 +634 19378102 29316
No.MarinaIsl 0 +0 88662 0 NorthCarolina 325 +312 9535483 29339
NorthDakota 23 +22 672591 29243 Ohio 394 +378 11536504 29280
Oklahoma 128 +123 3751351 29307 Oregon 131 +126 3831074 29244
Pennsylvania 434 +416 12702379 29268 PuertoRico 0 +0 3725789 0
RhodeIsland 36 +34 1052567 29237 SouthCarolina 158 +151 4625364 29274
SouthDakota 28 +27 814180 29077 Tennessee 217 +208 6346105 29244
Texas 858 +822 25145561 29307 USTerritories 0 +0 442545 0
USVirgin 0 +0 109825 0 Utah 94 +90 2763885 29403
Vermont 21 +20 625741 29797 Virginia 273 +262 8001024 29307
Washington 230 +220 6724540 29237 WashingtonDC 0 +0 601723 0
WestVirginia 63 +60 1852994 29412 Wisconsin 194 +186 5686986 29314
Wyoming 21 +20 600456 28593
Represented Persons = 308532682, Total Seats = 10529, US Ratio = 29303
Max is Vermont at 29797, Min is Wyoming at 28593
Max/Min = 1.042
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State Seats Population Ratio State Seats Population Ratio
Alabama 21 +14 4779736 227606 Alaska 3 +2 710231 236743
AmerSamoa 0 +0 65628 0 Arizona 29 +20 6392017 220414
Arkansas 13 +9 2915918 224301 California 168 +115 37593222 223769
Colorado 23 +16 5029196 218660 Connecticut 16 +11 3574097 223381
Delaware 4 +3 900877 225219 Florida 84 +57 18801310 223825
Georgia 43 +29 9687653 225294 Guam 0 +0 178430 0
Hawaii 6 +4 1360301 226716 Idaho 7 +5 1567582 223940
Illinois 57 +39 12830632 225098 Indiana 29 +20 6483802 223579
Iowa 14 +10 3046355 217596 Kansas 13 +9 2853118 219470
Kentucky 19 +13 4339367 228387 Louisiana 20 +14 4533372 226668
Maine 6 +4 1328361 221393 Maryland 26 +18 5773552 222059
Massachusetts 29 +20 6547629 225780 Michigan 44 +30 9883640 224628
Minnesota 24 +16 5303925 220996 Mississippi 13 +9 2967297 228253
Missouri 27 +19 5988927 221812 Montana 5 +4 999243 199848
Nebraska 8 +5 1826341 228292 Nevada 12 +8 2700551 225045
NewHampshire 6 +4 1316470 219411 NewJersey 39 +27 8791894 225433
NewMexico 9 +6 2059179 228797 NewYork 87 +60 19378102 222736
No.MarinaIsl 0 +0 88662 0 NorthCarolina 43 +30 9535483 221755
NorthDakota 3 +2 672591 224197 Ohio 52 +36 11536504 221855
Oklahoma 17 +12 3751351 220667 Oregon 17 +12 3831074 225357
Pennsylvania 57 +39 12702379 222848 PuertoRico 0 +0 3725789 0
RhodeIsland 5 +3 1052567 210513 SouthCarolina 21 +14 4625364 220255
SouthDakota 4 +3 814180 203545 Tennessee 28 +19 6346105 226646
Texas 113 +77 25145561 222527 USTerritories 0 +0 442545 0
USVirgin 0 +0 109825 0 Utah 12 +8 2763885 230323
Vermont 3 +2 625741 208580 Virginia 36 +25 8001024 222250
Washington 30 +20 6724540 224151 WashingtonDC 0 +0 601723 0
WestVirginia 8 +5 1852994 231624 Wisconsin 25 +17 5686986 227479
Wyoming 3 +2 600456 200152
Represented Persons = 308532682, Total Seats = 1381, US Ratio = 223412
Max is Alaska at 236743, Min is Montana at 199848
Max/Min = 1.185
Code: Select all
State Seats Population Ratio State Seats Population Ratio
Alabama 7 +0 4779736 682819 Alaska 1 +0 710231 710231
AmerSamoa 0 +0 65628 0 Arizona 9 +0 6392017 710224
Arkansas 4 +0 2915918 728979 California 52 -1 37593222 722946
Colorado 7 +0 5029196 718456 Connecticut 5 +0 3574097 714819
Delaware 1 +0 900877 900877 Florida 26 -1 18801310 723127
Georgia 14 +0 9687653 691975 Guam 0 +0 178430 0
Hawaii 2 +0 1360301 680150 Idaho 2 +0 1567582 783791
Illinois 18 +0 12830632 712812 Indiana 9 +0 6483802 720422
Iowa 4 +0 3046355 761588 Kansas 4 +0 2853118 713279
Kentucky 6 +0 4339367 723227 Louisiana 6 +0 4533372 755562
Maine 2 +0 1328361 664180 Maryland 8 +0 5773552 721694
Massachusetts 9 +0 6547629 727514 Michigan 14 +0 9883640 705974
Minnesota 7 -1 5303925 757703 Mississippi 4 +0 2967297 741824
Missouri 8 +0 5988927 748615 Montana 1 +0 999243 999243
Nebraska 3 +0 1826341 608780 Nevada 4 +0 2700551 675137
NewHampshire 2 +0 1316470 658235 NewJersey 12 +0 8791894 732657
NewMexico 3 +0 2059179 686393 NewYork 27 +0 19378102 717707
No.MarinaIsl 0 +0 88662 0 NorthCarolina 13 +0 9535483 733498
NorthDakota 1 +0 672591 672591 Ohio 16 +0 11536504 721031
Oklahoma 5 +0 3751351 750270 Oregon 5 +0 3831074 766214
Pennsylvania 18 +0 12702379 705687 PuertoRico 5 +5 3725789 745157
RhodeIsland 2 +0 1052567 526283 SouthCarolina 6 -1 4625364 770894
SouthDakota 1 +0 814180 814180 Tennessee 9 +0 6346105 705122
Texas 35 -1 25145561 718444 USTerritories 0 +0 442545 0
USVirgin 0 +0 109825 0 Utah 4 +0 2763885 690971
Vermont 1 +0 625741 625741 Virginia 11 +0 8001024 727365
Washington 9 -1 6724540 747171 WashingtonDC 1 +1 601723 601723
WestVirginia 3 +0 1852994 617664 Wisconsin 8 +0 5686986 710873
Wyoming 1 +0 600456 600456
Represented Persons = 312860194, Total Seats = 435, US Ratio = 719218
Max is Montana at 999243, Min is RhodeIsland at 526283
Max/Min = 1.899