Question 25 of 100 · 2008 civics test
Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.
Accepted answers
- (because of) the state’s population
- (because) they have more people
- (because) some states have more people
Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.
Why this is the answer
Seats in the House are handed out by population, so a state with more people sends more representatives. USCIS accepts three wordings of that idea: because of the state’s population, because they have more people, or because some states have more people. Any of them is fine, and none needs to be said word for word. The rule comes from Article I, which apportions representatives among the states according to their respective numbers and gives every state at least one. Each state is carved into congressional districts, and every district elects one member. The difference between states can be wide. In the example USCIS uses in its study guide, California, the state with the most people, has 52 voting members, while Wyoming, the state with the fewest, has one. The Senate follows the opposite principle, and that contrast is the heart of the question. The founders wanted the people of every state represented fairly, and they got there by using two methods at once. The House gives large states a stronger voice because their populations turn into seats. The Senate gives every state two senators regardless of size, so a state with few people still carries weight in Washington. The Constitution goes out of its way to protect that equality. Article V, the article on amendments, says no state can be deprived of its equal vote in the Senate without its own consent. Federalist No. 62 defended the equal vote as a recognition of the sovereignty that stays with each state. Answers built on land area, how old a state is or how much tax it pays are wrong. The seats follow the number of people who live in a state. Pair the chambers in your mind. The House counts people, the Senate counts states, and this question is about the chamber that counts people.
Sources
- Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test (2008 version) · M-638 (rev. 08/21)
- Civics (History and Government) Questions for the Naturalization Test (2008 version) (rev. 01/19)
- The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription · National Archives
- The Federalist Papers: Full Text · Library of Congress
- One Nation, One People: The USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide · M-1175 (2025)