About this episode
This episode explores the forgotten apportionment amendment to the Constitution and its implications on representation in Congress.
The first proposed amendment to the Constitution was not about speech, religion, or guns. It was about the size of the House of Representatives—and if it had passed, Congress today might have nearly 7,000 members, not 435. In this episode, we explore the forgotten apportionment amendment, why it failed, what James Madison feared, and how America’s lower chamber gradually drifted away from the people it was supposed to represent.
People in this episode
Host: Dan
Topics covered
- Constitution
- apportionment
- politics
- representation
- history
Keywords
- Constitution
- apportionment amendment
- James Madison
- House of Representatives
- Congress
- representation
- politics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: House of Representatives, Congress, America
Books & works: The Forgotten Amendment
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