2008 civics test · Question 21 · System of Government
The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
Official answer
- four hundred thirty-five (435)
What this means
The House of Representatives has 435 voting members.
Unlike the Senate, House seats are divided by population. States with more people get more representatives. California has more than 50; several small states have just one. The seats are redistributed every ten years after the national census.
The number 435 has been fixed by law since 1929. Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories send delegates to the House, but those delegates cannot vote on final passage of bills, which is why the question specifies voting members.
Answer: four hundred thirty-five (435).
Why this is on the test
The contrast with the Senate's 100 is the heart of how Congress is designed, and it explains why some states send many representatives and others send only one.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from System of Government.
- 13 Name one branch or part of the government. ★ 65/20 question
- 14 What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
- 15 Who is in charge of the executive branch?
- 16 Who makes federal laws?
- 17 What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? ★ 65/20 question
- 18 How many U.S. Senators are there?