Apportionment Act of 1911

This and subsequent apportionment acts froze the size of the House of Representatives at 435 members.

By 1911, the average House District already exceeded 200,000 population, far in excess of the maximum size prescribed in the 1789 Congress for Article the First.

Thus the general public had pretty much lost control over the selection of candidates or their allegiance.

Freezing the size of the House of Representatives at 435 members, served at least two major purposes for the power brokers:

1) It is much easier to obtain a majority in a group of 435 members that one that grew larger, the fewer the better.

2) It meant that as the population of the United States grew, the population size of a House District would grow proportionately, making it increasingly difficult for the people to know or vet the candidates, and due to the cost of campaigns to such a growing audience, big money and special interests were more able to control the outcome.