How many representatives are there in the House?

• A. 400 representatives
• B. 435 representatives
• C. 450 representatives
• D. 500 representatives

Answer: (B)

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 voting members. This number has been established since the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, which set the size of the House at 435 and outlined the procedure for distributing those representatives among the states based on population data collected through the decennial census.

The apportionment ensures that each state has a proportional representation relative to its population, with the total number of seats fixed at 435. As populations in some states increase and in others decrease, the distribution of these seats can change after each census, but the total remains constant. This structure is a fundamental part of the legislative process in Congress, allowing for a balance of representation from various regions and populations across the country.

The other options suggest numbers of representatives that do not reflect the actual established size of the House, further reinforcing the importance of the correct figure of 435 in understanding the composition and functionality of the U.S. legislative body.