2020 and Counting

The House of Representatives expanded somewhat regularly over the course of American history, reflecting the growth of the American population.  This growth, however, stopped in 1913, when House membership was capped at 435.  At that time, the United States population was approximately 97 million; today, it's just over 328 million.  In other words, if the House of Representatives is truly meant to serve as a sort of microcosm of the country as a whole--to represent, as it were--it should have at least three times as many representatives today as it had 100 years ago.

Sure, the thought of 1200 congressmen is slightly nauseating, especially when three of those congressmen would be Matt Gaetz.

(DIGRESSION: Has he been arrested yet?  Can we please get on that? EOD)

At the same time, we also get three AOC's, so I can live with that.

*****

The 2020 census has come and gone; it's all over but the counting--but since the whole thing is counting, I guess it's really not that all over, after all.

If you returned your census form last year, good for you! You count! If you didn't, fear not! You're in the good company of roughly 33% of your fellow Americans (or, as we've established above, about 110 million people).  This raises the uncomfortable question, If only about 67% of the population responds to the census, how does the Census Bureau know that that other 33% exists? And if the Census Bureau does, in fact, know this, why do we need to fill out census forms at all?

When it came to encouraging residents to complete census forms, states took different approaches. Some states, like California, New York, and Minnesota, began planning early and spent millions of dollars on outreach and marketing.  Oregon distributed ponies. On the other hand, states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona took an approach to the census that could best be described as "Meh."

Perhaps coincidentally--but probably not--these states are all run by Republicans, the governing party that has proclaimed itself hostile to government. I suppose that's their right, but did anyone point out to them that, by thwarting the nasty federal government's efforts to count their citizens, all these states have accomplished is ensuring their own underrepresentation and underfunding?

Kudos to them for owning the Libs.