The House of Representatives is determined by which process?

• A. Redistricting
• B. Apportionment
• C. Gerrymandering
• D. Reapportionment

Answer: (B)

After the decennial census, the nation determines how many seats in the House each state should have. That distribution is called apportionment. It assigns the 435 total House seats among the states based on population, so a shift in population can change a state's representation. Once apportionment decides state totals, states then redraw their congressional district lines to reflect those population changes inside the state—this is redistricting. Gerrymandering is the tactic of drawing those lines to favor a party, which can happen during redistricting but is not the overall process that determines House membership. Reapportionment is sometimes used to describe the redistribution of seats among states, but the specific step that determines how many representatives a state gets is apportionment.