Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?

Question 35 of 128 · System of Government · also on the 2008 test (question 25)

Accepted answers

(Because of) the state's population
(Because) they have more people
(Because) some states have more people

Explanation

States with more people get more Representatives in the House. A census counts the population every 10 years to decide how many Representatives each state gets. The Senate is different because every state gets exactly 2 Senators.

On the 2008 test

On the 2008 test this question was asked as:

Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?

Source: USCIS 2025 Civics Test — 128 Questions and Answers (PDF).

Last verified against USCIS on 2026-08-25.