The U.S. House of Representatives is broken. Decades of gerrymandering, hyper-partisanship, and an outdated electoral system have left us with a Congress that does not truly represent the people. A minority of voters can secure a majority of seats, ensuring that obstruction and gridlock remain the norm. Compromise, once a cornerstone of American governance, has all but disappeared. Our winner-take-all system creates a distorted democracy where millions of voices go unheard, fueling frustration and disengagement among voters. It’s time to fix this by adopting proportional representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Problems with Our Current System
The first-past-the-post system we use in House elections rewards parties that can carve out districts in their favor, not those that best reflect the national will. This leads to:
- Unrepresentative Outcomes: In many elections, one party can win a majority of seats without winning a majority of votes. This allows one faction to dictate policy, even if it lacks broad public support.
- Lack of Competition: Gerrymandered districts create “safe” seats, making it nearly impossible for challengers to unseat incumbents. This locks in partisanship and decreases accountability.
- Extreme Partisanship: Since most seats are predetermined for one party, politicians cater to their base rather than the general electorate. This discourages compromise and rewards ideological purity.
How Proportional Representation Can Fix Congress
Proportional representation (PR) ensures that parties win seats in proportion to their share of the vote. If a party gets 40% of the national vote, they should get about 40% of the seats. This system encourages coalition-building, amplifies voter voices, and leads to policies that reflect a broader consensus.
Under PR, multiple representatives would be elected from larger, multi-member districts, ensuring more ideological diversity and less wasted votes. This means:
- More Competition: No more “safe” seats—every vote would matter.
- More Representation: A wider range of viewpoints in Congress, reducing extremism.
- More Accountability: Politicians would need to appeal to a broader audience, leading to greater responsiveness to voter concerns.
Increase the Number of Representatives
Another fundamental flaw in the House is its size. The number of representatives has been locked at 435 since 1911, despite the U.S. population more than tripling since then. Today, each representative serves about 760,000 people, making it nearly impossible for them to adequately engage with their constituents.
Expanding the House to better reflect population growth—potentially doubling its size—would bring the U.S. in line with other democracies. This would make representation more local, improve accessibility, and ensure that each citizen’s vote carries more weight.
A More Democratic Future
Proportional representation, combined with a larger House, would reinvigorate American democracy. It would ensure that every voter has a voice, reduce polarization, and restore faith in our political system. The current system is failing us, but we have the tools to fix it. It’s time to act and build a Congress that truly represents the people.
