By: Dean Farmer
The recent announcement of new legislative reapportionment due to the 2020 Census will significantly affect the American political landscape. Although the 2020 congressional reapportionment will have a substantial impact, these shifts are historically common in the U.S. Since the 1960 Census, reapportionment of congressional seats has repeatedly altered the political landscape of the United States.
The 1960 Census reapportionment was particularly impactful because of the addition of two new states: Alaska and Hawaii. Meanwhile, California and Florida experienced major population expansions and consequently received seven and four new congressional seats, respectively. This cost many states congressional seats in 1960. New York and Pennsylvania experienced the greatest reductions, each losing three congressional seats in 1960. Other congressional seat losses were dispersed across the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast.
In the 1970 Census reapportionment, congressional gains were concentrated in a few states, while losses in congressional representation were more widely dispersed. California and Florida continued to experience rapid growth, receiving five and three new congressional seats, respectively. Texas, Colorado, and Arizona also received an additional member of Congress. New York and Pennsylvania continued to lose representation at the highest rate, but other losses were widely dispersed across the United States.
Congressional representation shifted westward following the 1980 Census. Texas gained three congressional seats, California gained two, and Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington each gained one. Florida and Tennessee were the only states east of the Mississippi River to gain congressional representation in 1980, although Florida gained more new members of Congress than any other state. Meanwhile, congressional losses were concentrated in the Northeast and the Rust Belt. Congressional losses were especially apparent in New York, which lost five congressional seats.
In the 1990 Census, California, Florida, and Texas continued to experience congressional gains. California received seven congressional seats, Florida four, and Texas three. Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington also each received one new member of Congress. Although 1990 congressional gains were heavily concentrated in three states, congressional seat losses were widely dispersed. The greatest losses occurred in the Rust Belt and Northeast. However, other losses were distributed across the United States.
The 2000 Census saw relatively few shifts in congressional representation. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas received two new congressional seats. California experienced a historically low congressional gain, only receiving one new member of Congress. Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina also gained a congressional seat. The Rust Belt and Northeastern United States continued to experience the greatest losses in congressional representation.
For the first time since becoming a state in 1850, California gained no new members of Congress in the 2010 Census reapportionment. Meanwhile, gains in congressional representation primarily occurred in the Western and Southeastern United States. Texas led the nation in new congressional representation, gaining four new congressional seats. Florida continued its trend of growth, gaining two new members of Congress. Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah also gained a seat. Congressional losses were widely dispersed.
In the 2020 Census, shifts in congressional representation were historically low. Texas was the only state to gain multiple members of Congress, obtaining two congressional seats. Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, and Montana gained one. For the first time ever, California lost a seat in Congress. Otherwise, congressional losses in 2020 were still heavily concentrated in the Rust Belt and Northeast.
Although California lost a congressional seat in the 2020 Census, it has gained 21 members of Congress since 1960, more than any other state. Florida and Texas have also made impressive gains since 1960, receiving 20 and 17 new members of Congress, respectively. New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, lost the most seats from the 1960 to the 2020 Census, losing 18, 13, and 9 seats, respectively. Since 1960, most gains in congressional representation have occurred in the Southwest, the Northwest, and along the coast of the Southeast. Meanwhile, Northeastern, Midwestern, and rust belt states have experienced widespread and sometimes significant losses in congressional members.
While the 2020 Census will significantly affect the make-up of Congress, it represents a relatively small congressional apportionment shift. Only seven seats moved states in 2020, compared to the 11 reapportioned congressional seats in 1970, 12 in 2000 and 2010, 17 in 1980, and 19 in 1960 and 1990. Apportionment changes in 2020 may be a temporary change, or they may represent new long-term demographic trends.