▁were ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Union , ▁it ▁has ▁remained . ▁▁ ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁reached ▁approximately ▁ 3 0 8 . 7 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁according ▁to ▁that ▁year ' s ▁nation wide ▁census . ▁Con sequently , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁represent atives ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁would ▁have ▁grown ▁to ▁around ▁ 6 , 5 6 3 ▁under ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁this ▁am end ment . ▁ ▁Text ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁" ide al " ▁number ▁of ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁content ious ▁issue ▁since ▁the ▁country ' s ▁found ing . ▁Initial ly , ▁deleg ates ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁Constitution al ▁Convention ▁set ▁the ▁representation ▁ratio ▁at ▁one ▁representative ▁for ▁every ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁Upon ▁the ▁suggestion ▁of ▁George ▁Washington , ▁the ▁ratio ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁one ▁representative ▁for ▁every ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁time ▁Washington ▁vo iced ▁an ▁opinion ▁on ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁actual ▁issues ▁deb ated ▁during ▁the ▁convention . ▁ ▁In ▁Federal ist ▁No . ▁ 5 5 , ▁James ▁Mad ison ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁has ▁to ▁balance ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁the ▁body ▁to ▁legisl ate ▁with ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁legisl ators ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁relationship ▁close ▁enough ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁to ▁understand ▁their ▁local ▁circumstances , ▁that ▁such ▁represent atives ' ▁social ▁class ▁be ▁low ▁enough ▁to ▁sympath ize ▁with ▁the