<P> The composition and powers of the House are established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of Representatives who sit in congressional districts that are allocated to each of the 50 states on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census , with each district entitled to one representative . Since its inception in 1789 , all Representatives have been directly elected . The total number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435 . As of the 2010 Census , the largest delegation is that of California , with fifty - three representatives . Seven states have the smallest delegation possible , a single representative : Alaska , Delaware , Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Vermont , and Wyoming . </P>
<P> The composition and powers of the House are established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of Representatives who sit in congressional districts that are allocated to each of the 50 states on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census , with each district entitled to one representative . Since its inception in 1789 , all Representatives have been directly elected . The total number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435 . As of the 2010 Census , the largest delegation is that of California , with fifty - three representatives . Seven states have the smallest delegation possible , a single representative : Alaska , Delaware , Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Vermont , and Wyoming . </P>
lower house of congress in which states are represented based on what
lower house of congress in which states are represented based on what
population as measured by the U.S. Census , with each district entitled to one representative
population as measured by the U.S. Census , with each district entitled to one representative