INTRODUCTION TO

APPORTIONMENT
Apportionment is a
method of dividing a whole
into various parts.
 This mathematical analysis
has its root in the U.S.
Constitution specifically in
1790 when the House of
Representatives attempted to
apportion themselves.
The two competing plans in
1970 were put forward by
Alexander Hamilton and
Thomas Jefferson.
 Andromeda
Country: ANDROMEDA State Population
Population: 20, 000
Apus 11,123
Number of States: 5 (Apus, Libra,
Draco, Cephus, & Orion) Libra 879

*Andromeda’s constitution calls Draco 3518

for 25 representatives to be
chosen from these states. The Cephus 1563
number of representatives is to Orion 2917
be apportioned according to the
states’ respective populations. Total: 20,000
 Click icon to add picture

THE HAMILTON PLAN

by: Alexander Hamilton
 THE HAMILTON PLAN
The total of the country (20, oo0) is divided by the number of
representatives (25). This gives the number of citizens represented by each
representative. This number is called the standard divisor.

Standard Divisor

For Andromeda, we have:

 THE HAMILTON PLAN
Next, divide the population of each state by the
standard divisor and round the quotient down to a whole
number. Each whole number quotient is called a
standard quota.
Standard Quota
The standard quota is the whole number part of the
quotient of a population divided by the standard divisor.
 THE HAMILTON PLAN
Andromeda
State Population Quotient Standard quota

Apus 11,123 13

Libra 879 1

Draco 3518 4

Cephus 1563 1

Orion 2917 3

Total: 22
 THE HAMILTON PLAN
Andromeda
State Population Quotient Standard Number of
quota representatives

Apus 11,123 13 14

Libra 879 1 1

Draco 3518 4 4

Cephus 1563 1 2

Orion 2917 3 4

Total: 22 25
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THE JEFFERSON PLAN

by: Thomas Jefferson
 THE JEFFERSON PLAN

As we saw in Hamilton Plan, dividing by the standard

divisor and then rounding down does not always yield the
correct number of representatives. The Jefferson plan
attempts to overcome this difficulty by using a modified
standard divisor. This number is chosen, by trial and error,
so that the sum of the standard quotas is equal to the total
number of representatives.
 THE JEFFERSON PLAN
Andromeda
State Population Quotient Standard quota

Apus 11,123 15

Libra 879 1

Draco 3518 4

Cephus 1563 2

Orion 2917 3

Total: 25
Andromeda
State Population Standard Hamilton Jefferson
Quota plan plan
Apus 11,123 13 14 15

Libra 879 1 1 1

Draco 3518 4 4 4

Cephus 1563 1 2 2

Orion 2917 3 4 3

Total: 22 Total: 25 Total: 25

 FAINESS IN APPORTIONMENT
1. QUOTA RULE
The number of representatives apportioned to a state is the standard
quota or one more than the standard quota.
Example:

The standard quota of Apus is 13. However, the Jefferson plan

assigns 15 representatives to that state, two more than its standard
quota. Therefore, the Jefferson method violates the quota rule.
 FAINESS IN APPORTIONMENT

2. AVERAGE CONSTITUENCY
This is the population of a state divided by the number of
representatives from the state and then rounded to the nearest
whole number

𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦=
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡h𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒
 FAINESS IN APPORTIONMENT
Consider the two states Hampton and Shasta in the table below.

Average
State Population Representatives constituency

Hampton 16,600

Shasta 8340

Because the average constituencies are approximately equal, it

seems natural to say that both states are equally represented.