Which house of Congress bases membership on state population?

• A. Senate
• B. House of Representatives
• C. Parliament
• D. Council

Answer: (B)

This question tests how representation in Congress is allocated: one chamber is population-based while the other is not. The House of Representatives is the chamber whose membership is tied to the number of people living in each state. After every decennial census, seats in the House are apportioned among the states in roughly proportion to population, and districts within states are drawn so each district has about the same number of residents. This means bigger states get more representatives, while smaller states get fewer. The Senate differs: it gives every state two senators regardless of population. Parliament and Council aren’t part of the U.S. Congress. So the body that bases membership on state population is the House of Representatives.