Politics / Social Issues

When I first started becoming interested in politics, I used to hear the term “Congressional District” used by political junkies all the time. I figured it had something to do with the Congress and the territories each member of Congress represents, but I wasn’t for sure. If you have ever asked yourself “What is a Congressional District?” then read on.

A Congressional District is an area that is organized by population and state which is responsible for electing a member of the House of Representatives. There are 435 members of the House in the 114^th Congress, which is the current Congress. The data used to determine Congressional District boundaries comes from the Census Bureau, which conducts a national census every 10 years. Each Congressional District accounts for roughly 700,000 people.

Since Congressional Districts are organized by population, it stands to reason that some states have more representatives than others. The map below breaks down the number of House seats by state.

The following map shows all 435 Congressional Districts as they stand right now in the USA.

There are some cool resources available to the public if you are interested in learning more about what Congressional District you live in and who your Congressmen are. Govtrack.com has a section that helps you search for Senators or House members. Another cool site named Insidegov.com has a feature that allows you to search for your Congressional District by using your zip code.

What is a Congressional District? Now you know. My hope is that the people of this great country will once again realize their power. The general population of Americans becomes very excited for the Presidential Race every 4 years between the Democratic and Republican Nominees, but you can probably influence the things that matter to you most by knowing your local boundaries and who your representatives are. Become aware of those who are trying to run for your District’s seat, and champion the cause of freedom in this great land by participating in these elections, as well.