Alabama Constitution Section 197 Ratio of senators to representatives
Alabama Constitution – Section 197: Ratio of Senators to Representatives
🔹 Short Heading:
Fixed Ratio Between Senators and Representatives
📘 Summary:
Section 197 of the Alabama Constitution establishes a numerical relationship between the number of senators and representatives in the state legislature.
🔍 Explanation in Simple Terms:
For every three members in the House of Representatives, there should be one member in the Senate.
This creates a 3:1 ratio between representatives and senators.
⚖️ Why This Matters:
Balanced Representation:
Ensures that the Senate remains a smaller, more deliberative body compared to the larger House, which more directly represents the population.
Fixed Legislative Size Relationship:
This ratio helps determine how many senators Alabama will have as the number of representatives changes based on population.
📌 Example:
If Alabama has 105 representatives, then:
The Senate should have 105 ÷ 3 = 35 senators.
(This is exactly how Alabama's legislature is structured today — 105 representatives and 35 senators.)
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