Theory
On the Bias of Apportionment Methods
2016 Volume 26 Issue 2 Pages 167-181
Details
2016 Volume 26 Issue 2 Pages 167-181
Abstract. For the first time in the history of apportionment, the United States Supreme Court deliberated upon the constitutionality of the Huntington-Hill method, currently being used. Since around 1980, Balinski and Young have pointed out that Huntington-Hill's method favors small states while Webster's method has no bias in favor of small or large states. However the Court upheld the constitutionality of the Huntington-Hill method. Considering an assertion made by Ernst who was then an official at the U.S. Census Bureau and supported Huntington-Hill's method in the court, it is shown that his assertion partly lacks validity.
