Modified Divisor Methods
Modified Divisor Methods
Apportionment involves dividing discrete objects among various groups according to some plan. For example, congressional seats are apportioned among the various states based on their populations. In modified divisor methods, the apportionment plan is to find a modified divisor so that, when each state population is divided by and rounded to a whole number, the rounded values add up to the correct number of seats.
d
d
Adjust the value of the modified divisor to get the correct total number of seats. Compare the apportionments from the different methods, paying attention to the effect on large versus small population states.
d