Question

Three nations are assigned seats on a security council based on population, shown below. Use Hamilton's method to apportion the 36 council seats to the nations. How many seats does nation C receive?

Answer 1

To apportion seats using Hamilton's method, we calculate the standard divisor, lower quotas, and remaining seats. Then, we round the lower quotas to determine the final apportionment. In this case, Nation C receives 15 seats.

Step-by-step explanation:

Apportioning seats using Hamilton's method involves a multi-step process. First, we calculate the standard divisor by dividing the total population by the total number of seats. In this case, the total population is the sum of the populations of the three nations. Next, we calculate the lower quotas by dividing the population of each nation by the standard divisor. Then, we allocate the remaining seats to the nations based on the highest remainders. Finally, we determine the final apportionment by rounding the lower quotas to the nearest whole number.

Let's calculate the apportionment for the given scenario:

Nation A: Population = 15 million

Nation B: Population = 20 million

Nation C: Population = 25 million

Total Population: 15 + 20 + 25 = 60 million

Total Seats: 36

Standard Divisor: 60 million / 36 = 1.666 million

Lower Quotas:

Nation A: 15 million / 1.666 million ≈ 9 seats

Nation B: 20 million / 1.666 million ≈ 12 seats

Nation C: 25 million / 1.666 million ≈ 15 seats

Remaining Seats: 36 - (9 + 12 + 15) = 36 - 36 = 0 seats

Since there are no remaining seats, the final apportionment is the same as the lower quotas:

Nation A: 9 seats

Nation B: 12 seats

Nation C: 15 seats

Therefore, Nation C receives 15 seats.