Final answer:
From 1960 to 2010, California's number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives increased from 30 to 53, reflecting population changes determined by the U.S. Census. The state's number of seats can change every decade as the 435 seats are reapportioned based on population data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of seats California has in the U.S. House of Representatives has fluctuated over time, depending on the population data gathered during the decennial U.S. Census. In 1960, California had 30 representatives in the House. By 2010, this number had increased to 53. These changes reflect population shifts and are part of the process of congressional apportionment, which is the allocation of seats in the House according to the population in each state. While the total number of seats in the House has been fixed at 435 since the Apportionment Act of 1911, the distribution of these seats among states can change every ten years following the census.
As of 2019, California retained a total of 53 congressional districts, highlighting its status as the most populous state in the U.S. This number has been consistent after the 2010 census. The number of representatives a state has in the House can potentially shift with each census due to the migration of people, as districts are created to have roughly equal populations.