Final answer:
Texas currently has 36 congressional districts, determined by population data and subject to change with each census. Redistricting can influence political representation, and across the United States, there are 435 voting representatives in total, plus six non-voting delegates from U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
Step-by-step explanation:
As of 2019, Texas has a total of 36 congressional districts. This is determined by the population data obtained through the census that is conducted every ten years, as seen in the case of states like California, which currently has 53 representatives due to its large population. The number of congressional districts in a state can change in response to population shifts, as demonstrated after the 2000 census when some states gained and others lost representatives.
Each congressional district elects one member to the U.S. House of Representatives, and redrawing the districts' boundaries is known as redistricting. Texas has undergone redistricting in the past, which has led to scenarios such as in Travis County and Austin, where the boundaries have been drawn in a way to distribute voters among different districts, sometimes combining voters from urban areas with those from distant rural areas, a process often referred to as gerrymandering.
Overall, congressional districts are vital for political representation in the House. The current number of voting representatives across the U.S. is fixed at 435, with an additional six non-voting delegates representing U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.