I doesn't make sense to reduce the number of federal offices when the game's population is the largest it has ever been. The size of the game is considerably larger than it was when the current system was introduced, so adding seats isn't unfathomable, and taking them away most definitely is. And I have yet to see any instance of reducing seats increasing activity.
The nominal population is higher than ever, yes, but how many citizens are actively involved?
It's certainly a low proportion; the number of people meaningfully engaged hasn't changed measurably.
