The House of Representatives Chapter 10: Section 2 The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives What are the size and terms of the House of Representatives? How are House seats reapportioned among the States after each census? How can we describe a typical congressional election and congressional district? What are the formal and informal qualifications for serving in the House? The House of Representatives

Size and Terms 435 Members-# is determined by Congress Seats are apportioned (distributed) based on population Two-year terms No term limits Size and Terms

Article 1: Congress reapportions the seats in the House after each decennial census. As the population of the U.S. grew, the number of representatives grew as well. Reapportionment Act of 1929: permanent size at 435, provided for automatic reapportionment Reapportionment

Current Apportionment

Congressional Elections Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. Off-year elections are those congressional elections held between presidential elections. Congressional Elections

Districts and Gerrymandering Single-member district: voters in each district elect one of the State’s representatives Gerrymandering: act of drawing congressional districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State legislature. Unusual shaped-voting districts Districts and Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering

Qualifications for House Members Must be 25 years old Must have been U.S. citizen for 7 years Must have been inhabitant of state from which he or she is elected What are informal qualifications? Qualifications for House Members