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CH. 10-2 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

CH. 10-2 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. SIZE AND TERMS. 435 Representatives—set by Congress Each state has at least 1 representative based on population Only 1 representative – AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, WY

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CH. 10-2 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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  1. CH. 10-2 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

  2. SIZE AND TERMS • 435 Representatives—set by Congress • Each state has at least 1 representative based on population • Only 1 representative – AK, DE, MT, ND, SD, VT, WY • DC, Guam, Virgin Islands, American Samoa elect a delegate to represent them in the house (not full members) • Article I, Section 2, Clause 1—”Representatives shall be…chosen every second Year…” • Short term means that representatives need to pay close attention to “the folks back home” • No term limits

  3. REAPPORTIONMENT • Article I directs Congress to REAPPORTION (redistribute) the seats in the house after each DECENNIAL (10 years) census • Original House had 65 members • A GROWING NATION • 1800—146 seats; 1810—186 seats • 1910—AZ & NM added—435 seats • 1920—No reapportionment completed (violated constitution)

  4. THE REAPPORTIONMENT ACT OF 1929 • Set up “automatic reapportionment” • 1) set up “permanent” size of the House at 435 • each seat represents approx. 650,000 • 2) Census Bureau determines plan for number of representatives for each state after census • 3) President sends plan sent to Congress for approval • 4) If plan not rejected by either house within 60 days, it becomes effective

  5. CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS • DATE • Congressional elections are held on the same day in every state • 1872—Election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday • 1872—Written or printed ballots used • 1899—Voting machines approved • OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS • Elections that occur in years without a presidential election • Usually the party in power (party that holds the presidency) loses seats during off-year elections

  6. (chart p. 269—Gains and Losses in Off-year elections) • DISTRICTS • SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT—voters in each district elect 1 person to be the representative for that district • AT-LARGE—all representatives are elected from the state without districts • 1842—At-Large elections were outlawed by Congress • 1872—Districts required to have “as nearly as practicable an equal number of inhabitants” • 1901—All districts needed to be of “compact territory” (small geographic area)

  7. GERRYMANDERING • Districts are drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State’s legislature • Gerrymandering is wide-spread today at all levels of government • Two reasons: • 1) to concentrate the opposition’s voters in one or a few districts, thus leaving other districts comfortably safe • 2) to spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts, limiting the opposition’s ability to win anywhere in the region.

  8. Congressional districts varied widely with regard to population • WESBERRY v. SANDERS (1964) • Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution demanded that the States draw congressional districts of substantially equal populations • “One person, one vote” • Gerrymandering according to race is a violation of the XVth Amendment

  9. QUALIFICATIONS FOR HOUSE MEMBERS • FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS • 1) at least 25 years of age • 2) citizen of the USA for at least 7 years • 3) live in the state you are elected from • Custom says you must live in the district you are representing • The House decides about any challenge to an election • The House can refuse to seat a member by majority vote • The House can “punish its Members for disorderly behavior” by majority vote • The House can expel a member by 2/3 vote

  10. INFORMAL QUALIFICATIONS • Have to do with the candidate’s vote-getting abilities: • 1) Party identification • 2) Name familiarity • 3) Gender • 4) Ethnic characteristics • 5) Political experience • The right combination of these factors can help a candidate win nomination and election. • The “wrong” combination will almost certainly spell defeat • The End

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