House of Representatives

The House of Representatives

Congress Fact Sheet
435 members
Set by Congress, not the Constitution.
Each state is guaranteed at least one state in the House, no matter the population.
Alaska
Delaware
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Vermont
Wyoming

Qualifications for House Members
Individually and silently, examine the qualifications for House Members on p. 272 of your textbook.
Take 5 minutes to write down the formal and informal qualifications in your notes, and be prepared to share with the class.

Reapportionment
Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to reapportion (redistribute) the seats in the House after each census.
http://2010.census.gov/mediacenter/history/ar1-sec2.php
Reapportionment Act of 1929 (p.268)
“permanent” size of the House is 435
Following each census, the Census Bureau is to determine the number of seats each State should have
When Bureau’s plan is ready, the President must sent it to Congress
If, within 60 days of receiving it, neither house rejects the plan, it becomes effective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjPtkIt_f3A

Congressional Elections
Date
Held on the same date in each State
Since 1872, Congress has required those elections be on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year.
Off-year elections
Elections that are held between presidential elections
Also called…???
Districts
With a partner, look on p. 270 of your textbooks and explain:
Single-member district
At-large

Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
When districts are drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the Senate’s legislature.
Drawn to:
Concentrate the opposition’s voters in one or a few districts, thus leaving the other districts comfortable safe for the dominant party
OR to spread the opposition as thinly as possible among several districts, limiting the opposition’s ability to win anywhere in the region
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucm9ehYe4NM

http://mrosman.com	639
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	4
http://cache.baidu.com	1

House of Representatives

by David Osman on Mar 22, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

3 Embeds 644

Statistics

House of Representatives — Presentation Transcript