CHAPTER 10SECTION 2

The House of Representatives

Bellringer

Objective

Students will:1) Learn the size of the House as well as the

term length and qualifications of members of the House; and

2) Understand gerrymandering.

Question

Who elects members of the House?

Size of the House

435 members;Congress sets the size of the House, not the

Constitution;*The Constitution provides that the seats be

apportioned (distributed) among the states on the basis of their respective populations.*

What does that mean? More populous states receive more House seats.

Terms of Representatives

**Representatives are elected for two-year terms.

There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms any member may server.

It is unconstitutional for states to limit the number of terms their members of Congress may serve.

*Qualification of Representatives*

**Must be:1) 25 years old2) U.S. citizen for at least 7 years; and3) Reside in the represented State

Reapportionment

House seats are reapportioned every ten years, after each census, meaning that the 435 House seats are redistributed among the States to reflect changes in population.

Single-member districts

Single-member districts: voters in each district elect one of the State’s representatives from among a field of candidates running for a seat in that district.

In the past, Congress gave States the option of electing its members by a general ticket system (at-large elections where the whole state votes) or on a single-member district basis.

Congress scrapped the general ticket system in 1842.

Question

Why do you think states set up districts from which to elect representatives?

Redrawing Congressional Districts

Each Congressional district is redrawn every ten years by State legislatures. They are redrawn because population patterns shift.

States engage in gerrymandering, which is the drawing of electoral districts (congressional or otherwise) with the goal of maximizing the number of seats held by the party that controls the State’s legislature.

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering

Congressional districts must have substantially equal populations. Gerrymandering solely on race is unconstitutional.

Supreme Court has stated that nothing in the Constitution prevents a State from redrawing district lines to give advantage to the party in control of the legislature.

Redistricing