Warm Up List 3 characteristics of the typical member of Congress

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the House and the Senate Materials needed: pen/pencil, notebook

The House of Representatives 435 members The number of seats per state is based on population Each State is guaranteed at least one seat Voters in the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico each have a non-voting member Length of term: 2 years

Formal Qualifications for the House At least 25 years of age, been a citizen for at least 7 years, live in the state they represent It is preferred that a representative also lives in the district they represent The House may refuse to seat a member-elect by majority vote 2/3 of its members can decide to kick out a member

Informal Qualifications for the House Include such considerations as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience Well over 90 percent of those members of the House who seek reelection do so successfully

The Senate 100 members, 2 from each state Term is 6 years long, with no term limits Nearly all of the members of the Senate represent a much larger and more diverse population and a much broader range of interests than do the several representatives Are more focused on the “big picture” of national concerns and get more attention in the media

Qualifications for the Senate At least 30 years of age, been a citizen for at least 9 years, live in the state they represent Informal qualifications: name recognition, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience It may also exclude a member-elect by a majority vote and kick out a member with a 2/3s vote

Recap What are the formal qualifications to serve in the House? What are the informal qualifications to serve in the House? How is the Senate different from the House? Why is this the case?