American Government Chapter 10 Section 2

House of Representatives 435 members Districts are apportioned among states based upon population Each state guaranteed one representative Districts reapportioned after each census Average district size – 610,000 people

Congressional Elections Held first Tuesday after first Monday in November, in even numbered years Off-Year elections – also called mid-term elections – occur in the middle of President’s term Single-member districts vs at-large districts

District boundaries 1842 – All districts must be single member States draw internal district lines Land in district must be contiguous 1872 – must be nearly equal 1901 – “compact territory” stipulation

Gerrymandering Districts drawn to favor the party in office Spreads the opposition thin Concentrates minority party in a few areas, leaving rest of state safe for majority 1964 – Wesberry v Sanders One man, one vote

Qualifications 25 years old 7 years a citizen Reside where you represent