1. Chapter 10: Congress Section 2: The House of Representatives

2. The House of Representatives Objectives: * Describe the size and terms of the House of Representatives. * Explain how House seats are reapportioned among the States after each census. * Describe a typical congressional election and congressional district. * Analyze the formal and informal qualifications for serving in the House.

3. The House of Representatives * Every other autumn, all across the country, hundreds of men and women seek election to the House of Representatives. * Most of them try to attract supporters and win votes with banners and posters, yard signs, billboards, flyers, buttons, and other eye-catching campaign material. * Nearly all of them make ‘pitches’ with radio and television spots, newspaper ads, and in cyberspace.

4. The House of Representatives Size and Terms * The exact size of the House of Representatives is 435 members (today). * It is not fixed by the Constitution. * It is set by Congress. * The Constitution provides that the total number of seats in the House of Representatives shall be apportioned (distributed) among the States on the basis of their respective populations.

5. The House of Representatives

6. * Each State is guaranteed at least one seat in the House, no matter what the population. * Today, seven States have only one representative > Alaska> Montana> Vermont > North Dakota> South Dakota > Delaware> Wyoming * The District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Somoa each elect a delegate to represent them in the House and Puerto Rico chooses a resident commissioner.

7. The House of Representatives * Those officials are not full-fledged members of the House. * Constitution – Article I Section 2 Clause 1 provides that Representatives “shall be chose every second year”. * This is a short term for members and the next election is always just around the corner. * This fact tends to make them pay close attention to “the folks back home”.

8. The House of Representatives * There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms any member of Congress may serve. * Many attempts to get an Amendment to limit the terms have been unsuccessful. *Most times it was a three- or four-term limit

9. The House of Representatives

10. Reapportionment * Article I of the Constitution directs Congress to reapportion or redistribute the seats in the House after each decennial census (10 years). * The first Constitution set the size of the House at 65 seats. * As the nation continued to grow, the number of seats in the House grew as well. * With the census of 1920, Congress had grown to 435 seats.

11. The House of Representatives

12. * The House found itself in a difficult position. * The House was too large for effective floor action. * To reapportion without adding more seats to the House, would mean some States would have to lose seats if every State were to be represented according to its population. * Congress did nothing to change the number of seats in the House to reflect the growing population. * So the Constitution required a command by adding more seats, Congress did not do anything about it.

13. The House of Representatives The Reapportionment Act of 1929 * Faced with a 1930 census that would show additional grow in this nation and meaning that Congress had to add more seats, something had to be done. * This act, was a law that still is on the books, sets up what is often called an “automatic reapportionment” *It provides : 1) The “permanent” size of the House is 435

14. The House of Representatives - Today the House represents about 650,000 people. 2) Following such census, the Census Bureau is to determine the number of seats each State should have. 3) When the Bureau’s plan is ready, the President must send it to Congress. 4) If, within 60 days of receiving it, neither house rejects the Census Bureau’s plan, it becomes effective.

15. The House of Representatives * The plan from 1929 has worked quite well. * The law leaves Congress it constitutional responsibility to reapportion the House, but it gives the Census Bureau the mechanical chores that go with that task.

16. The House of Representatives Congressional Elections * According to the Constitution, any person whom a State allows to vote for members of “the most numerous branch” of its own legislature is qualified to vote in congressional elections. * Date > they are held on the same day in every State > the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered years. > Alaska has an exception, they may hold their elections in October, but still use November date

17. The House of Representatives * The use of voting machines to be used in an election occurred in 1899. Today, most elections use voting machines. * The congressional elections that occur in the nonpresidential years – between presidential elections – are called off-year elections. * The most recent one was in 2010. * Usually the party in power loses seats in the off- year elections. * House has 232 Republicans, 200 Democrats, and 3 Independents.

18. The House of Representatives

19. Leaders of the House of Representatives (2013) John Boehner Eric Cant0rNancy Pelosi (Ohio) (Virginia)(California) Speaker of the House Majority LeaderMinority Leader Republican Republican Democrat

20. The House of Representatives Districts * There are 435 Members in the House * There are 435 districts in the United States * Seven States have 1 representative * 428 congressional districts in 43 States * The House uses single-member districts – meaning that only one person is selected to hold that public office for the next two years. * Seven States use at-large system to fill the seat – elected from the State as a whole rather than from a particular district.

21. The House of Representatives Gerrymandering * Congressional district maps in several States one and sometimes several districts of very odd shapes. * Some almost look like letters “S’ or “Y” * That is because those districts have been practicing what is called gerrymandering. * Those districts have been drawn to the advantage of the political party that controls the State’s legislature. In Texas it is the Republicans.

22. The House of Representatives

23. * The goal of gerrymandering is to draw as many “safe” districts as possible. * These districts will most likely always be won by that party that is in control, that drew the boundaries. * Westbury v. Sanders, 1964 > The long standing patterns of wide population variations among House districts and of rural overrepresentation came to an end. > The Court held that the population differences among Georgia’s congressional districts were so great that it violated the Constitution.

24. The House of Representatives * This Court decision gave the cities and suburbs more of a voice in elections. Qualifications for House Members * There are qualifications that a person has to meet to be able to run for a seat in the House. First set> You must be 25 years of age > You must have been a citizen of the U.S. for at least seven years. Second Set > You must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected. > You also must live in the district that you represent. This is a long standing custom.

25. The House of Representatives * The House is the “Judge of the Elections” * They have the right to challenge the ability of a person to take his/her seat in the House chamber. * The House may refuse to seat a member elected by the majority vote. * The House may punish members for disorderly conduct. * The House may expel a member with 2/3 vote

26. The House of Representatives * Only one time has the House refused to seat someone, Brigham H. Roberts of Utah because he was a polygamist. * 1969, Powell v. McCormack, Supreme Court ruled that the House cannot refuse to seat anyone who meets the qualifications to be a representative of the House. *Barney Frank (D.-Mass) last one to be reprimanded for his relationship with a male prostitute. He is an avowed homosexual.

27. The House of Representatives * Speaker of the House – Jim Wright (D - Texas) was forced out after allegations of his relationship with people who had interests in the legislation that was being discussed in the House. * Informal qualifications also apply to members of the House. * Their ability to get votes is one. * Others include… party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience.