1. Warm Up
List 3 characteristics of the typical member of Congress

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

3. 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

5. 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

6. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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?