1. House of Representatives
Chapter 10
Section 2

2. Key Terms Apportion Reapportion Off-Year Election
Single-Member District
At-large
Gerrymander
Incumbent

3. Size and Terms 435 members in the House
Set by Congress, not fixed by Constitution
Each State is guaranteed at least one member
Seven States have just one
Apportioned-distributed amongst the states based on population

4. Voters in D.C., Guam, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa each elect a delegate, not full fledged
Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1 “Provides that “Representatives shall be…chosen every second Year”
The fact they are always running makes them pay more attention to home

5. No term limits
1990 Tried to get an amendment to limit terms (three or four terms)

6. As the nation grew so did Congress
Reapportion-every ten years after the census the seats will be redistributed
As the nation grew so did Congress
seats
seats
No reapportionment after 1920 census

7. Reapportionment Act of 1929
Set up permanent size at 435
Each house member represents 700,000 people
After each census the Census Bureau figures out how many seats each state should have
President sends it to Congress
After 60 days if neither house rejects it it becomes effective

8. Congressional Elections
Held on the same day in every state
Held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Congress holds election in October
1872 turned to written or printed ballots
Voting machines since 1899

9. Off-Year Elections- Congressional elections held in non-presidential years
Party that holds the Presidency usually loses seats
Except for 2002 ( because of 9/11)
2006 suffered major losses
Democrats won because of dissatisfaction with George Bush and war in Iraq.

10. Can elect by general ticket system or a single member basis.
Districts
Chosen by 435 separate congressional districts
428 congressional districts for 43 states
Can elect by general ticket system or a single member basis.
Single member district-voters in each district elect one of the states representatives among a field of candidates running for the seat.

11. At-Large- elected from the state as a whole rather than a particular district
Each voter could vote for each one of the state’s seats in the house
At large elections proved grossly unfair
Congress did away with the at large system 1842

12. 1842 each state legislature responsible for drawing their congressional districts
Must be made up of contiguous territory
Each district have the same number of inhabitants
1901 be of compact territory
Gerrymandering- odd shapes drawn to a political advantage

14. Most gerrymandering takes two forms
To concentrate the oppositions voters in a few districts
To spread the opposition so thinly among several districts limiting opposition’s chances
Goal is to create safe districts
Technology makes it easier then ever
Gerrymandering is why only a few seats in the House are actually at risk

15. No more than 40 members represent districts that can not be qualified safe
Most states carved up as rural vs. urban
Wesberry v Sanders ruled that states must draw congressional districts of substantially equal populations
The courts “one person, one vote” decision had an immediate impact

16. Gerrymandering solely on race violates the 15th Amendment
Gamillion v. Lightfoot So called majority-minority district following the 1990 and again in 2000
Struck down race based districts in several cases

18. Davis v Bandemer 1986
Texas became the first state to redistrict between censuses
Purpose was to increase the Republican seats in U.S. House
2006 Supreme Court held that neither the constitution nor any act of Congress prevents redrawing lines

19. Qualifications for office
Be 25 years of age
Have been a citizen of the Unites States for 7 years
Be an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected
Custom not Constitution requires that representative lives in their district
Custom believes more familiar with problems

20. Constitution makes the House “the judge of Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own members”
House may refuse a member a seat by majority vote.
Punish members for disorderly behavior by majority vote
With concurrence from 2/3’s to expel

21. In 1900 House refused to seat Brigham H. Roberts of Utah (polygamist)
1919 and 1920 House excluded Victor Berger Wisconsin (socialist party)
Berger wrote several article during WW1 denouncing American participation
1919 charged with sedition
Supreme Court reversed decision
Reelected three more times and seated

22. In 200 years only three members have been expelled
Powell v McCormack, 1969
Supreme court held that could not exclude if candidate met constitutional standards
In 200 years only three members have been expelled

23. Informal Qualifications
Varies from state to state
Even district to district
Ability to get out the vote
Party identification
Name familiarity
Gender
Ethnicity

24. Incumbent- the person who currently holds the office
90% of those win House reelection
Fundraising abilities
Each House seat in 2008 topped one million dollars
Right combination spells nomination
Wrong spells defeat