U.S. House of Representatives

Welcome to the U.S. House of Representatives

Basic Facts of the U.S. House• Constitutional Qualifications for Members1. 25 years old

2. US Citizen for 7 years

3. Resident of the State and District

• No term limits• Entire House is re-elected every 2 years• Number of Representatives is based on the

population of the state• Each state is guaranteed at least 1 Representative• Members may be punished by a majority vote• Members may be expelled by a 2/3 vote

House Reapportionment

Congressional Reapportionment• United States congressional apportionment is the process by

which seats in the United States House of Representatives are redistributed amongst the 50 states following each constitutionally mandated decennial census. (every 10 years)

• Each state is apportioned a number of seats which approximately corresponds to its share of the total population of the 50 states

• Every state is constitutionally guaranteed at least one seat.• Every decade, the House grew in size due to the growth of the

US population (capped today at 435 members)

National Population• 1970 Census: 203,211,926

• 1980 Census: 226,545,805

• 1990 Census: 248,709,873

• 2000 Census: 281,421,906

65

435

Following the census of 1910, the House grew to 435 members. The House had grown too large to function, so following the 1920 census, Congress did not add any new seats, even though the population grew.

141

213

325

The Reapportionment Act of 1929• Facing the same dilemma from 1920, Congress passed the

Reapportionment Act prior to the 1930 census

1. Set the permanent size of the House at 435

2. Following the census, the 435 seats will be reapportioned among the states on a “give and take” basis

3. States that have an increase in population may gain House seats, and those states that have a decrease in population may loose house seats

435 Total

Based on the 2000 Census

435 Total

Based on the 2010 Census

House Reapportionment (2010)

Gained Representatives (8)

• Texas + 4 (36)• Florida + 2 (27)• Georgia + 1 (14)• South Carolina + 1 (7)• Arizona + 1 (9)• Nevada +1 (4)• Utah +1 (4)• Washington +1 (10)

Lost Representatives (10)

• New York – 2 (27)• Ohio – 2 (16)• Louisiana – 1 (6)• Missouri – 1 (8)• Michigan – 1 (14)• Illinois – 1 (18)• Iowa – 1 (4)• Pennsylvania – 1 (18)• New Jersey – 1 (12)• Massachusetts – 1 (9)

12 Seats Reapportioned

Congressional Districts• Each state is divided up into Congressional

Districts, based on how many US Representatives that state has

• Voters in each Congressional District elect their Representative to the US House

• You live in the Congressional District # 10

Redistricting• Congressional District must be equal in population so that

every Representative “represents” the same number of people in the House (one person one vote)

• Redistricting: Re-drawing the Congressional districts every 10 years after the census to account for changes in the population (to make each district about equal in population)

• The state legislature (State Congress) of each state is responsible for re-districting

• Gerrymandering: re-drawing the congressional districts to the advantage of the political party that controls the State’s legislature (Packing/Cracking)

The Gerrymander

Was used for the first time in the Boston

Gazette newspaper on March 26, 1812. The word was created in

reaction to a redrawing of Massachusetts state senate election districts

under the then governor Elbridge

Gerry. In 1812, Governor Gerry signed a bill that redistricted

Massachusetts to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party. When

mapped, one of the contorted districts in the Boston area was said to resemble the

shape of a salamander

http://www.uselections.com/ga/ga.htm

U.S. House Re-election RateOver 90% of Representatives always get re-elected