Ch 10 - Congress: House of Representatives

Which level of Congress is closer to the people?

House of Representatives

How many voting members does the U.S. House of Reps have?

435 members

How many voting members are guaranteed per state?

1 member

How long are congressional terms?

2 years

How many congressional districts are there?

435 districts

The national legislature has_ sessions and meets ____ a year.

2, once

True/False - The Houses must agree on adjournment.

True

What’s “pro-rogue” mean?

When Houses can’t agree on adjournment dates, the President decides

How are seats apportioned in the House of Representatives?

By population

Why are seats re-apportioned every 10 years?

The census

List 3 qualifications for members of the House of Representatives

you must be 25 years old, a US citizen for 7 years, and a resident of the state you’re representing 

Can House Reps refuse seating for a new member? If so, how?

Yes, with an election and majority vote

Can House Reps punish a member? If so, how?

Yes, with majority vote

When did the House of Reps first have 435 members?

1910

In what year did Congress NOT use census results? Why?

1920. The census results initiated a decade-long struggle about how people would allocate a state’s seats in Congress.

Which act permanently capped our House of Reps at 435 members?

The Reapportionment Act of 1929

Who determines the number of seats for each state?

The Census Bureau

Once the Census Bureau figures out a number of seats for each state, who has to approve of their plan before it goes into effect?

Congress

How many votes are necessary for a member of the House to be expelled?

2/3rds vote

Who draws congressional district lines?

state legislature

What’s gerrymandering?

When congressional district lines are drawn for the advantage of the political party in power

Where did the term “gerrymandering” come from?

In 1812, Elbridge Gerry approved a redistricting plan which created a bizarrely, salamander-shaped district to give his party an electoral advantage.

Which court case ruled that congressional districts within a state must be roughly equal in population?

Wesberry v Sanders

What principle did Wesberry v Sanders establish”

“one person, one vote” = voters are entitled to equal representation in the U.S. House of Representatives

When do congressional elections occur?

The Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November every even-numbered year

True/False - All 435 representatives are NOT up for re-election every congressional election

True