Congress
Bicameralism
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Congress divided into to houses
Why?
1.
British Parliament had two houses
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2.
Two-chambered body had to be created because of
New Jersey and Virginia
3.
Framers wanted checks and balances
Terms of Congress
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Each term last for two years
Sessions of Congress
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There are two sessions to each term
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One each year
Typically each session lasts most of the year
Special Sessions
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Only the President may call a special session
Called to discuss matters of utmost importance
The House of Representatives
Size
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435 members
The Constitution provides that the total
numbers of seats shall be apportioned among
states based on population
Each state is guaranteed one
Wash. D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands, American
Samoa have delegates
Puerto Rico is not a member of the House
Terms
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Two years for each representative
Reapportionment
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Redistribute the seats in the House every ten years
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The Reapportionment Act of 1929
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First House was 65 members
Permanent size of the House is 435
Census Bureau determines number of seats per state
President must approve
Congress has 60 days to approve
Each seat equals 575,000 people
Qualifications
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Must be 25
Citizen for 7 years
Must live in the state your running
Live in your district (not constitutional law)