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Article I, Section 2

Clause 1

The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

Every two years, members of the House of Representatives are elected. The electors or voters for these elections are the same ones who can vote in the elections for the larger house of their State's legislature.

Clause 2

No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

To be a member of the House of Representatives, one must be at least twenty-five years old, have been a United States Citizen for at least seven years, and reside in the State in which he or she represents.

Clause 3

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall be law direct. The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

Originally, the number of Representatives for each state was to be determined by adding together the total number of free people, temporarily indentured servants, and then adding three-fifths for any others. This was known as the Three-Fifths Compromise. It was rendered obsolete by the 13th Amendment in 1865. The counting of people in each state every ten years is known as the census. The first one was taken in 1790, three years after the first meeting of Congress. As enumerated, there will not be more representatives than one for every thiry-thousand constituents. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 changed this by setting the permanent size of the House at 435 members, each state having at least one Representative. The list of States and numbers of Representatives was meant as a temporary measure until the first census could be taken.

Clause 4

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

If a member of the House were to die or vacate his office before his term is finished, then the executive authority, referring to the governor of the State, must announce a special election to fill the vacancy.

Clause 5

The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

The House of Representatives elects their Speaker, usually a member of the Majority Party. The House has the sole power of impeachment. They are the only ones who can formally accuse a government officer. The Senate may then try the accused according to Article I, Section 3.

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© Copyright 1997 Jonathan Chin & Alan Stern