The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of two bodies of the United States Congress (the other being the Senate), and is the larger of the two branches in terms of membership. The precise membership size of the House is not controlled by the Constitution, but by Congress itself. As of today, there are currently 435 House members. After the body size is determined by Congress, the seats are reapportioned according to state populations, but each state is guaranteed at least one seat in the House (in fact, seven states only have one seat each).

The House of Representatives is generally considered to be the junior branch of Congress, as politicians tend to use it as a "stepping stone" for other positions since House members are only elected for two-year terms, and the term number is unlimited.

In order to be eligible to run for the House, candidates must meet certain qualifications as outlined in the Constitution. Candidates must be at least 25 years old at the time they take office, have been a United States citizen for seven years, and they must reside in the state they're chosen to represent. By tradition, the Congressman should also reside in the same district that they're elected to.

An ironic aspectof the qualification process, is that the current House is able to determine the eligibility of a candidate. As such, the House is able to raise its standards for candidates, and members retain the right to expel their colleagues for disorderly conduct (among other reasons).

The Reapportionment Act of 1929 allows for the automatic reapportionment of House seats. There are four major provisions expressed within the legislation: the permanent size (until Congress changes it) of the House is 435 members; the Census shall determine the number of seats a state is entitled to; the President must approve the reapportionment plan and send it to Congress for approval; if Congress doesn't reject the Census Bureau's recommendations in 60 days, it becomes effective. While this act is likely going to evolve in the future as the U.S. population increases, currently it is still in effect.

The congressional election process is standard from year-to-year, as elections are held on the same day in each and every state, this is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. There is only one exception to this rule, which is Alaska, and this is because of the extreme weather. They are permitted to hold their elections in October, if they wish to do so.

As the election and campaigning process have evolved, so have the traditions, stipulations, and tactics associated with it. Candidates have learned to utilize certain techniques (i.e. gerrymandering), in order to give themselves a distinct advantage in elections. This has led, and will likely continue to lead, to more rigidly defined campaign laws.