Two years
How long does a term of Congress last?
Two
How many sessions is a Congressional term divided into?
435
How many House members are there?
Population
How are House seats apportioned?
Twenty-five
How old must a representative be?
seven years
How long does a representative have to be an American citizen for before being elected?
Every Two years
How often must all representatives run for reelection?
Special Election
What does a state have if a representative resigns or dies in the first session?
Census
Population Count
Ten years
How often does the Census Bureau take a national census?
Reapportionment
The new number of representatives to which each state is entitled is determined by the its population
1929
When did Congress limit the number of representatives in the House?
Redistricting
The process of setting up new district lines after reapportionment has been completed
Baker v. Carr
Court held that federal courts decide conflicts over drawing district boundaries
Wesberry v. Sanders
Court ruled that the Constitution clearly intended that a vote in one congressional district was to be worth as much as a vote in another district, "one person, one vote
Gerrymandering
A political party controlling the state government draws a district's boundaries to gain an advantage in elections.
Packing
Drawing lines so they include as many of the opposing party's voters as possible making the remaining districts safe for the majority party's candidates
Cracking
Dividing an opponent's voters into other districts to weaken the opponent's voter base.
Two
How many Senators does each state have?
Thirty
How old must a Senator be before being elected?
Nine years
How long must a senator be a US citizen before being elected?
At-large
statewide
Senators
Who is selected at-large in each state?
Six years
How long is a Senators term?
Governor
If a senator dies or resigns before the end of the term, Who may the state legislature authorize to appoint a new senator?
Salaries
Unlike most jobs, The Senate and House set their own what?
Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Prohibits a sitting Congress from giving itself a pay raise, the pay raise takes effect after an intervening election.
Franking Privilege
Senate and House receive free stationary and
postage for official business
Floor
Where can Congress not be sued for what they say?
Exclusion
Each house may refuse to seat an elected members for disorderly behavior by a majority vote and expel a legislature by a 2/3 vote.
Censure
Vote of formal disapproval of a member's actions.
Lawyers
Nearly have the Members of Congress also have what job?
Incumbents
Members already in office
Reelection
Most incumbents have what result in the next elections?
Incumbents
Who gets reelected because they could be gerrymandering in their favor, its easier to raise campaign funds, they're better known to voters, use their position to help solve voters' problems, majority of voters believe their incumbent best represents their