United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The U.S. Congress was established on March 4, 1789, when the Articles of Confederation were amended. As of the 2010 Census, the largest delegation is that of California, with 53 representatives. Seven states have only one representative: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

About United States House of Representatives in brief

Summary United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is the lower house of the United States Congress. The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the president for consideration. As of the 2010 Census, the largest delegation is that of California, with 53 representatives. Seven states have only one representative: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the members thereof. The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference, depending on whichever party has more voting members. During the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the Senate over regionally divisive issues, including slavery. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party held majorities in the House at various times. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a dramatic increase in the power of the speaker. The era known as the Gilded Age was marked by sharp divisions in the electorate. The U.S. Congress was established on March 4, 1789, when the Articles of Confederation were amended. The Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states in 1788, but its implementation was set for March 4,. The House began work on April 1, 17 89, when it achieved a quorum for the first time. It is commonly referred to as thelower house and the Senate the upper house, although the U. S. Constitution does not use that terminology.

It has exclusive powers: it initiates all revenue bills, impeaches federal officers, and elects the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College. It also provides representation proportional to each state’s population, whereas the other would provide equal representation amongst the states. The number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435. In addition, there are currently six non-voting members, bringing the total membership of the US House of Representative to 441 or fewer with vacancies. The North was much more populous than the South, and therefore dominated the House of Reps. However, the North held no such advantage in the Senate where the equal representation of states prevailed. The war culminated in the abolition of slavery in the South’s defeat and defeat in Andrew Johnson’s defeat in the Civil War. All southern senators except Johnson resigned their seats at the beginning of the war and therefore the Senate did not hold the balance of power between the North and the South during the war. The end of the Reconstruction period ended in about 1877; the ensuing era was known as the Gilded Age, or the era of Reconstruction. The current House is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated on a basis of population as measured by the Census, with each district having one representative, provided that each state is entitled to at least one. Since its inception in 1789,. all representatives have been directly elected.