House of Representatives

The House of Representatives has 435 seats

Members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms

In the House, representation is based on the number of people living in each state. Each member represents an area of the state, known as a congressional district. The number of representatives is based on the number of districts in a state. Therefore, states with larger populations have more representation than states with smaller populations. Each state has at least one congressional district and therefore one representative in the House.

Each representative serves a term of 2 years. When the term is over, people from that state may choose to elect a new representative or keep the same one. There is no limit on the number of terms a representative can serve.

Representatives must:
Be at least 25 years old
Be a U.S. citizen for the past 7 years
Live in the state they represent

The House has special jobs that only it can do:
Start laws that make people pay taxes
Decide if a government official should be put on trial before the Senate if s/he commits a crime against the country