MADISONCENTER FOR AMERICAN LEADERSHIP
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connected.

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The constitutional text

Article I · Section 2

Select any highlighted phrase to understand what it means.

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.

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.

[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 by 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 chuse 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.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Source: National Constitution Center edition. Original wording is preserved; commentary explains historical and superseded provisions.

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202 elements · 219 connections · One constitutional systemOpen the reader
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You don’t have to understand everything at once. One connection is a good beginning.

LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER

Article I, Section 2, Clause 1 — selection

Frequent election of the House

Current text
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States,

What it means

House members are selected by the people of their respective states every two years. The whole chamber therefore returns to the electorate on a recurring schedule, unlike the staggered Senate.

Historical setting

Federalist 52 defended direct popular selection and discussed whether a two-year term preserved sufficient dependence on voters. The choice balanced frequent accountability against the practical demands of learning national business.

What it does

The provision establishes the House’s electoral connection, but it does not itself require single-member districts or a particular ballot format. Those arrangements depend on additional law and constitutional constraints.

Debate & interpretation

Short terms can make representatives responsive while also encouraging constant campaigning and short-term thinking. Evaluating the design requires asking both how voters can replace officials and whether those officials have enough time to exercise informed judgment.

A common misreading

The Constitution does not state here that every adult could vote in 1787 or that representatives must live within a particular congressional district.

Think it through

Would a one-year term improve accountability enough to justify its costs for legislative experience and independence?

Follow the connection

Sources & further reading

Original Madison Center commentary. Explanations distinguish the text, historical context, and interpretive disagreements.

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