Citizenship Requirement to Be in the House of Representatives

Constitutional Qualifications

"No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the historic period of twenty v Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the U.s.a., and who shall not, when elected, exist an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall exist chosen."
— U.Due south. Constitution, Article I, section 2, clause two

/tiles/not-collection/i/i_origins_constitutional_qualifications_aoc.xml Scene at the Signing of the Constitution, Howard Chandler Christy, 1940, epitome courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol

The Constitution placed notably few hurdles between ordinary citizens and becoming a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The founders wanted the House to exist the legislative chamber closest to the people—the least restrictive on historic period, citizenship, and the only federal part at the time subject to frequent popular ballot. The Constitution requires that Members of the House exist at least 25 years sometime, accept been a U.South. denizen for at least seven years, and live in the country they correspond (though not necessarily the aforementioned district). And Article 6, clause iii requires that all Members take an oath to support the Constitution earlier they exercise the duties of their office. In Federalist 52, James Madison of Virginia wrote that, "Under these reasonable limitations, the door of this office of the federal authorities is open up to merit of every description, whether native or adoptive, whether immature or old, and without regard to poverty or wealth, or to any detail profession of religious faith."

Origins

The ramble qualifications for function originate in British law. Members of the House of Eatables had to live in the shires or boroughs they represented, although that was rarely done in practice. The founders used that instance to motivate the requirement that Members of the Business firm live in the country they represent. This would increase the likelihood that they would be familiar with the people'southward interests at that place, but at that place was no mention during the debates well-nigh living in the same district. The district system emerged later as states dealt with how to fairly organize their congressional delegations.

Citizenship

At the time the U.South. Constitution was written, the British prevented anyone born outside England or its Empire from serving in the Commons, even if the private had after become a denizen. By mandating that an individual be a citizen for at least vii years, the founders attempted to strike a rest betwixt preventing foreign interference in domestic politics and keeping the House of Representatives shut to the people. The founders also did not desire to discourage immigration to the new country by shutting off the government to new arrivals.

Age

The founders initially prepare 21, the voting age, as the minimum age to serve in the House. During the Federal Constitutional Convention, though, George Mason of Virginia moved to make the historic period 25. Bricklayer said that there should exist a period between existence gratis to manage one's own affairs and managing the "affairs of a neat nation." Convention Delegate James Wilson of Pennsylvania objected to the proposition that whatsoever further restrictions be placed on House membership, and cited the service of William Pitt as a counterexample. Pitt, who held office at the fourth dimension of the Convention, was the youngest prime number minister in British history at the age of 24. Notwithstanding, Mason'due south amendment passed 7 states to three.

The House and Its Members

Article I, section 5 of the Constitution provides the House with the dominance to determine whether Members-elect are qualified to be seated. For instance, William Claiborne of Tennessee became the youngest person to e'er serve in the Business firm when he was elected and seated in 1797 at the age of 22. The House also seated Claiborne at the age of 24, when he won re-election. The House, notwithstanding, has not e'er been so lenient. Representative John Young Brownish of Kentucky was beginning elected to the Firm in the 36th Congress (1859–1861) when he was 24, but the House refused to administer the oath of office to him until he was 25—after the beginning session of the Congress was over.

For Further Reading

Farrand, Max, ed. The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787. Rev. ed. four vols. New Oasis and London: Yale University Press, 1937.

Madison, James, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay. The Federalist Papers. New York: Penguin Books, 1987.

Story, Joseph. Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States. iii vols. Boston, 1833.

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Source: https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Constitutional-Qualifications/