House of Representatives Constitutional Origins in the United States
U.S. House of Representatives: Constitutional Origins
Introduction to House of Representatives Constitutional Origins
The bicameral (two house) Congress emerged from a compromise between delegates from large and small states at the Constitutional Convention, which convened in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. All of the delegates at the convention agreed that the national government needed more power. The Articles of Confederation, which had governed the country since 1783, left the national government powerless to resolve trade disputes with other countries and to prevent ruinous economic competition between the states. The delegates worried, however, that giving too much authority to the national government would result in the kinds of abuses of power that had led the colonies to break away from Great Britain.
To prevent such problems, the framers of the Constitution gave most political power to the Congress, rather than to a single leader such as a king or president. The convention delegates disagreed over how to select members of Congress, however. The more populous states, such as Virginia and Pennsylvania, wanted power in the legislature that reflected their population and wealth. They favored a system that assigned congressional seats based on the number of residents in each state. Smaller states, such as New Jersey and Connecticut, feared that their interests would be ignored if they did not have equal representation in Congress.
The delegates compromised, deciding that seats in the House of Representatives would be distributed according to population and that seats in the Senate would be distributed equally among the states. The small states could rely on the Senate to defend their interests if the House passed legislation that threatened their rights. The framers of the Constitution specified that House members would be elected by popular vote (the vote of citizens) every two years, so members of the House would be constantly in touch with the citizens that they represent. “Here, sir, the people rule,” declared American statesman Alexander Hamilton in reference to the House. In contrast, the framers decided to shield the Senate from popular pressures by giving senators six-year terms, and by having state legislatures choose them. In 1913 popular pressure for reform led to adoption of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, which required that senators be elected.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about House of Representatives Constitutional Origins in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia
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