According to Article 1 of Unites States Constitution, Congress is the legislative branch that lays out the laws that influence the daily lives of all Americans and serve as the voice of these people toward the government. Congress is responsible for carrying the hearings for the legislative process, providing funds to the government to host functions and programs, and overlooking the executive branch.
If you wish to know the qualifications to be a Congressman, then check out the article below:
According to Section 2, clause 2 of Article 1, a person needs to fulfill the following these simple requirements to serve as a Congress Representative:
- The person must be 25 or older in his age.
- The person should be a citizen of the United States for a period of at least seven years.
- The person should reside in the state he or she wants to represent.
With the intention to run for House of Representatives, the person has to be a U.S Citizen for at least seven years, be 25 years old and reside in the country wherein she or he hopes to serve. To serve in the U.S. Senate, the representative needs to be a U.S Citizen for a minimum of 9 years, be at least 30 years old, and reside in the state live where he or she desires to serve. Each country may produce other requirements that need to be met to serve as a member of Congress from that country, so each individual needs to check with his or her election workplace for specific records.
Apart from the above-mentioned basic requirements, there are other skill sets that a person needs to possess in order to represent Congress. These are:
- People skills are any other essential factor in trying to represent congress. Although political views are important to most registered citizens, voting for a person they like and to whom they can relate also a necessity. A person would possibly have the proper stances on all relevant issues, but if he or she is not likable and personable, she or he may not get elected.
- The capability to talk to the general public and campaign officers in a kind, a considerate yet commanding way may also be considered while running for congress. The job requires outstanding skills in public speaking, so working towards and achieving this skill is crucial. Efficiently speaking to components and workers of The House alike will move an extended manner in making others comfortable with the individual as a candidate.
- Organizational capability is important from a practical point of view. Someone who plans to represent Congress will now not be able to do it alone, so he or she will need a group of people to help. Organizing marketing campaigns, marketing campaign treasurer, and advisers would possibly help a campaign be more effective and run more easily.
Now that we are aware of the basic requirements that a person needs to run for Congress, it is important to understand what role Congress plays in the U.S. government.
Congress is known as the bicameral legislature that has been divided into two institutions:
1. The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives comprises a total of 435 members. Every state of America has at least one representative and represents itself in the House based on its total population. Please note that there are a few exceptions here; The District of Columbia and U.S. territories are represented by in-house delegates who, although performing the same functions as other representatives, cannot vote on the final passage of legislation. The requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives is similar to what we discussed earlier; the person must be 25 or older in age, must be a citizen of the United States for at least 7 seven years, and should reside in the state that they represent.
All the members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms.
2. The Senate
The Senate comprises a total of 100 members, wherein two senators represent each state of America. As mentioned above, The District of Columbia and U.S. territories are not included in the Senate. To be a representative of the U.S senate, a person must be 30 years old, must be a citizen of the United States for at least 9 seven years, and should reside in the state that they represent.
Senators are elected for six-year terms; after every two years, 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can a non-American run for Congress?
To run for the Presidential post, the candidates are constitutionally required to be natural-born, whereas to be a member of the House of Representatives, a person should be a citizen of the U.S. for at least seven years and to be a member of the Senate, a person should be a citizen of U.S for at least nine years.
2. How many foreign-born people are in Congress?
Currently, there are 18 foreign-born members in Congress, including seven members of the House of Representatives and one senator.
3. Do you have to be American to join Congress?
A person must be 25 or older in age, must be a citizen of the United States for at least 7 seven years, and should reside in the state that they represent to be a member of the House of Representatives. A person must be 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least 9 seven years, and should reside in the state they represent to be a Senate.
4. How many females are in Congress?
Currently, there are a total of 147 females that represent Congress, where 10 identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander, 26 identify as black, 15 identify as Latina, 2 identify as Native American, 1 identifies as Middle Eastern/North African, and 95 identify as white.
Conclusion
We hope that the above article helped our readers to understand the qualifications required to be a member of the U.S. Congress, which has been further divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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As you consider who’s running for Congress, it’s worth understanding the US election process.
