How can all 435 House seats be up for grabs?

[Unsane]

Aren't the 2 year terms staggered?

[Hokie]

1. Nope, they are all up for re-election

[TACstrat]

2. Not in the House. Senate is staggered in thirds.

[Perky]

27. I actually think each state should have three senators and have one election every 2 years

It wouold be far more representative.

[TexasObserver]

38. You do realize that would help the GOP more than us, right?

Isn't it bad enough that states like Alaska, with 700,000 people, already have TWO senators?

[Perky]

39. I am not sure 150 would be distributes any differently

Remember that the whole idea behind having two houses was to balance the needs for citizen representation with the recognition of state autonomy and equality as well as a hedge against the volatile passion of the electorate which the house is intended to reflect.


Bicameralism is actually a very smart constitutional mechanism. I just think every state should have the ability to speak as a whole every two years.

Equality among states may seem a bit anachronistic given the advent of radio and television, air travel and the internet, but if the senate was based on population rather than borders it would be terribly disenfranchising to states like Delaware and Rhode Island and Vermont and New Hampshire as well as Idaho and Alaska.

[TexasObserver]

47. The problem is seniority and chairmanships.

Senators who are from safe little states can stay in power a long, long time. Given the number of small states with Republican senators, such a system would allow them a better shot at running things for their party.

I see your point, however, about involving every state every two years, and I do like that.

I wouldn't mind seeing 150 US senators.

[billyoc]

3. No, they'd have to have elections EVERY year to stagger two year terms.

Right? :hi:

[Unsane]

6. Yeah, and I thought we did..

[scheming daemons]

11. Please tell me your history teachers in High School were better than that....

[Unsane]

17. I thought we had house races ever year, sue me.

I understand the terms are 2-years, but I assumed they were staggered.

[JBear]

30. In your defense...

It does seem that some states and localities have their big elections off year. This is generally a way to ensure low voter turnout and a cake walk for incumbents. You may have mistaken one of those elections for an off year congressional one....

I'm just sayn...

:bounce:

[billyoc]

21. Sure seems like we do lately. We have ANOTHER big election in '09 in New York,

then right into the '10 midterms!

[Warren Stupidity]

4. If they were we would be having congressional elections every year.

We don't.

[madaboutharry]

5. This is the major complaint of members of

The House of Representatives. The claim that all they ever do is run for re-election due to the relatively short two year term.

[GrizzlyMan]

25. It's a fair complaint IMO

Because near as I can tell, that's how it ends up, especially if you're not in a safe district. There are congress folks on both sides of the aisle who face brutally tough opponents every cycle. I would imagine that would do a lot to impede any kind of actual work for the people.

[greenbriar]

7. No they are not

it is every two years for every congress critter

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. No

All members of the House are elected every two years. The only seats not up for grabs are those that are uncontested.

[Eric J in MN]

9. In even number years, about 1/3 Senate and all of House...

...get voted on.

[scheming daemons]

10. Dude... how do you stagger 2-YEAR terms when the elections are every two years?

Math much?

[Unsane]

19. I has nothing to do with math. I erroneously thought a portion of the House was votged on every fall

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

34. Ummm. Yeah.

Moving on...

[Xipe Totec]

12. No

Staggering, isn't it?

:bounce:

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. Time for a INS citizens test ...

Take your time there are only 100 questions
http://usgovinfo.about.com/blinstst.htm

[suston96]

14. That is our answer to a parliamentary no confidence type of election.....

Every two years we have an election in the main branch of the legislature as a sort of confidence vote. Great idea the founders had.

Too bad we have to wait four years for the executive branch.

[Lancer]

15. I used to think House terms should be four years,

and then I remembered it would take twice as long to get facists like Michele Bachmann out of there. :silly:

[backscatter712]

16. Nope, Representatives get elected every two years...

Granted, a lot of Congresscritters skate through their reelections because they represent safe districts - very red or very blue, and in many cases, the opposition party doesn't even bother to put someone on the ballot.

[pscot]

18. Somebody slept through their 7TH grade civics classes

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.

[racaulk]

20. .

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

22. Wow......

Come, we go drink.... :toast:

[elfin]

23. As a former Civics and History teacher I cringe at your query --

but then I remind myself that these subjects are now relegated to "optional" in many school districts.

The reason for the ENTIRE House up every two years is part of the wisdom and design of the Founders to make at least one body of the Legislature be more immediately in tune with the populace at large. On the other hand, the Senate with its longer 6 year staggered terms is supposed to be more insulated from transient whims and have the longer term interests of the nation in mind.

[BrklynLiberal]

24. Isn't it sad that Civics are no longer being taught?

The need to reinstate Civics as a required course is very evident...especially if you have ever seen Jay-Walking on the Jay Leno Show..

[madaboutharry]

26. Both my children have had

year long civics courses in middle school. And this was in different districts in different states.

[stillcool]

32. I wish we would all be taught..

civics. My education for the first 9 years consisted of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. The next four years I specialized in drinking and drugging, which I made an occupation of.

[Ozma]

28. Someon here needs to learn to use...

THE GOOGLE!

[Teaser]

29. how could 2 year terms be staggered?

.

[AlCzervik]

31. if a member of congress serves for 5 years they get some type of pension, all the more

reason to get Bachmann out now,

[Shakespeare]

33. You flunked junior high civics, didn't you.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[SheilaT]

35. Please tell me you are only fourteen years old

and so are young enough not to have noticed this until just now.

On the other hand, my ex several years back (we'd been married about ten years by then so he was about 35) looked at me oddly in mid-November and said, "Thanksgiving is on a Thursday AGAIN this year?" Somehow he'd missed that little detail all those years.

[Obamanaut]

36. How could two year terms be staggered and still have elections

during even numbered years?

[krkaufman]

37. House elections are every two years, with the whole House being up ...

... for reelection. (Thus "Presidential year" elections and "mid-term" elections.)

Senate races, with their 6-year terms, are staggered.

[machI]

40. Are you making some kind of implication about the way Incumbents hold onto their seats

The system is setup to protect the Incumbent. A challenger has an uphill path to follow.

[demodonkey]

41. NO. ( Geesh we need to start teaching Civics in this country again. ) nt

[EstimatedProphet]

42. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one!

Wait, were you serious?

[endthewar]

43. Palin, is that you?

:rofl:

[MaineDem]

44. Seriously, how old are you?

Is this your first election?

Are civics classes really not taught anymore?

[Zuiderelle]

46. Either he's just turned 18, or he doesn't value his vote much, since he doesn't vote every year.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and assume he just turned 18.

[dixiegrrrrl]

45. I was taught: there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.

I found this source to be helpful when I was trying to figure out who was running when..

it shows the election years of each 1/3, or "class" of the Senate.

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_II.htm

I hope you won't let rude people stop you from asking questions.:)

[Awsi Dooger]

48. I agree

I give the poster credit for asking, and then replying while being ridiculed.

There's plenty of conventional wisdom that is more off base than that question.

[proud2BlibKansan]

49. Un. Freakin. Real.

:crazy: