Qualifications For The House
and Senate
Qualifications to be a Representative
Formal Qualifications- The Constitution says that a member of the House:
(1) must be at least 25 years of age,
(2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and
(3) must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected.
Informal Qualifications- The realities of politics produce a number of informal qualifications for membership in the House beyond those qualifications set out in the Constitution. These additional qualifications vary somewhat from time to time and from State to State, and sometimes from one congressional district to another within the same State. Informal qualifications have to do with a candidate's -vote-getting- abilities. They include such factors as party identification, name familiarity, gender, ethnic characteristics, and political experience. The "right" combination of these factors will help a candidate win nomination and then election to the House. The "wrong" ones, however, will almost certainly spell defeat.
Qualifications for Senate
A Senator must meet a higher level of qualifications than those the Constitution sets up for a member of the House.
1. A Senator must be at least 30 years old
2. A Senator must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 9 years
3. A Senator must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected