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how can you become a member of congress

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Subject: Career question for you

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Doc’s Answer

Franklin, If you want to have a say in our government, then a career as a REPRESENTATIVE or SENATOR may be right for you. In the US federal legislature there are two types of Congresspeople: Representatives and Senators. A Representative is elected to a two-year term; a Senator, a six-year term. A Representative represents his local congressional district, a Senator his State. Depending on whether you want to sit in the Senate or the House of Representatives, you will need to meet these specific qualifications.

REPRESENTATIVE VS. SENATOR

CONGRESSPEOPLE – Sit in the U.S. House of Representatives – The lower house of Congress
Unlike the Senate, the number of representatives in a state is based on the state's population. Elections to the U.S. House representatives will be held on November 3, 2020, and coincide with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 seats will be up for election. Representatives represent a specific district within their state and are elected to two-year terms.

QUALIFICATIONS – The U.S. Constitution prescribes three qualifications for representatives. Like senators, there is an age qualification, but it is lower – you need to be at least 25 to be a U.S. House representative. The citizenship qualifications are also slightly less stringent – you only need to be a citizen for seven years. Finally, as with senators, representatives must be residents of the state that they represent.

SENATORS – The Senate is known as the upper house of the U.S. Congress. There are 100 senators in the Senate – two for each state. Senators are elected in popular elections at the state level and represent the state that has elected them. Senators are elected for six-year terms. Senate elections are staggered so each Senate seat is contested in a different electoral year.

QUALIFICATIONS – The qualifications for being a U.S. Senator are specified in our U.S. Constitution. It specifies that to become a senator you need to be at least 30 years old. You do not need to be born a U.S. citizen, but you need to have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years. Finally, you need to be a resident of the state that you are elected to represent.

Franklin, the majority of United States congresspeople have at least a bachelor's degree. Many others have higher degrees in fields like law and business. Many senators and congresspeople have degrees in business and law. It may be worth it to get a law degree (Commonly known as the Juris Doctor Degree) or MBA in addition to a bachelor's degree in business or pre-law. When exploring your career path, think about different routes you could take that would eventually lead to a career in politics.

Hope this was Helpful Franklin

Doc recommends the following next steps:

Get involved in your local community. In politics, it's often who you know that matters when it comes to career success.
Pick a political party early on. Having party support can help you get elected.
Seek out entry-level political jobs. Look for assistant positions, such as staff and legislative assistants.
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David’s Answer

Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Main thing to do is going through getting a education degree in Political Science, work with local, city, state official or be involve with political science related thing and moving on from there to become a member of Congress, it is all political science things and it takes step by step to be able to reach there as well as time and support from others.
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John’s Answer

Hi Franklin, I'd say the most important step you can take to becoming a member of Congress is to get started in local government. Start volunteering for the election campaigns of your local school committee/board of education or board of selectmen/city council. Attend town meetings and learn the issues that are being brought up, and observe how your elected officials respond to them. Speak to your officials after meetings or call them up some time to discuss an issue. Get to know the issues affecting your community, and meet the people advocating for change. Then, I would recommend running for a local government position. From there, you can move to state government, and hopefully up to federal government to be in Congress. I've worked in journalism and I've watched the process that I've described to you unfold, and to me it seems the best way for you to start out. Know your community, know your elected representatives, and then campaign to get yourself elected. I hope this helps, best of luck!
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Blake’s Answer

Hey Franklin,

Here's what I found online:

Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.

Thanks,
Blake
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