Article I of the Constitution sets forth certain constitutional qualifications for appointment to both houses, but this essay will focus on those in Section 2 that pertain only to eligibility for House membership. These are not just the requirements imposed by states to serve their constituents in a representative and democratic fashion.
General Qualifications for Election
Minimum age of Candidates to 25: Must be at least twenty-five years old before taking the oath as President. The age limit was created to ensure that representatives had a level of maturism and life experience, which is important in many legislative duties12.
Proportion of Time Having Been A Citizen: a candidate must be for seven years and during that time, they should have been citizens in the US.HouseOfRepresentatives (ad) This requirement is meant to include naturalized citizens, who must first demonstrate that they are sufficiently conversant with and committed to American values before serving in Congress.
They Must Be State Residents (candidates must be a resident of the state they are running for office inat election time. Establishing a residency requirement creates an important bond between representatives and their constituents, serving as a reminder that elected officials must have familiarity with what matters to the community56.
Background and justification
The qualifications are meant to ensure that only a non-college government is finally born, which the Framers of The Constitution repeatedly warned against. This age requirement is designed to satisfy the security of experienced and knowledgeable members who have a clear knowledge of American government, civic virtue & moderation so it excludes recent immigrant as well. The residency part is supposed to ensure that reps really care about the prosperity of their state123
Practical Implications
Although the Constitution stipulates these eligibility requirements, Congress has been fairly flexible in their interpretation. Age and citizenship, for example can be requirements only to take the oath of office later — not when an election is held. It has enabled people to serve, who otherwise would not be qualified for these seats during their campaign35.
The process of being elected to the House, in short, involves experiencing a series of constitutionally mandated rigors designed to assure that candidates for office have reached some level of maturity and knowledge about how America governs itself (as well as whether they are connected enough with their voters).