The House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the United States Congress, which is the branch of the federal government that makes laws. The House has 435 members called representatives, and each one represents a specific district within their state. States with larger populations get more representatives: California has 52, while Wyoming has just one.

Representatives serve two-year terms, which means they face election much more frequently than senators (who serve six years). The House was designed this way by the Founders to stay closely connected to what ordinary citizens think and need. Every representative must stand for reelection often, so they have to pay attention to the people back home in their district.

The House has special powers that the Senate doesn't have. All bills about taxes and government spending must start in the House. The House also has the sole power to impeach federal officials, which means to formally accuse them of serious wrongdoing (though the Senate holds the actual trial).

The House is led by the Speaker of the House, who is elected by all the representatives and is typically from whichever political party has the most seats. Representatives work in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., debating and voting on thousands of proposed laws each year.