Jennifer E. Manning
Information Research Specialist
R. Eric Petersen
Specialist in American National Government
Erin Hemlin
Research Associate
This report provides summary data on the number of Senators and Members of the House who first entered Congress in the 64th Congress (1915-1917) through the 112th Congress (2011-2012). First-term membership is divided into two broad categories in each chamber; Members chosen prior to the convening of a Congress, and those chosen after a Congress convenes. The resulting data, combining pre-convening and post-convening first-term Members, provide a count of all Members who served a first term in the House or Senate.
Since the convening of the 64th Congress, 4,040 individuals have entered the House of Representatives for their first, or “freshman,” terms as a Representative. An additional 26 have begun service as a Delegate or Resident Commissioner. During the same period, 812 individuals began their first terms in the Senate.
Data on pre-convening first-term Members provides partial insight into the extent of membership turnover in the House and Senate since 1913. In both chambers, the data suggest that the overall number of Members elected to Congress who take their seats at the convening of a new Congress has declined since the 64th Congress. This appears to be consistent with some academic findings that argue that the duration of Members’ careers have been increasing in the past century. Taken on their own, post-convening first-term Member data do not reveal clear patterns within individual Congresses, or over time. This is due in part to the wide range of reasons that a seat in the House and Senate may become vacant in the course of a Congress, and the circumstances under which it may be filled.
Date of Report: February 15, 2011
Number of Pages: 18
Order Number: R41283
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
Information Research Specialist
R. Eric Petersen
Specialist in American National Government
Erin Hemlin
Research Associate
This report provides summary data on the number of Senators and Members of the House who first entered Congress in the 64th Congress (1915-1917) through the 112th Congress (2011-2012). First-term membership is divided into two broad categories in each chamber; Members chosen prior to the convening of a Congress, and those chosen after a Congress convenes. The resulting data, combining pre-convening and post-convening first-term Members, provide a count of all Members who served a first term in the House or Senate.
Since the convening of the 64th Congress, 4,040 individuals have entered the House of Representatives for their first, or “freshman,” terms as a Representative. An additional 26 have begun service as a Delegate or Resident Commissioner. During the same period, 812 individuals began their first terms in the Senate.
Data on pre-convening first-term Members provides partial insight into the extent of membership turnover in the House and Senate since 1913. In both chambers, the data suggest that the overall number of Members elected to Congress who take their seats at the convening of a new Congress has declined since the 64th Congress. This appears to be consistent with some academic findings that argue that the duration of Members’ careers have been increasing in the past century. Taken on their own, post-convening first-term Member data do not reveal clear patterns within individual Congresses, or over time. This is due in part to the wide range of reasons that a seat in the House and Senate may become vacant in the course of a Congress, and the circumstances under which it may be filled.
Date of Report: February 15, 2011
Number of Pages: 18
Order Number: R41283
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
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