<P> The composition of the House is established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of Representatives who sit in congressional districts that are allocated to each of the 50 states on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census, with each district entitled to one representative . Since its inception in 1789, all Representatives have been directly elected . The total number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435 . As of the 2010 Census, the largest delegation is that of California, with fifty - three representatives . Seven states have the smallest delegation possible, a single representative: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming . </P> <P> The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the President for consideration . In addition to this basic power, the House has certain exclusive powers which include the power to initiate all bills related to revenue, the impeachment of federal officers, who are sent to trial before the Senate, and in cases wherein no candidate receives a majority of electors for President, the duty falls upon the House to elect one of the top three recipients of electors for that office, with one vote given to each state for that purpose . </P> <P> The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the members thereof and is therefore traditionally the leader of the controlling party . The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference, depending on whichever party has more voting members . The House meets in the south wing of the United States Capitol . </P> <P> Under the Articles of Confederation, the Congress of the Confederation was a unicameral body in which each state was equally represented, and in which each state had a veto over most action . After eight years of a more limited confederal government under the Articles, numerous political leaders such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton initiated the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which received the Confederation Congress's sanction to "amend the Articles of Confederation". All states except Rhode Island agreed to send delegates . </P>

Who holds the power in the house of representatives