12/04/2025

A house is a building that functions as a dwelling place for one or more people. Houses vary in size and layout. Some houses are single-family structures, while others contain numerous family dwellings in the same structure, such as a townhouse or row house. Many houses also have outbuildings, such as a garage or shed for vehicles and tools. Houses may be built with a variety of materials, including wood, stone, brick, and concrete. Modern houses often incorporate energy-efficient features such as solar panels and insulation.

The term house may be applied to a business or institution that operates on a commercial basis. In the United States, a large private home is often referred to as a mansion or a palace. In addition, the term house can refer to any structure that provides lodging and food for people, such as an apartment complex or a hotel. Houses can also be designed and decorated with a wide range of styles. A house can be luxurious and elegant, or it can be humble and functional. A house can be constructed with traditional building methods, such as wood framing, or it can be made using more advanced construction techniques, such as insulated concrete forms or adobe.

In the United States, the House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the two main branches of the federal government, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The House consists of members who are elected to two-year terms, with elections taking place in even-numbered years. Unlike the Senate, which is composed of senators serving staggered six-year terms, the House is a unicameral legislature. The House of Representatives is governed by the United States Constitution and the rules of the House of Representatives. The House may elect its own officers, and it has the power to enact laws and to impeach and remove members of the Cabinet or other senior officials of the federal government.

The House of Representatives is located in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., which is a National Historic Landmark. The House of Representatives is organized into various committees, which have the authority to investigate and make recommendations on issues affecting the nation. The House also appoints members to serve on joint committees, which oversee independent government bodies. The House of Representatives appoints members to serve on the Joint Committee on Intelligence and the Joint Committee on Oversight of Government Management, for example.

The House of Representatives has several privileges not shared with the Senate, such as the ability to initiate bills and raise revenue, and its exclusive power of “advice and consent” to appoint judges, ambassadors, and other high-level government positions. The House is also the only legislative branch of the federal government that can formally censure or reprimand its members, although this has never been used in practice.