whats the difference between the senate and the house of representatives

When comparing the House of Representatives and the Senate?

When comparing the House of Representatives and the Senate special interest groups can get Senators to submit legislation but not House Representatives. Log in for more information. When comparing the House of Representatives and the Senate special interest groups can get Senators to submit legislation but not House Representatives.

How do House of Representatives rules differ from Senate rules?

A major difference between the House and Senate concerns the rules governing floor debate. In both houses, a majority of members must vote in favor of a bill for it to pass, but the rules for the debating and voting process differ greatly. Debate in the House Due to its large size, the House does not permit unlimited debate. Before a bill goes to the floor for debate, it must go through the ...

Is the House of representative less powerful than Senate?

The Senate was designed to be slightly more powerful than the House. Originally, senators were appointed by state legislature, not elected like representatives. This gave the states’ governments unique power in Congress. Also, the terms for senators are scattered so that approximately 1/3 of the seats are up for election every two years.

How is the Senate different from the House of Representatives?

• Senate has fewer members (100) than House, which has 435 members • Senate is Upper House while House of Representatives is the Lower House in the bicameral legislature • Senator is a US citizen not less than 30 years of age while a US citizen who is 25 can become a member of the House

What is the difference between the Senate and the House?

Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution states that bills intended to raise revenue must originate in the House. This is one of the major differences between the House and Senate. The Senate is allowed to propose amendments to spending and taxing legislation , just as it can with other bills sent to it from the House.

What branch of government is the House and Senate?

Together, the House and Senate form the legislative branch of government. They interact with the executive and judicial branches to implement the checks and balances that keep all three branches functioning and prevent any single branch from abusing its power.

How many votes does the Senate need?

By contrast, Senate votes typically require a three-fifths majority, or 60 votes in favor. Majority party leaders in the House control the priority of various policies and determine which bills make their way to the House floor for debate.

How many votes do you need to pass a bill in the House of Representatives?

By contrast, Senate votes typically require a three-fifths majority, or 60 votes in favor.

Why was the Constitution important?

The framers of the Constitution knew that it was important to protect the smaller states of the newly formed Union from being overshadowed by their more populous counterparts. They hoped that by dividing legislative power between two houses, they’d be able to ensure equal representation for residents of all states, as the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center explains.

Why was the number of representatives at the House of Representatives limited to 435?

The House of Representatives Archives states that the number of representatives was limited to 435 because the U.S. population was growing faster in urban states than in rural ones, which gave large states a higher proportion of representatives than smaller states.

Why was the number of representatives limited to 435?

The House of Representatives Archives states that the number of representatives was limited to 435 because the U.S. population was growing faster in urban states than in rural ones, which gave large states a higher proportion of representatives than smaller states.

What is the difference between the House and Senate?

In general, the House represents the population, while the Senate represents a "landed/large property" populace. In colonial times, the proposed "legislative body" had two models. The Virginia Plan, endorsed by Thomas Jefferson, created a group of representatives based on population sizes, so that more populous states would have a greater voice in legislative issues. Opposing it was the New Jersey Plan that limited each state to the same number of representatives; the plan suggested that there be something between two to five representatives per state. The New Jersey Plan was criticized for holding larger states "hostage" to smaller states, as each would have the same power base. This article in The New Yorker dissects it well:

What is the Senate?

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the United States Congress. It is frequently referred to as the House. The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States Congress. Type.

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

The words "Congress" and "House" are sometimes used colloquially to refer to the House of Representatives. There are 535 members of Congress: 100 senators and 435 representatives in the House. Republicans currently control the Senate (54 to 44 Democrats) and the House (246 to 188).

How many seats are there in the Senate?

While there are 100 seats in the Senate (two senators from each state), there are 435 seats in the House of Representatives (one representative from each of the various congressional districts, with the number of congressional districts in each state determined by the population).

How long are senators elected?

Senators are elected for a six-year term , but House representatives only have two-year terms before they need to seek reelection. Every member of the House is up for election or reelection every two years, but the Senate has a staggered system wherein only one-third of the Senators are up for election or reelection every two years. It is possible for the House to change to a large extent (in terms of party control) every two years, but changes are slower in the Senate. In both chambers, incumbents have a great advantage over challengers, winning more than 90% of all contested races.

What are the committees in the House?

In the House, key committees include Budget, Ways and Means, and Armed Services, while the Senate has Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary committees. (Some committees exist in both chambers, such as Budget, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs.)

How many votes does the Senate have to have to remove an official?

However, the vote in the Senate has to represent "a significant majority," usually taken to mean 67 of the 100 votes.

What is the purpose of the Senate?

In this way, Senators can decide and do whatever is in the best interest of the country, even if that is not necessarily the most popular alternative;

Why was the House of Representatives created?

Therefore, the House was created to directly represent the citizens and be directly accountable to the people. The main features of the House of Representatives are:

What is senatorial courtesy?

Senatorial courtesy: due to the aristocratic tradition, when Senators refer to each other, they do not do so by name; Confirmation of Presidential appointments: the Senate has the duty to confirm the Presidential nominations of Federal Judges, Cabinet Members and Ambassadors.

How old do you have to be to be a senator?

In order to become a member of the Senate, nominees must be at least 30 years old and must have lived in the United States for a minimum of 9 years – without having necessarily being born in the United States; The Senate is chaired by the Vice President who is not a member.

What is the main function of the Congress?

The legislative branch of the government has the primary function of making laws, but the Congress is also responsible for the approval of Federal Judges and Justices, for passing ...

How long are congressmen's terms?

Two-year terms: congressmen and congress-women should be directly accountable and, therefore, should be more responsive to popular demands;

How old do you have to be to be a member of the House of Representatives?

In order to become a member of the House, representatives must be at least 25 years old, and must have lived in the United States for 7 years – which means that they do not need to be born in the United States;

How long do members of the House of Representatives serve?

The election processes for the House of Representatives and the Senate differ. Firstly, members of the House only serve two-year terms. Voters in the candidate’s respective congressional district serve as the only people eligible to vote on their representatives. The Plurality Rule decides who wins the election; basically, ...

How often does the Senate run?

The Senate runs a little differently. Senators face re-election every six years and all registered voters in the state have the opportunity to vote in this election. The Senate also uses Plurality Rule, and they began using the direct popular vote in 1913. Up until the ratification of the 17 th Amendment, state legislators appointed senators.

What do congressmen do?

Congressmen work on committees to create laws and handle issues specific to one duty in our government. “When voting for a congressman, it’s not just about party lines, it’s also about what committees they are placed on,” said Emily Zimbler, a junior at Penn State and intern for Congressman Mike Quigley.

Size of Senate vs. House

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Roles of Representatives and Senators

Committees

Origins of House and Senate

References