Table of Contents
How is representatives different in the Senate?
House members must be twenty-five years of age and citizens for seven years. Senators are at least thirty years old and citizens for nine years. Another difference is who they represent. Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts.
How do constitutional powers vary between the House and the Senate?
The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie. The Senate is composed of 100 Senators, 2 for each state.
How do they decide how many representatives each state gets?
Article I, Section II of the Constitution says that each state shall have at least one U.S. Representative, while the total size of a state’s delegation to the House depends on its population. The number of Representatives also cannot be greater than one for every thirty thousand people.
How is the number of senators determined in the Constitution?
While representation proved to be the most controversial issue in the convention, delegates determined the number of senators quickly and with little dispute. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years. [U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 3, clause 1]
How are Senators different from members of the House?
Unlike members of the House, who represent individual geographic congressional districts within the states, senators represent the entire state. Senators serve rotating six-year terms and are popularly elected by their constituents.
How did the states get equal representation in the Senate?
During the 1787 convention, Sherman proposed that House representation be based on the population, while in the Senate, the states would be equally represented. Benjamin Franklin agreed that each state should have an equal vote in the Senate except in matters concerning money.
How many senators are there in the US Senate?
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State. [U.S. During the summer of 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia established equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives.