really differences between the House and Senate? 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. According to the “Filibuster”, whoever gets the floor can keep it for as long as he/she wants and can talk about whatever he/she wants, even if his/her speech is not pertinent to the topic of discussion. A Congress covers two years; the current one, the 117th Congress, began on January 3, 2021, and will end on … Senators are re-elected every six years - meaning around a third of them are elected at each midterm and election. A senator can waive the privilege at any time, but a member of the House has to submit his or her petition to a general vote. Senators are elected to six-year terms, and members of the House are elected to two-year terms. I always thought I understood how the House and Senate work. • 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 • Senators are elected directly by all voters of the state, and they remain members for a period of 6 years. • All Senators are Congressmen (or Congresswomen as the case may be). Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. All revenue bills concerning taxes must originate in the house with a democratic process. Most of Congress' work takes place in committees. Taking the floor and filibustering for hours is a technique employed to push the other members of the Senate to compromise and implies the fact that, sometimes, minorities can rule the Senate. Therefore, the House was created to directly represent the citizens and be directly accountable to the people. 6 years. Key Difference: The Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government. 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 the national budget and for assisting the U.S. President in foreign policy matters. If you read this far, you should follow us: "House of Representatives vs Senate." Updated on February 24, 2018. Lower house. The Senate is the upper house of the Congress. All 435 seats are up for reelection every two years. The Senate – or upper house – was conceived to be more aristocratic. Conference committees are formed when legislation is approved in both the House and Senate; they finalize the language in legislation. Edit or create new comparisons in your area of expertise. Diffen LLC, n.d. The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government and consists of two houses: the lower house known as the House of Representatives and the upper house known as the Senate. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, Written by : Giulia Squadrin. Both the House and Senate have standing, special, conference, and joint committees. If a simple majority approves, the privilege can be waived. If there are certain differences, a Bicameral Conference Committee is called to reconcile conflicting provisions of both versions of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. The Senate is the only house assisting the President in foreign policy (i.e. Democratic (235), Republican (199), 1 vacant seat, Republican (53), Democratic (45), Independent (2). However, this does not mean that the powers of the House are inferior to that of the Senate. This article in The New Yorker dissects it well: Per the Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, the United States adopted the bicameral system of the English Parliament (i.e., House of Lords and House of Commons). It was humour, lighten up. It is frequently referred to as the House. The succession order in the federal government is president, vice president and then Speaker of the House, the leader of the representatives. Committees also have subcommittees, which are formed to focus more closely on certain issues. DifferenceBetween.net. How was Congress structured in the Connecticut Plan also known as the Great Compromise? In colonial times, the proposed "legislative body" had two models. One difference between the House and Senate is that bills to raise revenue must originate in the House. For instance, in 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson actively participated in the drafting of the Treaty of Versaille and became a strong supporter of the League of Nations. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. and updated on February 26, 2018, Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, Difference Between Michelle Obama and Melania, Difference Between Carbon Tax And Cap And Trade, Difference Between Senator and Congressman, Difference Between Federal and Provincial Government, Difference Between Senator and Representative, Difference Between  Court of Law and Court of Justice, Difference Between Grand Jury and Petit Jury, Difference Between Trump and Obama Immigration Policies, Difference Between Collectivism and Communism, The Difference Between Collectivism and Socialism, Difference Between Isolationism and Imperialism, Difference Between Vitamin D and Vitamin D3, Difference Between LCD and LED Televisions, Difference Between Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, Difference Between Civil War and Revolution. The President of the Senate [currently Mike Pence (R)] only votes in case of a tie. To be eligible as a representative, a person needs to be at least 25 years old at the time of the election and have lived continuously in the U.S. for at least 7 years. Responds to the needs of the people faster since representatives only have a two year term. Voters in the candidate’s respective congressional district serve as the only people eligible to vote on their representatives. Most of Congress' work takes place in committees. Yet, this was not the case for Senator Thurmond. If the House-approved version is compatible with that of the Senate’s, the final version’s enrolled form is printed. When the U.S. constitution was originally drafted, the legislators believed that the government should have at least a democratic component/aspect. However, the vote in the Senate has to represent "a significant majority," usually taken to mean 67 of the 100 votes. Each House member represents an individual district within a states, whereas Senators represent entire states. Senators are elected for a six-year term, but House representatives only have two-year terms before they need to seek reelection. Laws dealing with revenue must start in the House. Members of Congress are deemed to be "beyond the power of arrest" while in office, except in cases of treason, murder, or fraud. The U.S. Senate has an incredible power in all what concerns the country’s foreign policy. The compromise established that representatives in the lower house (House of Representatives) will be based on a population number (called a "district") while the upper house (Senate) would contain two representative from each state. • Categorized under Political Institutions,Politics | Difference Between House and Senate. Upper house. The main difference between the senate and house of representative is that senate has a six-year term length whereas the house of Representatives has a two-year term length. Joint committees feature members of the House and Senate, with leadership of each committee alternating between members of each chamber. In the House, key committees include Budget, Ways and Means, and Armed Services, while the Senate has Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary committees. In order to become a Senator you must be 30 years of age , and been a U.S citizen for the past nine 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. The Great Compromise and the Differences between the House and the Senate. analysis of foreign treaties, decisions concerning the initiation or the ending of a war etc.). The United States Congress is what is known as a “bicameral institution,” meaning there are two houses, namely the Senate and the House … 435 voting members, 6 non-voting members: 5 delegates, 1 resident commissioner. INTRODUCTION: VIDEO CLIP: Constitutional Foundations for the House and the Senate (2:09) What were the proposed ideas for Congress in the Virginia Plan? Firstly, members of the House only serve two-year terms. The New Jersey Plan was criticized for holding larger states "hostage" to smaller states, as each would have the same power base. Now if the House of representatives is able to impeach someone, say the president, then it would go to the Senate to try the impeachment, to decide whether to actually convict the person. While the House of Representatives work for the local population, Senators are there to represent the interests of the state. Notice that members of the House are elected every two years, whereas senators are elected for six-year terms. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 set the final number of the House at the current 435, with district sizes adjusted according to population growth. Thank you for this! Congress is divided into two segments: Senate and the House of Representatives. (Some committees exist in both chambers, such as Budget, Armed Servic… Republicans currently control the Senate (54 to 44 Democrats) and the House (246 to 188). Let’s begin to answer that question by reading the Constitution. < >. Congress is made up of two houses: the Senate (upper) and the House of Representatives (lower). The main differences between the two bodies are: The Senate has 100 members while the House 435; Senators serve six-year long terms while Representatives are elected for two years; The Senate supports the President in foreign policy matters while the House creates all revenue bills; The Senate has an aristocratic tradition while the House is more democratic and closer to the population; The Senate is chaired by the Vice President who is not a member while the House is chaired by the Speaker of the House; The Senate approves Presidential nominees for Federal Judges and Members of the Cabinet while the House has no say in this process; and. Standing committees are permanent and provide longer-serving members with power bases. In both chambers, incumbents have a great advantage over challengers, winning more than 90% of all contested races. Both the House and Senate have standing, special, conference, and joint committees. Once the floor is ceded to a senator, he or she can speak for as long as the senator chooses, on any topic; no other business can be transacted while the person speaks. Difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress is the legislative branch of the government. 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. It has the power to create, pass, amend and repeal laws. Diffen.com. Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives: foundational Our mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. There are 100 Senators in the US - two for every state. I answered a similar question earlier on Quora; pasting it here: Two chambers, the House and the Senate, make up Congress (also called the legislature), these are fundamentally different in a few ways. The number of representatives a state has is determined by its population. February 26, 2018 < http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/difference-between-house-and-senate/ >. For example, during a 2013 filibuster over the Affordable Care Act, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) read from Green Eggs and Ham. In the Senate, the tactic called filibustering is allowed. The different powers and features of the two houses are decided in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution. There are two Senators for each State while the number of Representatives per State vary according to the population. Some have become permanent, but most are formed for limited time frames. The main differences between the two bodies are: The Senate has 100 members while the House 435; Senators serve six-year long terms while Representatives are elected for two years; The Senate supports the President in foreign policy matters while the House creates all revenue bills; The Senate has an aristocratic tradition while the House is more democratic and … It was also decided that all classes would be eligible to become senators, subject to age and residency restrictions. This means that California and Wyoming have the same number of Senators; Six-year terms, but every 2 years one third of Senators are up for election; The Senate was conceived to be an “insulated” body where treaties and foreign policy could be debated in the style of the Roman Senate but without the constant interference of public opinion. A filibuster is used to block potential legislation or Senate decisions until a favorable vote can be called. The Difference Between the House and Senate In order to be in The House of Representative, you must be 25 years of age and also a U.S citizen for at least seven years. Any proposal to raise taxes must come from the House, with Senate review and approval. Khan Academy … Gerrymandering is used at the state legislature level to create districts that overwhelmingly favor one party. The compromise was between the Virginia plan (small state) and the New Jersey proposal (large state), two competing ideas on whether each state should get equal representation in the federal government or whether representation should be based on population. Again, to help you grasp the difference between the House and Senate, it is critical that we walk you through what the latter is. While the house and senate are similar, there are some differences. For instance, in the 1930s, Louisiana Senator Huey P. Long once held the floor for over 15 hours; but the record goes to South Carolina Senator J. Strom Thurmond who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act in 19575 (and eventually lost). Life’s too short! Federal and Supreme Court rulings have overturned gerrymandering efforts that have been perceived to be based on race, but otherwise some districts have been reconfigured to give one or another party an extreme political advantage, thus allowing that party to secure more power in the state and in the House of Representatives. The election processes for the House of Representatives and the Senate differ. The work of the two chambers is strictly intertwined and the Congress needs the support of both bodies to be able to exercise its functions. The number of members of senate range from 100 to 105 in almost all these countries. In cases of impeachment (e.g., Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998), the House determines if charges can be brought against the official, and a simple majority vote approves or rejects the filing of charges (the impeachment process). The Senate is the higher segment of the Congress in the Union. The Congress is the main legislative body of the U.S. government and is composed of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Just like HOR members, senators are also fondly called Congressmen and Congresswomen. The election is usually held in November among the people in the U.S. Only 1/3 of the senate seats are elected every two years. The US parliament which is known as Congress is based on two houses i.e. Terms … The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States Congress. This separation is s… There is no limit on the number of terms that a member of either chamber of Congress can serve. The term Congress can also refer to a particular meeting of the legislature. With the Ministerial Wing (and Senators and Members Dining Room) conveniently located in the middle, the only requirement for (major party) senators to ‘cross over’ is to attend party room meetings, while for members, the Canberra Press Galley is located on the Senate side. The House of Representatives is much larger, with 435 members compared to the Senate's 100 members. The main features of the House of Representatives are: Two-year terms: congressmen and congress-women should be directly accountable and, therefore, should be more responsive to popular demands; Congressmen and congresswomen serve the two-year term in a specific congressional district; Representatives have the duty to serve on committees, introduce bills and resolutions and propose amendments; 435 representatives: the House is the largest chamber; Each individual State has a different number of Representatives, depending on the number of persons who live in the State; 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; The House is chaired by the Speaker of the House who is a member of the body – even though the Constitution does not strictly specify that this has to be the case; House leadership also includes majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips and a party caucus or conference: the House works in a more organized and hierarchic way compared to the Senate; The House has no say in the appointment of Ambassadors, Federal Judges and Cabinet Members; Limited debate: due to the large number of representatives, there are speaking-time limits that must be respected during the debates; Impeachment: Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S Constitutions states that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment;” and. This is where Members of the House and Members of the Senate finally meet to synchronize the differences between two bills that may have been passed by the House and the Senate. 28 Feb 2021. The six year term means the Senate can be slower and consider the long-term effects of laws. Unlike the House, the number of Senators are spread equally across states, regardless of their populations. However, as district borders were never defined definitively, they can and often do stretch into peculiar shapes due to a practice known as gerrymandering. Key differences between the House and the Senate of the U.S. Congress include size, length of term and certain duties. The Vice President has the power to vote to break a tie, but is not entitled to vote to create a tie; The Senate has the tradition of unlimited debate: being the smaller house with an aristocratic tradition, in the Senate there are no speaking-time limits; 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. A significant difference between the Senate and the House of Representatives is how long their members serve after being elected. The Senate, on the other hand, has sole power of approval on foreign treaties and cabinet and judicial nominations, including appointments to the Supreme Court. Mr. D is correct, in the end its re-inforces that the senate does have less members than the House of Representatives. Noncompliance with a congressional subpoena can carry up to a one-year jail sentence. The Senate elects a "President Pro Tempore," often the senior, or longest-serving, senator of the majority party, who is responsible for managing day-to-day business. Debating legislation has stricter rules in the House than in the Senate, applicable at both the committee and whole-body levels. Once it is voted on - and passes - the differences between a House and Senate bill (unless there are companion bills - more on that later) are worked out in "conference". Here there is a continuous body idea. The US House of representatives has the total number of 435 representatives or members, and they are dissolved every two years, while the Senate has the total number of 100 members, and each member is entitled to be in the house for six years for a single term. In general, the House represents the population, while the Senate represents a "landed/large property" populace. So, as you can see, the difference between Congress and Senate is quite simple. So, this part of the guide will put that into perspective. The house of representative and senate are the two main legislative bodies of the United States Congress. Parliament House symmetrically divides the Senate and the House of Representatives, with the occupants of each side often jokingly referring to the ‘other side’ as the ‘dark side’. The case is heard in a judicial forum, and punishment (a sentence) for those found guilty of "contempt of Congress" is handled strictly by the judicial system. "Difference Between House and Senate." The House plays a major role in government, mainly that of initiating all revenue-based legislation. Still, as compared to the House of Representatives, the Senate is considered to be a more deliberative and prestigious body. In other words, the appointment process only happens with the “advise and consent” of the Senate: if the President does not get the majority of the votes of the Senate, his nominees will not be appointed; With a 2/3 vote, the Senate has the power to ratify or reject treaties that were negotiated by the President; and, The Senate assists the President in his role of chief diplomat. Each state has two senators in the Senate. Such freedom has led to interesting episodes in the past. Given its smaller dimensions, the Senate has more flexible rules and maintains its traditional aristocratic features, including the “Filibuster”. So if you're a New South Wales voter, you're voting for the same candidates whether you're in Byron or Batemans Bay. The United States Senate is the “upper house” inside the U.S. Congress, owing its term to representing the individual states and having more restricted power than the “lower house” (the House of Representatives) the latter distinct as being elected directly by the people of the USA and thus representing public opinion. It is not a requirement to be a natural-born citizen in order to become a member of Congress. 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. (Some committees exist in both chambers, such as Budget, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs.) House procedures are becoming more efficient; Those seeking reelection almost always win; Senate workload increasing and informally breaking down, threat of filibusters more frequent than in the past; Becoming more difficult to pass legislation; Turnover is moderate The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the United States Congress. 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). A two-thirds vote of the Senate is required before an impeached person can be removed from office. the assembly or the upper house of the bicameral legislature of a government Giulia Squadrin. Standing committees are permanent and provide longer-serving members with power bases. Key Differences. Article 1 of the U.S. constitutions reads “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”1 While the participation of both chambers is necessary to enact the legislative process, the remaining sections of Article 1 of the Constitution grant unique and different powers to the two bodies. Differences between the House and the Senate Handout For each section answer the questions associated with each video clip. This stipulation has been used by representatives and senators to avoid subpoenas and other judicial procedures. If approved, the Senate then serves as the investigative/judicial body to determine if the charges merit removing the accused official from his or her office. Decent article, but at the very end it makes the claim that “the Senate has more members than the House.” Pretty ridiculous and embarrassing mistake to make. This has resulted in sometimes comically absurd efforts on the part of senators. So only 34 or 33 senators are up for election at one time. Most Informative! According to US, congress represents the two houses of US government, House of Representatives and Senate. The vice president is considered the "president" of the Senate, though he or she is not required or even expected to attend most Senate sessions. Just a hint: I remember the House of Reps having more members because it has proportional representation, or just because the name is longer. The article helped me with an essay i have to do. However, their differences make both chambers stronger The legislature is the government’s decision making organization. 2 years. … Now we've also talked about the House being the place where tax and revenue bills would initiate. Wikipedia: United States House of Representatives, Wikipedia: Structure of the United States Congress. In the House, debate time is restricted and topics are set beforehand, with discussions limited to the agenda. Upper House and Lower House. 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; There are 100 Senators – the Senate is the smaller of the two chambers; 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. In the House, key committees include Budget, Ways and Means, and Armed Services, while the Senate has Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and Judiciary committees. Start studying Differences between house and senate. In fact, when the Constitution was originally written, before the 17th amendment, Senators were indirectly elected by the State legislators instead of being directly elected by the people. There are 535 members of Congress: 100 senators and 435 representatives in the House. The main features of the U.S. Senate are: Two senators per state: as this body was intended to be the Federal chamber, every State – no matter how little – has the same representation. Upper House is known as Senate (with 100 members elected for 6 years) while the lower House called House of representative (with 435 members elected for 2 years). The Senate, or Upper House, represents states or territories. This was very informative. There is no need to resubmit your comment. The House of Representatives – or lower house – is the most democratic and national-oriented of the two bodies. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are part of the U.S Congress, the legislative branch of the government that has the role of making laws – which will be enacted by the executive branch of the government, headed by the U.S. President – of approving Federal Judges, Ambassadors and Cabinet Members nominated by the President, and of assisting the President (the chief diplomat) in foreign policy matters, including in the withdrawal of troops, the ratification of international treaties and the initiation of wars.