Number of People in the House of Representatives

Table of Contents

Difference Between Business firm and Senate
House: Roles and Responsibilities
Senate: Roles and Responsibilities
How a Neb Becomes Law
How Their Differences Make the House and Senate Stronger

The U.S. Congress is often referred to as a unmarried entity, but it'southward really a combination of two singled-out groups: the Firm of Representatives and the Senate. While both houses of Congress work together to propose and enact the laws that govern our country, the differences between the House and Senate ensure that each chamber in this bicameral ("ii room") organization has distinct roles and responsibilities.

The U.S. Capitol building's east facade is shown with the U.S. flag flying in front of it.

Together, the House and Senate class the legislative branch of government. They collaborate with the executive and judicial branches to implement the checks and balances that keep all 3 branches functioning and prevent whatsoever single branch from abusing its ability.

Commodity I of the U.S. Constitution: Difference Between House and Senate

The framers of the Constitution knew that information technology was important to protect the smaller states of the newly formed Union from existence overshadowed by their more than 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.Due south. Capitol Visitor Center explains.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from Connecticut proposed that the seats in the Business firm be assigned based on population, while the seats in the Senate be assigned 2 per country. The Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) gives each country equal representation in the Senate while ensuring equal representation per denizen in the House.

Article I, Section 2: Composition and Function of the House of Representatives

Article I of the Constitution specifies the powers, duties, and responsibilities of each of the two houses of Congress. Information technology lays out the rules for qualifying as a representative, as well as the method by which the seats in the House of Representatives are assigned to united states and how vacancies are filled.

The Constitution affords the Firm — known as the lower sleeping accommodation because information technology has more members than the Senate — much leeway in deciding how it volition operate.

Historic period, citizenship, term duration, and residency requirements

Representatives:

Must exist at least 25 years old.
Must be citizens for at least seven years.
Are elected to a two-year term.
Must be residents of the states they stand for.

Allotment of representatives based on population

Originally, the number of representatives was set at one per 30,000 inhabitants, but the representative count has since increased, every bit the U.Southward. Firm of Representatives History, Art, and Athenaeum website describes. The apportionment was to be based on an enumeration (population census) that was to be made inside three years of the Constitution being ratified (approved) by the 13 states, and so every x years thereafter.

The Circulation Act of 1911 and its successor, the Permanent Apportionment Human action of 1929, capped the number of representatives at 435. For this reason, equally of the 2010 Demography, the average number of inhabitants in a congressional district is about 710,000. 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.

Power to devise its own rules of functioning

The Constitution allows each house of Congress to fix its own rules. This has led to divergent practices and procedures in the Firm and Senate. The Library of Congress summarizes the operating rules of the House of Representatives:

Just a numerical majority is required to laissez passer legislation in the House, which allows bills to exist processed chop-chop. By contrast, Senate votes typically require a three-fifths majority, or 60 votes in favor.
Majority party leaders in the House command the priority of various policies and determine which bills make their way to the House floor for debate. In the Senate, minority party leaders have more than influence over such procedures, and so the majority leaders must work more closely with them.

Power of impeachment

Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the House "shall take the sole ability of impeachment." This power applies to the offices of president, vice president, federal judges, and other federal officers, as the Library of Congress' Constitution Annotated explains. Grounds for impeachment are "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

The House determines whether to impeach and if an impeachment is called for; the Senate decides whether to captive and remove the official from office. This follows a pattern established in the British regime and American colonial governments dating dorsum to the 17th century, as the Senate website explains.

Commodity I, Section 3: Composition and Function of the Senate

Article I, Department iii of the Constitution calls for ii senators from each state to be selected by a land'southward legislature to represent that state. Nevertheless, the 17th Subpoena, approved in 1913, mandates the directly election of U.S. senators, which means that they're elected by direct vote of the people rather than by state legislators.

As the Senate website explains, the amendment was in response to abuse and other issues that prevented country legislatures from choosing U.S. senators. The Senate is known as the upper bedroom of Congress because information technology has fewer members than the House.

Age, citizenship, term elapsing, and residency requirements

The Constitution requires that senators be at least xxx years former, U.S. citizens for at to the lowest degree 9 years, and residents of u.s.a. they'll represent. Senate terms are for six years; the terms are staggered so that approximately a tertiary of all senate seats are up for election every two years. This is intended to protect the Senate from short-term political pressure level and to ensure that turnover in the Senate occurs evenly, rather than having stasis for vi years followed by upheaval.

Allotment of Senators: Two per Land

As the Senate website indicates, the reason the framers decided to allow each land to exist represented by two senators was to forestall the large states from overpowering their smaller counterparts. Benjamin Franklin believed that states should accept equal votes in all matters except those involving money. (Article I, Section viii assigns to the House the power to revenue enhancement and spend; this clause is described in the following section.)

Ability to devise its ain rules of performance

The Senate has the ramble authority to fix its ain rules, but as the House does. The Senate website quotes George Washington as explaining to Thomas Jefferson that the framers intended the Senate to "cool" legislation passed by the Firm "only equally a saucer is used to cool hot tea."

In the Senate, individual senators accept more options to slow the progress of a bill past making procedural requests, such as keeping flooring fence open on the thing at hand. This is intended to encourage deliberation, or the careful word and consideration, of issues.
Bulk party leaders in the Senate propose the priority of items to exist debated, but they must work with minority political party leaders — and oft all senators — to determine the floor calendar: the order in which items are brought before the Senate.

Vice president as president of the Senate

The Constitution makes the vice president the president of the Senate, but the vice president is immune to vote only to break a tie. The Senate is empowered to choose its own officers and president pro tempore to preside over the Senate when the vice president is unavailable.

Power to endeavor and pass judgment on all impeachments

Senators are empowered to try and gauge impeachments; in this capacity, they serve under "oath or affidavit." In the case of a president's impeachment, the chief justice of the United States presides. An impeachment conviction requires a two-thirds majority vote of the full Senate.

If the impeachment trial leads to a confidence, the penalisation is removal from office and disqualification from "whatever part of laurels, trust or profit under the United States," co-ordinate to Article I, Department 3. However, the impeached person is "liable and subject field to indictment, trial, judgment and penalty, according to law."

Resources on the construction and function of the House of Representatives and Senate

Cornell Police Schoolhouse's Legal Information Constitute offers a fully annotated version of the Constitution and an explanation of the Constitution compiled by the Congressional Research Service.
The S. Capitol Company Center features a study guide that explains the difference between the House and Senate. Information technology poses half-dozen questions virtually the constitutional basis for the ii houses of Congress and provides sample answers.

U.S. House of Representatives: Roles and Responsibilities

The duties of the House of Representatives are stated in Commodity I, Sections 7 and viii of the Constitution. Notwithstanding, the powers granted to both houses of Congress are derived from Article I, Department ane, equally the Legal Information Plant explains.

In the early Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland, Principal Justice John Marshall wrote that the government is "one of enumerated powers," which means that it can exercise only the powers that take been granted to it explicitly by the Constitution. Paired with this doctrine is the ruling that legislative powers may non be delegated to any other branch of government.

Subsequent rulings have modified these two doctrines, resulting in new categories of powers derived from this constitutional foundation.

Enumerated, implied, resulting, and inherent powers

Marshall's decision expanded the scope of the legislative powers enumerated in the Constitution by including the power to declare war, levy taxes, and regulate commerce. These powers are derived from the Constitution's necessary and proper clause in Commodity I, Department 8.

This gives Congress the right to exercise any "means which are appropriate" to perform its constitutional duties, unless those means are inconsistent with "the letter of the alphabet and spirit of the Constitution."

Implied powers are those that aren't explicitly stipulated in the Constitution, only the authorities assumes these powers are granted to it by inference based on prior Supreme Courtroom decisions, as the Legal Dictionary explains.
Resulting powers are those that Congress has because they're needed for it to fulfill its duties. They're derived from other powers specifically granted to the authorities so that it tin exercise its enumerated powers. The Legal Information Found gives as an example the ability to larn territory, which results from the enumerated powers to make war and treaties.
Inherent powers are likewise called implied powers, as the Constitution Annotated notes. They're powers that Congress possesses even though they've never been explicitly exercised. An example would be the power to revenue enhancement internet service providers.

Merely congress may declare war, levy taxes, and regulate commerce

The power to declare war, levy taxes, and regulate commerce are among the congressional powers enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. The taxing and spending clause and the commerce clause have been used to broaden congressional authority over federal tax and economical policy.

In addition, Congress' war powers have created a lot of friction between the executive and legislative branches. For instance, presidents have tried to aggrandize their ability to engage the U.S. military machine in overseas conflicts, as the House of Representatives Annal describes. For example, in the menses after World War II, presidents committed troops to the Dominican Commonwealth, Laos, and Vietnam, amid other countries, without requesting or receiving authorization from Congress.

The House originates all revenue legislation

Commodity I, Section 7 of the Constitution states that bills intended to heighten revenue must originate in the House. This is ane of the major differences betwixt the Business firm and Senate. The Senate is immune to propose amendments to spending and taxing legislation, just equally it tin with other bills sent to information technology from the House.

Bills require merely a numerical bulk vote

The decision of the framers to allow bills to pass the Firm after getting a simple majority of votes was motivated by the want to allow legislation to be enacted chop-chop. The responsibility for assessing and developing bills belongs to standing committees that are chaired by members of the majority party, only are fabricated upwardly of members of both parties, as the Congressional Research Service explains.

Bulk party powers and prerogatives

The important role of political parties in the system and functioning of the House is described by the House of Representatives Archive. The bulk party elects a speaker of the house and chooses other leadership positions, including the chair of all Business firm committees. There are more than members of the House than of the Senate, so the majority party wields more power in the lower chamber.

Set policy calendar

The speaker of the house usually selects the House majority leader. The Business firm bulk leader is charged with formulating the party's legislative agenda, as described by USHistory.org. The minority party chooses a minority leader whose impact on the Business firm policy calendar is much more than express.

Decide which legislation reaches the House flooring

Amongst the duties of the speaker of the business firm are presiding over all Business firm proceedings, determining which bills become to which committees, influencing committee assignments for new House members, and deciding the priorities for bills to be debated and voted upon by the entire torso of representatives.

Chair all committees

While majority party members are chosen to chair all House committees, they must work with the ranking member of the minority party to fix bills for deliberation by all House members. The House of Representatives Archives describes the 3 types of House committees:

Continuing committees are permanent; their jurisdiction is defined in the House rules.
Select committees are temporary; they're created by resolution and charged with conducting investigations or researching specific topics.
Joint committees include members from the House and Senate, usually to study specific matters rather than to consider a slice of legislation.

Resources on House of Representatives roles and responsibilities

The legal site Justia details the powers that the Business firm derives from the taxing and spending clause of Article I, Department viii, including the types of taxes permitted and limits imposed on the power to taxation and spend.
The House of Representatives website explains the composition and functions of the Firm, including its leadership, committees, commissions, schedule, rules, and history.

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U.South. Senate: Roles and Responsibilities

Commodity I, Section iii of the Constitution describes the basic limerick, performance, and duties of the Senate, although the Constitution grants the Senate leeway in determining how it will conduct its business. The Senate website describes the powers and procedures of the legislative torso, which include trying impeachments, reviewing and approving presidential nominees, approving treaties, and managing internal matters.

Powers

The Senate receives all its authority from the Constitution. As described above for the House, the Senate's powers are either enumerated, or expressly stated in the Constitution, or derived from the enumerated powers through the Article I, Section 8 necessary and proper clause.

Only the Senate confirms presidential nominations and treaties

Commodity 2, Section 2 of the Constitution grants the president ability to nominate and appoint ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, and "other officers of the Usa." All the same, the Constitution requires that nominations and appointments be made "with the Advice and Consent of the Senate."

Similarly, the Senate is empowered to approve treaties proposed by the president past a ii-thirds bulk vote. The Senate also has the power to change a treaty's terms. (The president's ability to found executive agreements with other nations doesn't require Senate approval.)

Senate rules and procedures encourage deliberation rather than speed

The Senate website explains that the framers modeled the upper chamber of Congress after early state senates and the governor's councils of the Colonial era. To shield senators from curt-term political pressure level, their terms were set at half-dozen years rather than the two-year terms of House representatives.

The Senate was intended to human activity more deliberately than the House. This emphasizes the Senate's duty to advise on and consent to actions taken in the House and by the executive branch of authorities. In this role, the framers expressed their "suspicion of the presidency" by allowing the Senate to serve equally a bank check on executive powers. It also serves as a check confronting the impulsiveness of the House.

Individual senators accept pregnant procedural leverage

The standing rules of the Senate promote deliberation by allowing senators to "debate at length" and by requiring greater than a simple majority to end debate on a matter, as the Congressional Research Service explains. The rules also let Senators advise floor amendments to pending bills that are outside of the subject matter of the bills themselves. For example, the Real ID Act of 2005 passed as a "rider": an additional provision to a armed forces spending act that in its original version made no reference to traveler identification, as ThoughtCo explains.

The result is an unpredictable daily floor schedule for Senate business and the possibility that bills will be proposed whose subjects haven't been researched or debated in committee. To bring some order to Senate proceedings, the majority leader is given priority in being recognized to speak and to advise the bills and legislation that the body will consider.

Majority party powers and prerogatives

In addition to the Senate majority leader'southward ability to command debates on the Senate floor, the majority party is granted other rights in the operation of the Senate.

Proposes items for consideration

The duties of the Senate majority leader include handling all procedural matters that arise on the Senate floor and informing members of the majority political party about the content, implications, and status of all awaiting legislation. In collaboration with Senate committee chairs, the majority leader addresses any conflicts that may preclude proposed bills from existence passed.

Negotiates with the minority party to conduct Senate floor action

Virtually Senate actions crave greater than a elementary bulk to laissez passer. Therefore, the majority party must work more closely with the Senate minority party than is typical in the House, which needs simply a elementary majority to approve measures. The Senate website describes the human relationship between the majority and minority parties in the Senate every bit "one of compromise and mutual forbearance" that's intended to prevent stalemates from arising on important matters of legislation.

Chairs all committees

Similarly, members of the Senate majority party are called to chair all committees. All the same, the nature of the Senate requires that the majority leaders of committees work with the ranking member of the minority party to accomplish the committee's goals. The Senate website explains that the majority party controls well-nigh committee staff and resources, only the minority political party retains a level of command based on its share of Senate seats.

Resources on Senate roles and responsibilities

The Senate website details the establishment's history and functioning, including biographies of past senators, historical highlights, and a complete chronology.
The Library of Congress profiles current members of the Senate and explains the body'due south policies and procedures. The site links to agile legislation and floor activity, too as specific committees, leadership, and officers.

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How a bill becomes law

The process that Congress must follow to enact legislation is described in Commodity I, Department 7 of the Constitution. USA.gov explains that anyone who has an idea for a new constabulary is encouraged to contact their U.Southward. representative or senator to advise it. Nonetheless, nearly bills originate in the offices of one or more than of their legislative sponsors.

Step one: The bill is introduced in either the House or the Senate

A beak can be introduced by a representative or a senator; that person becomes the bill's sponsor (note that bills can have multiple sponsors). After meeting in pocket-sized groups to hash out the bill'southward merits, representatives or senators assign the bill to a committee for farther research, discussion, and potential amendments.

Stride ii: The bill is debated and put to a vote

Once the bill is released by the commission, representatives or senators contend it and propose amendments or other changes prior to putting the bill to a vote. Subsequently passing in the initial body (House or Senate), the bill goes to the other body, where it's researched, discussed, and amended further.

After both chambers accept the bill, articulation committees work out the differences between the 2 versions. Both houses and then vote on the exact aforementioned bill. If the bill passes, information technology's sent to the president for approval.

Step iii: The president considers the nib

The president has x days to sign or veto bills that Congress sends to the White House for approval. (A presidential veto prevents the legislation from taking effect.) If the president approves the bill, it's signed into constabulary. If the president rejects the nib, it'south returned to Congress with an caption for the veto.

If Congress adjourns before the 10-day period for signing the bill expires, the president can simply choose not to sign the bill, and the beak won't become police force. This is chosen a "pocket veto."

Stride four: Congress may vote to override a presidential veto

Congress has the power to override a presidential veto by a two-thirds majority vote of both the House and Senate. If the veto is overridden, the bill becomes law. A pocket veto by the president can't be overridden by Congress.

Resources on how a bill becomes law

The House of Representatives website explains the legislative process, including how bills and resolutions are proposed, introduced, amended, debated, voted on, and enacted.
Vote Smart examines each footstep in the process of a bill condign law in both the House and Senate, including committee action, flooring action, briefing committees, and presidential review.

Conclusion: How Their Differences Make the House and Senate Stronger

The framers of the Constitution worked carefully to ensure that the powers wielded by the 3 branches of government — legislative, executive, and judicial — were carefully balanced so that the duties of each branch were clear and no one branch would overpower the other two. The bicameral legislature that splits legislative duties between a large House of Representatives and a smaller Senate is a fundamental component of the framers' ability-sharing strategy.

Despite struggles and challenges that arose early in our state's history and persist today, the segmentation of responsibilities and sharing of power have succeeded in keeping the wheels of government turning relatively effectively more than than two centuries afterward the Constitution was written. While few ramble experts and political scholars would fence that the bicameral legislative system works perfectly, about would hold that the conception has stood the test of time.

Additional Resources

The New York Times, "When the House and the Senate Are Controlled by Ii Dissimilar Parties, Who Wins?"

U.Southward. Congress, "The Legislative Procedure: Overview"

U.S. National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription"

U.South. Senate, "Constitution of the United states"

Vote Smart, "Government 101: Congress"

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Source: https://online.maryville.edu/blog/difference-between-house-and-senate/