Comparison of House of Representatives and Senate

Minimum age requirement for serving in the House

25

Minimum citizenship requirement for serving in the House

7

Residency requirement for serving in the House

Resident of the state

Minimum age requirement for serving in the Senate

30

Minimum citizenship requirement for serving in the Senate

9

Term length for House members

2 year terms, unlimited number

Term length for Senate members

6 year terms, unlimited number

Constituency for House members

District, by population

Constituency for Senate members

Entire state

Organization of the House

More governed by rules, more formally structured, more power to individual leadership positions

Organization of the Senate

Less governed by rules, more power to individual members, more informal

Goal of the House

To be closer to voters' preferences

Goal of the Senate

To be more insulated from voters' preferences

Structure of Congress

The two-house legislature that represents the states in the Federal government

Seventeenth Amendment: 1913

direct election of senators

Size of the House

435

Size of the Senate

100

Caucuses

Factions within the parties and demographics of Congress

Coalitions

Representing a particular group

Examples of caucuses

House Democratic Caucus, The Congressional Black Caucus

Power of the Purse

"Raising Revenue"; taxing, budgeting, and appropriating (spending)

Regulating Commerce

Foreign and Interstate (between states) trade

Foreign and Military Affairs

Raise armies, impose a draft/conscription, military spending, declare war

Implied powers

Elastic Clause- those that are not enumerated but are "necessary and proper"

Powers of the House

Proposes revenue bills, impeaches a president, selects a president when no electoral majority is reached

Powers of the Senate

"Advice and Consent"- suggesting or rejecting presidential appointments; also approve foreign treaties, convict a president

Leadership

Roles and positions of leaders in the House and Senate

Speaker of the House: De Facto leader of the majority party in the House

Leader of the House

Majority & Minority Leaders: First members recognized in debate, spokespeople for their party

Leaders in the House and Senate

Whip: Deputy leaders (below Majority leaders) who manage party discipline

Party discipline managers in the House and Senate

President of the Senate: The Vice President of the US; breaks tie votes

Leader of the Senate

President pro tempore- steps in if the VP is unavailable

Temporary leader of the Senate

Senate Majority Leader: Chief Legislator; wields more power in the Senate than the VP

Leader with more power in the Senate

Sets the calendar, determines which bills are debated on the floor

Responsibilities of the Senate Majority Leader

Committees

Groups within Congress that focus on specific policy areas

Standing Committees

Permanent committees focused on a particular policy area

Joint Committees

Committees that include members from both the House and Senate

Select Committee

Temporary committees to perform a particular study or investigation

Conference Committees

Committees that unite members from the House and Senate for routine management and research

Chairperson: Senior member of the majority party

Leader of a committee

Ranking Member: Senior member from the minority party

Senior member of a committee from the minority party

Powerful Examples: House Judiciary (identifies bad behaviors & punishments), Ways & Means (determines tax policy)

Examples of powerful committees

Unites members from the House & Senate for routine management and research

Purpose of conference committees

Example: Library of Congress Joint Committee

Example of a joint committee