The Senate

The Senate

• The Senate is known as the upper house. It is more prestigious to be a senator than a representative

Size

• Only 100 senators, compared to 435 representatives

• The Framers wanted them to be more enlightened and make more informed decisions

• Stricter qualifications for senators

Qualifications

• At least 30 years old

• A citizens of US for at least 9 years

• Must live in the state he or she represents

• Senators can be expelled for misconduct with a ⅔ vote

Election

• Originally chosen by state legislatures

• With the 17^th amendment in 1913, they are currently chosen at large by popular election

• States only elect one senator at a time

Term

• Six year terms, with no term limits

• Continuous Body - All of the seats are never up for elections at the same time

• Only ⅓ of seats expire every two years

• Constituency - The people and interests a politician represents

  • A larger constituency lets them focus on bigger issues