Module 11

Congress it is known as the lawmaking branch of government. Congress consists of two chambers, the House and the Senate. The House was to represent the people as a whole, or the majority and the Senate was to represent the states and would protect the interests of small states by giving them the same number of senators, two per state, as the larger states. (Pg. 239) The House seats are assigned depending on the state’s population. (according to the census). One example is California, this state has more representatives because the population is bigger, and states with smaller populations like Wyoming. How do the congressional elections function?

The U.S Constitution requires that representatives to Congress be elected every second year by popular vote. Senators are elected every six years, by popular vote. There are qualifications that a person needs to have in order to be part of the Congress. To be a member of the House,a person must be a citizen of the United States for a least seven years prior to his or her election, a legal resident of the state from which he or she is to be elected, and at least twenty-five years of age. To be elected to the Senate, a person must be a citizen for at least nine years, a legal resident of the state from which she or he is to be elected, and at least thirty years of age. Pg. 244

The last point I would like to mention is the differences between the House and the Senate. The major differences between the House and the Senate are House: Members chosen from local districts, Senate: Members chosen from an entire state, House Two-year term, Senate: Six-year term, House: always elected by votes, Senate: Originally (Until 1913) elected by state legislatures. More differences on page 249.

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