Explain the Major Similarities and Differences between the Two Chambers of the US Congress.

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Explain the Major Similarities and Differences between the Two Chambers of the US Congress.

The Congress of the United States is comprised of two chambers, the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The two are very different, having varying powers and responsibilities as well as different compositions and membership qualifications.

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 individual members from State delegations. They are appointed to the House based on population, with one member representing a specific area of similar population - since the membership number was capped at 435 in 1911, each member now represents approximately 620000 people, but this is reapportioned every ten years according to census figures. Each State, even if its population is beneath this level (such as Wyoming) is guaranteed at least one Representative. Representatives are directly elected, and are re-elected every two years.
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The Senate, however, has a far simpler composition. It's members serve six-year terms of office, with one third of the Senate up for re-election every two years. (One can see, therefore, that the rolling membership of the Senate and the longer terms of office are the reasons behind its consideration as the upper house of the US Congress). Each State has two Senators, regardless of population, and they have been elected by popular direct election since the seventeenth amendment in 1913, but were originally elected by State legislatures.

The House of Representatives is, however, also similar to ...

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