Eleanor Finch
The US Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This split was a compromise between large states, which wanted representation to be tied to population, and small states, which did not want to be outvoted by larger states. The House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws, with representation based on district populations, while the Senate represents citizens on an equal state basis. The two houses of Congress have equal but unique roles in the federal government, with each house having special constitutional duties and powers.
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
The Compromise was a solution to the heavily divided views on representation in each branch of Congress. The large states wanted representation to be tied to population, while the small states wanted equal representation to prevent being outvoted by the larger states. The Great Compromise retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, or House of Representatives, and equal representation for each state in the upper house, or Senate.
The plan for the Great Compromise was proposed by Connecticut delegates Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth. It was supported by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, who suggested that revenue and spending bills would originate in the House. The delegates from the larger states continued to argue for proportional representation in the Senate, but the Compromise was adopted on July 16, 1787, with a 5-4 vote of the states.
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The Virginia Plan
The plan was modelled on existing state governments and called for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature. The first branch of the national legislature would be elected by the people of the several states for a term of three years and would be subject to rotation in office and recall elections. The members of the second branch would be selected by the first branch from candidates nominated by state legislatures. The national legislature would have all the legislative power belonging to the Confederation Congress, as well as new powers.
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Bicameral legislature
The United States Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is known as a bicameral legislature.
The Articles of Confederation, which preceded the Constitution, had a single house. The Constitution split Congress into two houses as a compromise between large and small states. Large states wanted representation to be tied to population, while small states did not want to be outvoted by larger states. This compromise resulted in one house with representation based on population (the House of Representatives) and one with equal representation for each state (the Senate).
The characteristics of the Senate, including representation, the number of senators per state, qualifications for office, terms of service, and powers, were the subject of fierce debate and compromise at the Constitutional Convention. The framers drew on precedents in the British system of government and state constitutions.
The House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws, introduces bills and resolutions, offers amendments, and serves on committees. The number of representatives per state is proportional to the population, with each representative serving a specific congressional district. The House also has the "power of the purse," meaning all spending bills must originate in the House.
The Senate deals with foreign policy and can propose spending. Senators are elected out of the national treasury, with each state having two senators.
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State representation
The Constitution split the House into two to establish equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House of Representatives. This was called the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise". The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, proposed a bicameral national legislature, with membership in each chamber determined by the states' proportion of the national population. However, this idea was objected to by delegates from smaller states, who would have less power under this structure.
The smaller states instead proposed the New Jersey Plan, which suggested a unicameral (one-house) legislature in which each state had a single vote. The Constitutional Convention affirmed its commitment to a bicameral legislature, but the small-state delegates continued to protest proportional representation in the Senate. Eventually, a Grand Committee was appointed to resolve the issue, and the original Sherman compromise proposal was reported, with the addition that revenue and spending bills would only originate in the House.
The characteristics of the Senate, including the basis of representation, were the product of fierce debate and compromise at the Constitutional Convention. The framers looked to British systems of government and state constitutions for inspiration. The final plan for the Senate included equal representation for each state, with two senators from each state.
The House of Representatives, on the other hand, has representation based on district populations, with each member representing a set number of constituents. The number of representatives per state is proportional to the population, with a minimum of 30,000 constituents per representative, as outlined in the Constitution. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435.
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Powers and rules
The US Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This was not always the case, as the original Articles of Confederation (the pre-Constitution) had a single house. The Constitution split Congress into two houses as a compromise between large and small states. Large states wanted representation to be tied to population, while small states did not want to be outvoted by larger states.
The House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. Representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, and serve on committees. They also vote on bills, speak with constituents and other groups, and review constituent mail, press clips, and various reports. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, and the number of representatives per state is proportional to the population. The House also has the "power of the purse", meaning that all spending bills must originate in the House.
The Senate, on the other hand, deals with foreign policy and has equal representation for each state. The characteristics of the Senate, such as the basis of representation, the number of senators per state, the qualifications for office, the terms of service, and the powers that the body exercises, were the product of fierce debate and compromise at the Constitutional Convention. The Senate's powers include the ability to try impeached officials, as well as the ability to propose spending bills.
The division of Congress into two houses with different rules and powers contributes to checks and balances, as each house can watch the other.
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