Describe the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate, and explain the historical, practical, and theoretical reasons why the framers created a bicameral Congress.
*For all those who read it, you don't have to fully answer the question. Putting little notes will really help me too!!(and detail, detail, detail) Thanks!!*
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/whyhouseandsenate.htm
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The House of Representatives and the Senate are the two chambers that make up the bicameral (two-house) Congress in the United States. There are several key differences between these two institutions.
1. **Representation:** The House of Representatives is designed to be the chamber that directly represents the people. Each state is allocated a number of seats based on its population, and each representative serves a specific congressional district within their state. On the other hand, the Senate provides equal representation for each state, with two senators per state, regardless of population size.
2. **Term length:** Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms, whereas senators serve six-year terms. This shorter term in the House allows for more frequent turnover and more immediate responsiveness to public sentiment, while the longer term in the Senate provides continuity, stability, and more time for policymaking.
3. **Size:** The House of Representatives is significantly larger than the Senate. Currently, the House has 435 members, whereas the Senate has 100 members. This discrepancy in size reflects the greater representation of the population in the House and the more deliberative nature of the Senate.
* Historical reasons: At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, there was intense debate over the structure of the legislative branch. The framers were deeply influenced by the experiences of the British Parliament, which had a bicameral structure with the House of Commons and the House of Lords. They believed that a bicameral Congress would help to balance competing interests and prevent one branch from becoming too powerful. Additionally, the bicameral structure was seen as a way to appease the smaller states, who feared that their interests would be overshadowed by the more populous states in a unicameral system.
* Practical reasons: The framers also recognized the need for a legislative body to have both direct representation of the people (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states (Senate). This was seen as a way to guard against the tyranny of the majority. The House, with its direct representation based on population, could act as a more responsive and democratic body, while the Senate, with its equal state representation, could provide a check on hasty and populist legislation.
* Theoretical reasons: The bicameral structure of Congress also aligns with the concept of checks and balances, a fundamental principle of the U.S. Constitution. The framers believed that by dividing the legislative power between two chambers, each with its own unique characteristics and responsibilities, they could create a system that would promote compromise, prevent the concentration of power, and ensure the protection of minority rights.
Overall, the creation of a bicameral Congress with the House of Representatives and the Senate was based on a combination of historical influences, practical considerations, and theoretical principles. By having two chambers with different sizes, terms, and representation models, the framers aimed to strike a balance between democratic responsiveness and stability, as well as between state and national interests.