Sharp class distinctions between the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners meant that these classes were represented by separate groups of representatives, which were charged with advising the king on matters related to and representing the interests of their respective social spheres. In the modern U. The U. The bicameral system in the U. Article 1, Section 1 of the U.
Constitution establishes that the U. Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. In an agreement known as the Great Compromise, the founders decided to incorporate both elements: the bicameral system was established. Like the two houses of the English Parliament, the two chambers within the U.
The Senate was designed to represent the interests of the States Senators were originally appointed by the state legislatures, not elected , and the House of Representatives was intended to be elected by and represent the interests of the common people.
This is also reflected in the powers delegated to each house by the Constitution, with the Senate given a more deliberative, advisory, and oversight role, while the House of Representatives was given primary authority over the taxation of their constituents. Members of the U. House of Representatives serve two-year terms. This system is called proportional representation. Alabama, for example, has seven representatives, while California has The first instance of British bicameralism occurred in When the Commons met separately from the nobility and clergy for the first time, an Upper Chamber and a Lower Chamber were effectively created.
Each state also has two Senators a system called equal representation who are directly elected by voters and serve six-year terms. Before the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in , the state legislatures got to choose Senators. These positions tended to be held by the elites. Each house has different requirements to serve. Senator, you must be at least 30 years old, a U. Each house also has unique powers. Only members of the House of Representatives can criminally indict impeach the President and other federal officials; the Senate then reviews the case.
The House also decides presidential elections if no candidate wins a majority of electoral college votes. And any bill that increases taxes originates in the House, which is why the House of Representatives is said to have the "power of the purse. The size, term of office, and method of election directly elected, indirectly elected, appointed, or other for each chamber of a bicameral system will vary by country.
Unicameral systems became more popular during the 20th century, and some countries, including Greece, New Zealand, and Peru, switched systems from bicameral to unicameral. Bicameral literally means "two chambers," and in practice refers to a government structure involving two houses, or two legislative bodies, that are separate in deliberation from one another. The Founders of the U.
At the constitutional convention, larger states mostly in the South and smaller states in the North began to quarrel over which should wield more power at the federal level.
As a compromise called "The Great Compromise," Roger Sherman, a delegate from the colony of Connecticut, proposed bicameralism. The bicameral structure of the US Congress was established by the founders to minimize the possibility of any one governmental body becoming too powerful. The House was meant to be the most democratic of the national institutions, as its members are subject to reelection every two years. The Senate was designed by the framers as an elite body that would act as a check on the House.
The two bodies differ in terms of characteristics and norms as well as in the way they operate. The founders established Congress as a bicameral legislature as a check against tyranny. They feared having any one governmental body become too strong.
This bicameral system distributes power within two houses that check and balance one another rather than concentrating authority in a single body. The Senate is the smaller body with each state having two delegates. With one hundred members, the Senate is a more intimate, less formal legislative body than the House, which has members elected from districts that are roughly the same size in population. Members of Congress must reside in the district or state that elects them, although the Constitution does not specify for how long.
Residency can become a campaign issue, as it did when former first lady and current secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, ran for a Senate seat from New York soon after leaving the White House, despite having never lived in the state. Members of Congress are elected locally to serve nationally. The Constitution anticipated that the House would be more attentive to the people than the Senate. The House is designed to be the most democratic institutional body in the US government because each member represents a particular district within a state rather than the entire state, which is the case for the Senate.
House members stand for election every two years to ensure that they keep in close touch with the opinions and interests of the people they represent or face defeat at the polls.
There are no limits on the number of terms a member can serve. Consequently, many members are constantly campaigning to keep their seats in office. Congresswomen and men draw crowds as they campaign for press and individual connection. Once a Congressman is elected, the campaigning never ends until they leave office, which could be many terms later.
Congress establishes the number of House members by enacting legislation. In , there were 65 members, and the founders anticipated that House members would never represent more than 30, people. In , the current number of representatives was reached. The number of people represented by a single member has increased from , in to , in and , in The US Census Bureau calculates these apportionment figures, which can be viewed on an interactive map on its website.
This number of people per congressional district is projected to top , in House members are elected in districts whose lines are drawn by state legislatures after the census, which takes place every ten years. States can gain or lose representatives if there are population shifts. Redistricting can be controversial as legislators seek to draw district lines that advantage their own political parties.
In , the process of redrawing congressional district lines in Texas attracted national media attention. Government U. Foreign Policy U. Liberal Politics U.
Table of Contents Expand. How Common are Bicameral Legislatures? Why Are the Differences Important? Does Older Mean Wiser? Cooling the Lawmaking Coffee. Robert Longley. History and Government Expert.
Robert Longley is a U. Facebook Facebook. Updated April 04, The U. Each chamber of a bicameral legislature has different powers in order to ensure fairness through checks and balances within the system.
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