Differences Between Congress And Senate

Last Updated on December 7, 2021 by QCity Editorial Stuff

The Congress and Senate are two of the three branches that make up the United States government. The other branch is the Executive, which consists of the President and his Cabinet members. The Senate and Congress both consist of elected officials who represent their state’s population in Washington D.C. Both houses have a set number of seats, however, there are some major differences between them such as how many votes it takes to pass legislation (51 for Senators vs 218 for Representatives) or what they do (Congress makes laws while senators approve presidential appointees). Both bodies work together to create new laws and maintain our country’s stability through economic development programs and military action/declaration. 

The U.S. government has two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both chambers have a unique set of responsibilities, but there are some differences between them as well. To understand more about these roles – and their relationship to each other – it is helpful to consider how each chamber was established in the first place. 

The United States government consists of three branches that work together to run our country: Congress, which includes both the House of Representatives and Senate; executive branch (headed by President Trump); and the judicial branch (headed by Supreme Court Justices). While they all play an important role in running America, things can get complicated when one or more branches aren’t working together as they should be! So to keep things running smoothly, all three branches must play their parts and communicate well with one another.

Comparison Between Congress And Senate

Parameters of ComparisonCongressSenate
Elected By state By district 
Member 435 member 100 member 
Vote The House of Representatives is a legislative body that passes lawsSenate is a deliberative body that debates and eventually votes on legislation
Term Two years Six years 
Age 25 years 30 years 

What Is Congress?

Congress is a branch of the United States government that consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House has 435 members who serve two-year terms, while each state elects two senators to six-year terms. Congress works on creating new legislation and voting for or against it based on what they think will benefit Americans best. They also work with executive bodies such as President Trump to create policies and implement them into law.

Congress is a group of people who meet to make laws for the United States. They are elected by the citizens of their state and serve in Washington, D.C. Their job is to listen to all sides of an issue before they vote on it because what seems like a good idea at first might not be such a good idea after all when other points of view come into play.

Congress is the legislative branch of the United States Federal Government. Congress makes laws for our country, and it consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. On average, Congress has a 15% approval rating from Americans; however, we often forget how important these people are to our nation’s society and economy.

What Is Senate?

Senate is the upper house of the national legislature in some countries, including the United States. The name comes from a word meaning “council” or “assembly.” In other words, it is an assembly of representatives that has been set up to advise and consent on what should happen next. It differs from lower houses like the House of Commons because they are not elected by citizens but instead appointed by their state governments. These members play a key role in making laws for our country, which can be very important if you’re someone who cares about how decisions are made. 

The Senate was first created over 200 years ago when America won its independence. Today 100 senators are representing 50 states, with two Senators per state (except for California).

10 Differences Between Congress And Senate

Elected: Senators are elected by state, while congressmen are elected by district.

Member: The Senate has 100 members and the House of Representatives has 435 members.

Vote: The Senate is a deliberative body that debates and eventually votes on legislation, while the House of Representatives is a legislative body that passes laws.

Cast: The Vice President can cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives.

Term: Senators serve six-year terms and congressmen serve two-year terms.

Year: To become president, one must be 35 years old or older; senators must be 30 years old or older; representatives must be 25 years old or older.

Made Up: The Senate is made up of two senators from each state, while the House has a set number of representatives based on population.

Power: Senators have more power than Representatives because they can filibuster bills and hold up legislation for days or weeks until it’s passed or voted down. 

Speak: There is no limit to how many times a senator can speak during a debate in the Senate, but there is an eight-hour limit for speeches by members of Congress.

Age: A senator must be at least 30 years old, born in the US, and live in their state when they’re elected; whereas all members of Congress must be 25 years old and live in the district they represent.

Jobs: Members of Congress have more restrictions on what they can do outside of their jobs – including working as lobbyists – than senators do.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Congress 

1. Congress is the least productive it has been in at least 20 years.

2. more than 10,000 lobbyists are working on Capitol Hill.

3. The House of Representatives is only open for 112 days a year. 

4. Washington D.C., which houses many federal agencies and Congress, is one of the most expensive places to live in America. 

5. Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually – that’s about three times what an average American earns. 

6. The Senate has 100 members who serve 6-year terms with no term limits.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Senate

1. The Senate is the oldest continuous legislative body in the world.

2. It was founded by ancient Roman consuls.

3. 100 senators represent 50 states, 2 per state.

4. Senators serve for six years and can be re-elected indefinitely. 

5. They are elected to the office using a system of an indirect election called apportionment which assigns two senate seats to each state based on its population size.

6. Every U.S citizen age 18 or older has an equal vote weight in determining how many representatives their state will have in the House of Representatives.

Conclusion About The Differences Between Congress And Senate

Congress is the legislative branch of government that makes laws. The Senate approves nominations for judges, ambassadors, and other officials. It also has a role in treaty ratification. These are just some of the many powers granted to this body by our Constitution which was created to serve as a check on the executive power found in the president and vice president’s offices. If you want an example of how these two branches differ, look no further than how they handle their respective budgets or even who can introduce legislation into either chamber! To learn more about what each does and its particular responsibilities within our country’s constitutional framework, click here for your free download today.

References:

Resource 01: https://www.congress.gov/
Resource 02: https://www.senate.gov/

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