What is the difference between the house of representatives and the senate in the US?

Answer 1

Some differences by comparison:

The US House of Representatives has "proportional representation", which means that a state has one representative for about every 700,000 residents. However, the smaller states are given at least one. And the establishment of an arbitrary limit of 435 means that some representatives have 500,000 constituents while others have as many as 950,000.

The Senate has equal representation which means that each state gets the same number of senators (two), for a total of 100.

House terms are for 2 years, Senate terms are for 6 years (the terms are staggered so that about 1/3 are up for election every 2 years).

To be qualified for the House, you must be a US citizen, reside in your district, live in the US for seven years and be over 26 years of age.

To be qualified for the Senate, you must be 30 years old, a US citizen, and live in that state.

Impeachment of officials is voted in the House, and the trial held in the Senate.

The Senate must approve nominees to head the various executive departments, and judges to federal courts.

Additionally, all revenue (money) bills must start in the House.

Answer 2

Every state has two members in the senate. The number of members in the House of Representatives depends on the population of each state.

Here are several big differences:

• Number of Members - the House is allocated a variable number of members according to population (it has been set at 435 for almost a century now, but could be increased at will), while the Senate is fixed at 2 members per state.
• Length of Term of Members - House members have 2 year terms, while Senate members have 6 year terms.
• Parliamentary Procedure - the House has much less procedure in how it operates, and a simple majority is, for the most part, able to conduct business without consultation (or compromise) with a minority. In the Senate, tradition and rules leave power much more dispersed, and it is common for small minorities to wield significant power due to positions occupied. Thus, passage of legislation in the Senate requires significantly more compromise and negotiation than in the House.
• Powers of Impeachment - while the House has the sole ability to impeach (indict) a US Official, the Senate actually conducts the trial of any official so impeached.
• Powers of Consent - the Senate alone has the power to reject nominations for Executive and Judicial branch positions. It also must approve all foreign treaties. The House has neither power.
• Powers of Appropriation - technically, all appropriations bills (i.e. bills concerned with spending money) have to start in the House. However, in modern times, various loopholes and procedural dodges have made this requirement more or less moot.

Answer 3

How have the differences in constitutional structures and responsibilities of the House and Senate affected the development of the 2 chambers