Why the 6 year term for senators?

Answer 1

* around the time of the first Federal elections, in 1788, each state appointed its two Senators for, respectively, * a two-year and a four-year term, * a four-year and a six-year term, or * a two-year and a six-year term; * upon the expiration of a Senator's term of any length, someone starts a new six-year term as Senator (based on appointment in most states, until a Constitutional amendment required direct popular election of Senators); * when a new state is admitted to the Union, its two Senators have terms that correspond to those of two different classes, among the three classes defined below; * which two classes is determined by a scheme that keeps the three classes as close to the same size as possible, i.e., that avoids any class differing by more than one from the minimum-sized class.

Answer 2

The Founding Fathers created a bicameral legislature (i.e. Congress has two houses, not one) and designed each chamber to balance the other:

* The House of Representatives is all elected every 2 years, and as such is more dynamic and volatile and responsive to seasonal whims of the electorate. This chamber is also allocated proportionally by population, so larger states have more seats, smaller states have fewer, so larger states wield greater influence on national policy.

* One third of the Senate is elected every 3 years, such that any individual Senator's term is 6 years. As such, the Senate is much slower to change, and it is supposed to be the more thoughtful, contemplative chamber that is less susceptible to the whims of the electorate. Since Senate seats are allocated 2 to each state, small states are given the ability to wield greater influence on national policy.

Answer 3

Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years. This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one-third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years. This arrangement is also implemented following the admission of new states into the union. The staggering of the terms is arranged to ensure that both seats from a given state are never contested in the same general election except when a mid-term vacancy is being filled.

Answer 4

This is what the constitution ,which was ratified by every state, says. The president has far more power than one senator and so can be a much bigger problem if he does a poor job. Four years was decided to be long enough for him to have a fair chance but not too long if he was a poor leader. Giving the senators longer terms , together with the fact that these terms are staggered so that 2/3 of the senate remains intact after each election, gives more continuity and stability to government. A new president with radical ideas would be checked by the Senate at first.

Answer 5

They aren't limited to 6 years, they just need to get re-elected when their 6 year term is up. For example, John McCain has been a senator for 22 years.

Answer 6

Senators are elected every six years because that is how it is stated in the United States Constitution.

Answer 7

A senator is elected to a 6 year term snd thst is final.

Answer 8

Senators are only elected for 6 years because the Constitution specifies this is the term.