What is the difference between a senator, a congressman, and a representative?
Representatives and Senators are both congresspeople.The US congress consists of two effectively co-equal chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are a few functional differences: Senators serve for six year terms, representatives have to run for election every two years. There are two senators from each state, but representatives are based on population (California has 53 representatives, Wyoming has one). But both chambers have to pass a bill in order for it to become a law, which is the primary function of congress.Traditionally, the Senate is thought of as the loftier, more deliberative, more elite body. Once upon a time, Senators were appointed by the state legislature, to keep some separation from the popular vote. Nowadays, though, Senators are directly elected. The main difference is that representatives have specific districts that elect them, while Senators are elected by the state as a whole.Because being a Senator is somewhat more prestigious, Senators are usually referred to as such, though they're technically congresspeople. Representatives are usually referred to as "congressman" or "congresswoman". But the only distinction is which part of congress they're in.
Difference between US Senator, State Senator, Congressman and Assemblyman?
The government of the United States has two level: Federal and State. The US Constiution spells out what the Federal Government can do. It also says the States can do whatever the federal government does not have direct jurisdiction of, although the Federal and the States do share some power. The legislative branch on the federal level is made of two houses: The Senate and the House of Representatives. Together they are called The Congress. Each state has two Senators that are elected statewide so they do not have a district. The Representative, call a Congressman, is elected in a district that is draw up by the House. Each district tries to have about the same amount of people in it and it is done every 10 years after the census. The legislative branch in most states is made up a two houses called a Senate and a Assembly. (NOTE: Nebraska is the only state with a single, non-partisan senate called the Unicameral). Both the State Senate and the State Assembly are elected by a district that is draw up by the respected houses based on census data. This means you can vote for: US Senator (they rotate on a six year cycle so you vote for 1 and then the other in different election years) US Congressman (vote for your district every two years) State Senator (varies state to state) State Assemblyman (varies state to state but usually two-year term) There are of course many other elected office in both Federal and State.
Whats the difference between the Senate, Congress, and House of Representatives?
Congress is bicameral, meaning it consists of two houses. Senate is the upper house with 100 members. HOR is the lower house with 435 members. Together they make up Congress. Each has its own set of duties and powers. Together they have their own set of duties and powers aside from the two other branches known as the Executive and the Judicial. -Some senate powers include: trying an impeached offical, approving a presidential appointment, ratifying treaties with a 2/3 vote, and electing VP if the electoral college fails. -Some HOR powers include: Introducing revenue (tax) bills, electing the president if the electoral college fails, bringing articles of impeachment against an elected official with a simple vote. -Some Congressional (both houses) powers include: establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, establish post offices, lay and collect taxes, declare war, regulate foreign and interstate trade (exports/imports), borrow money, and so on.
What does the U.S. Congress do?
While to say that the constitutional role of Congress is to makes the laws (Article I of the Constitution), Congress also plays several other institutional roles, and Congressman play significant roles other than as legislators. Congress, in addition to passing bills to present to the President for signature, also conducts investigations (congressional hearings) on issues and scandals, and potential legislative fixes. The Senate also must confirm the appointment of Federal executive and judicial officers (e.g., Cabinet members, ambassadors, the assignments of senior military officers, and federal judges). In addition, the Congress can impeach and convict a federal officer and thus remove that person from office. The House impeaches (charges) and the Senate conduct the trial. Twice Presidents have been impeached, but not convicted. Over a dozen times, federal judges have been impeached and removed from office. The most important role that Congressmen play, apart from being legislators, is that of "ombudsman" for their constituents. Congressional offices solve problems that constituents have with government agencies: Social Security benefits, veterans benefits, and the like. Many Congressman (I suspect) view this constituent work as being as important as being a legislator, and definitely as the reason why their constituents would vote to re-elect them (rather than a legislative record). As dysfunctional as Congress has become, it is instructive to realize that Congress was created in the Constitution to serve as a representative cross-section of the people of the United States. If Congress is polarized, it is because the people of the United States are polarized.
How many representatives are there in the U.S. Congress?
Too many. In actuality, there are 536. 435 in the House, 100 in the Senate, plus the Vice President who chairs the Senate.
Does the senate have more power than the House of Representatives? Is there differentiation on what they are able to decide on?
Senators represent an entire state instead of one district of a state; there are only 100 Senators as opposed to 435 members of the House; and their terms are six years instead of two. So they have higher visibility than members of the House, and visibility is power.Senators also have the duty under the Constitution to confirm federal judges and presidential appointees. Confirmation hearings give them a chance to raise their public profiles.Barack Obama went from the Senate to the White House, and before him, John F. Kennedy did the same. The only House member who ran for president, won, and thereby went directly from the House of Representatives to the White House was James A. Garfield in 1881. The only recent president who assumed that office after a career in the House was Gerald Ford, who wasn't an elected president. He went from the House to the vice presidency by appointment, and became president when Richard Nixon resigned.
What percentage of US Congress have passports?
It's a number that is often brought up in populist debate and you can find all kinds of wild guesses and postulates out there. I wouldn't trust the word of newspapers or politicians themselves on a matter such as this. In consequence, the best information I have is from an article in Foreign Policy, No. 108, in which Moises Naim says that "about one-third of the members of Congress do not have a passport and thus have not been exposed to the complexities and diversities of the rest of the world." However, please note that this information dates back to the late 1990s. You can see the exact quotation in this later article in the Washington Quarterly: http://www.twq.com/01summer/sariolghalam...