United States Senate

I

Introduction

United States Senate, the smaller of the two legislative bodies of the Congress of the United States. Along with the House of Representatives, it drafts and passes laws that, when signed by the president, govern the United States and its citizens. The Senate exercises some powers that the House of Representatives does not, such as approving treaties between the United States and other countries. The Senate has 100 members, two from each state.

II

Constitutional Origins

The framers of the Constitution of the United States designed the Senate to be more stable and insulated from popular sentiment than the House of Representatives (often called simply the House). “The use of the Senate,” explained statesman James Madison in 1787, “is to consist in proceeding with more coolness, with more system, and with more wisdom, than the popular branch.” Senators serve six-year terms, in contrast to the two-year terms of representatives. Only one-third of the Senate runs for office in each election, giving it more continuity than the House, where the entire membership is elected every two years. Members of the House have always been popularly elected, but senators were appointed by state legislatures until 1913. Keeping the selection of Senate members out of voters’ hands, the framers reasoned, would help the Senate focus on the country’s broad interests and keep it from becoming mired in short-term political shifts. The 17th Amendment to the Constitution gave voters the power to select the Senate through direct elections.

The framers of the Constitution also designed the Senate to protect state interests, particularly the interests of states with small populations. To equalize small and large states, the Constitution guarantees two senators to each state, regardless of population. Senators represent states ranging in population from California (more than 33 million people) to Wyoming (roughly 500,000 people). The Senate tends to overrepresent the least populous states at the expense of more populous states. The House of Representatives, in contrast, allocates seats to the states according to population.

The 1787 Constitutional Convention devised the special characteristics of the Senate after the delegates rejected James Madison’s Virginia Plan, which proposed that the Senate be appointed by the House of Representatives. Madison’s plan would have granted more power to the states with large populations. The Constitutional Convention delegates also rejected William Paterson's New Jersey Plan, which proposed one legislative body instead of two, with equal representation from each state regardless of size. This arrangement would have favored the smaller states. The resulting settlement, known as the Great Compromise or Connecticut Compromise, favored small states in the Senate and large states in the House, and delegated special powers to each.

---

---

III

Membership

The Constitution requires a senator to be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and a resident of the state from which he or she is elected. It is more difficult to win election to the Senate than to the House of Representatives, because unlike members of the House, who are elected in districts that typically represent 500,000 to 1 million people, Senators campaign for election across their whole state.

A

Campaigning for the Senate

Most Senate campaigns must reach millions of voters, so they rely on costly television and newspaper advertisements. Most campaigns also spread their campaign messages through direct-mail leaflets sent to voters’ homes. The cost of advertisements and direct mail routinely runs to millions of dollars. This style of campaigning requires that Senate candidates have deep cash reserves and broad popular support if they hope to win election.

	More from Encarta
	•  Important Notice: MSN Encarta to be discontinued. Learn more. •  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain