| In representative democracies, citizens elect people to serve in legislative and executive positions. These representatives, invested with the confidence of their constituencies, then try to convey the interests and desires of these constituencies by participating in governmental processes. In the United States, citizens elect people to the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together comprise the nation’s bicameral legislature. Citizens in each state elect two senators and a certain number of representatives based on the population of the state. Here, members of the Senate (right) and House of Representatives (left) meet in their respective chambers to discuss legislation. |