#17: CIVICS 101: The Legislative Branch
Q&A #17: How many Members does each State have in the Senate and House of Representatives?
Our American Government
Our American Government is a small book published by the House of Representatives for citizens and those who seek a greater understanding of the American interpretation of democracy. It follows a question-and-answer format and covers a broad range of topics dealing with the three branches of our Government, the electoral process, and the role of political parties.
The Savvy Citizen is reproducing the 169 questions-and-answers through a series of posts called Civics 101. Each post will contain the Q&A as well as some additional commentary to add historical context, fun facts, or anything we believe will add to our collective understanding of these topics.
Think of it as your adult Civics class, but without the test!
Let’s keep at it.
SECTION: The Legislative Branch: The Congress
Members, Offices, and Staff
Q&A #17: How many Members does each State have in the Senate and House of Representatives?
Each State, under the Constitution, is entitled to two Senators, each serving a six-year term, and at least one Representative, serving a two-year term. Additional House seats are apportioned on the basis of State population.
My Thoughts
The respective six year and two year terms were established in the U.S. Constitution and haven’t been changed since. Since Senators represent the whole state, they serve longer terms in order to effect meaningful change over the course of time. Representatives, however, represent regions within states where things change more rapidly.
Only one-third of the Senators is up for reelection in a given election year to ensure stability in the body and to insulate the Senate from the whims of political pressure (this is less effective today since we changed how Senators are selected with the 17th Amendment). This also means that only one Senator in a state is up for re-election in a given cycle.
However, every member of the House of Representatives stands for reelection every two years. Hence, the entire 435 member body is re-elected every two years. The political composition of the House is subject to more frequent change than the Senate.
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Back next time with Q&A #18: What is the size of the House of Representatives and how is it determined?
Meanwhile, don’t forget that we’re organizing the post links on a single page available here.
xo,
Kelley for the Savvy Citizen Team
November 6, 2024