Government: Senate Overview 10.3

Differences between the Senate and the House

• The Senate consists of 100 members, with two senators from each state.
• Senators serve six-year terms, providing longer tenure compared to House members.
• Minimum age for a senator is 30 years; must have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years.
• Senators are often perceived as more insulated from public opinion, focusing on national issues.

Continuous Body

• The Senate is classified as a continuous body, meaning not all seats are up for election simultaneously.

Constituency

• Constituency refers to the group of people and interests that a politician represents in their role.

Incumbent

• An incumbent is the individual currently holding a specific political office.

Election Process for Senators

• Initially, senators were elected by state legislatures, not through popular vote.
• The Framers designed this system to cultivate a more stable and thoughtful legislative body distinct from the House.
• The 17th Amendment shifted this to direct elections by the populace, requiring statewide elections.
• Only one senator from each state is elected in a given election cycle.

Senators vs. Representatives

• Senators represent entire states, while House representatives are elected from specific congressional districts, creating broader representation in the Senate.

Qualifications for Senate Election

• Senators face stricter qualifications than House members, including age, citizenship, and residency.
• Informal qualifications influencing candidacy can be party affiliation, gender, ethnicity, public recognition, and incumbency.
• Successful Senate campaigns heavily rely on effective fundraising strategies.