Transcript The United States Senate

Chapters 10, 11 & 12 – “The United States Congress”
 What it is…
 Constitutional Qualifications
 Size and Terms of Senators
 The 17th Amendment and the Election of Senators
 Seniority in the Senate
 First Day of Congress in the Senate
 What is the Senate?
 “Upper House” – Why?
 Latin for: “council of elders” – Named after?
 A more “deliberative” and “prestigious” body than the
House…
 “World's Greatest Deliberative Body”
 Harding, JFK, Obama
 Article I, Section 3:
 “No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to
the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of
the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an
Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.”
 The SENATE is the judge of a Senator’s qualifications…
 Historical examples…
 Henry Clay, 29, 1806
 Joe Biden, 29, 1972
 Article I, Section 3:
 “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two
Senators from each State…”
Today: 100 Senators, 2 from each state (50 states)
 Article I, Section 3:
 “…chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years…
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of
the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may
be into three Classes…”
 The election is staggered; approximately 1/3 of the
Senate is up for re-election every two years, but the
entire body is never up for re-election in the same year!
 *** What does this give us?
 A ____________________ body…
 Under the Constitution, unlike before, States were sub-
ordinate to the Federal Gov’t…
 Senators were supposed to represent the states, NOT the
people!
 Longer terms, classes/election cycle, continuous body…
 “temper the populism of the House”
 State legislatures held supreme power over Senators!
 True bicameralism (House Constituency vs. Senate
Constituency)
However, the U.S. ran into
some problems…
(1.corruption and 2.deadlock)
* “The Millionaire’s Club!” *
 U.S. Constitution: “…chosen by the Legislature
thereof…”
 17th Amendment, 1913: “The Senate of the United States
shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected
by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall
have one vote…”
 “When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in
the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall
issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided,
That the legislature of any State may empower the executive
thereof to make temporary appointments until the people
fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.”
 Seniority plays a HUGE role in the Senate…
 Constitution does not differentiate, but, Senate Rules
do!
 “Senatorial Courtesy” – goes to the Senior Senator
 Who would serve as President pro tempore in the
absence of the Vice-President? Who would chair the
important committees? Who would obtain desirable
office space?
Reasons why Seniority matters in the Senate!
 Vice President Presides…
 Prayer…
 Oath of Office and swearing in (first and second
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time)…
Majority Leader, a resolution, and notification of the
President…
Election of the President pro tempore…
Daily meeting time…
New members organized into committees…
House of Representatives
Senate
 2 year terms
 6 year terms!
 25 y.o., 7 years citizen,
 30 y.o., 9 years citizen,
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resident
435 Representatives
C.D. constituency
Dissolves every 2 years
Lower House
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resident!
100 Senators
State-wide constituency
Continuous body
Upper House