Evaluate the Claim That the Senate Is Far More Powerful Than the House of Representatives

Oliver Ellsworth, an important American lawyer and politician that lived during the first American Independence day, states his opinion on a new American Congress, “The powers of congress must be defined, but their means must be adequate to the purposes of their constitution. It is possible there may be abuses and misapplications; still, it is better to hazard something than to hazard at all”. In the original United States Constitution, the Framers wanted to make three different and equal branches of government, but today that is not the case. In present day government, Congress is more powerful than the President. The Legislative Branch, or Congress, is the second branch of the United States Federal Government. Congress is made up of two houses called the Senate and the House of Representatives. The main purpose of

The congress is divided into two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives (Doc. D). In the Senate representation is equal; each state has two senators (Doc. D). In the other house, the House of Representatives, the number of representatives is based on population (Doc. D). The House gives the large states more representation because of the larger population giving them more congressmen. The Senate helps the small states gain representation by being giving all states the same amount of senators. This prevents large states from controlling all decisions or the large states being overpowered by the small states. This evidence further explains why a bicameral legislature against tyranny because no state holds most of the power and are all represented in a way that gives power to

Large states prefer the House of Representatives, as they would have more people in the House. The number of Representatives is appointed according to population, which is one Representative for every thirty-thousand people. (Doc D) Smaller states wouldn’t prefer the House, because the smaller the state, the less Representatives they have, but every state will have at least one. (Doc. D) Small states prefer the Senate, because there are two senators for each state, which means every state has an equal voice in the Senate. (Doc. D) Large states don’t prefer this because it makes it harder for them to pass laws.The evidence shows that having two branches in Congress prevents tyranny. Having two branches fulfills the interests of both the small and large states. The Senate is preferred by the small states, since all the states have the same amount of votes and the larger states prefer the House of Representative, since the number of Representatives is determined by your

The founding fathers maintained an inherent distrust of large government. Despite conflicting with the majoritarian model, the filibuster demonstrates the original values and principles taken into account when establishing the United States of America. The Senate, a lawmaking body formerly elected by state legislatures, remains representative of individual states rather than majority will. Because each state sends two representatives, half of congressional senators are elected by less than twenty percent of the total population. Through intended structure alone, the government of the United States demonstrates clear preference for the pluralistic model. In practice, the interests of states carry more influence than the interests of citizens. Concerning democratic principles, the filibuster is no more undemocratic than the government

Furthermore the House also has more restraints, its more organized, and has stricter rules whereas the Senate has fewer rules. This allows more flexibility for the Senate leadership and other roles that they are responsible for.

“In the Senate, the states are represented equally, two Senators per state. In the House, the states are represented proportionally, based on population. This plan for representation is known as the "Great Compromise" and was a sticking point at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The tension stemmed from the fact that states are not created equal in size or population. In effect, the Senate represents the states and the House represents the people.”

Of course there is a balance of powers between the branches and all three branches are fairly equal as some Americans like to say but Congress has one advantage in particular, power of the purse. Congress approves budgets. If they don't want to fund a project or law, they don't have to, and it's dead in the water, that is why I would have to say that Congress has the most "active" power. They are the only branch that can make laws after all, amend the Constitution and ultimately has approval over all decisions affecting the nation as a whole. This seems like a clear reason on why the Legislative is so strong, it is the fact that they have so much power. Congress is the only one out of all three branches that is elected by popular vote, which can say a lot for the people. It is supposed to represent the will of the people. The Executive branch is ultimately responsible to Congress and remember that Congress can impeach a President, but a President does not have the power to remove a member of Congress and thus, to the

Both houses need each other in order to function as they are both part of the legislative branch of government however there are many arguments to suggest that senate is more prestigious that the house of representatives.

While both houses were intended to have new members regularly with each election, the House of Representatives was especially supposed to change. James Madison wrote, in The Federalist No. 57 (1788), “[Representatives] will be taken from that class of citizens which will...be most likely to aim at an ambitious sacrifice of the many and the aggrandizement of the few.” Whereas Senators were

and congress have in our democracy. The people elect members of the House while members off the senate are chosen by state legislators and how members are the house serve a term of two years while members of the senate have a term of 6 years. How congress have the power to rise and regulate the army and the navy, and declare war while the power of the senate can only ratified treaties, accept or reject presidential nominations. The congress and the house of representatives are significant in our democracy and how they continue to play a significant role in our democracy.

The U.S. Congress has worked much as how the founders have intended it to be. In the book it says, “The legislative branch was and is designed to be the ‘inefficient’ element of the federal government, slowing the ‘efficient’ branch, the presidency” (Sabato 22). The Senate consists of 100-members at the

This offers the House of Representatives a large scope of power in financial issues abroad and domestically. Impeachment is also another power possessed by the House. If a president or a member of the federal government has been acting illegally or unconstitutionally the House can impeach - formally accuse - them of it. This is then trialed in the Senate, but offers the House a lot of power over the president, and helps congress with it's scrutiny of the executive.

Being a part of Congress is one of the most powerful political positions in America. Congress is made up of the House of Representative and Senate for a grand total of 535 members. While that may not give give an individual power, it gives the large group so much power to do many things and even override the president on certain occasions. Most decisions they make need a ⅔ vote from the group. Congress many other powers, maybe too much power. Congress has too much power because of its expressed powers, implied/inherent powers, and its “voting powers”.

The Senate needs to ratify all laws by a two-third vote. The vice president who is the head of the Senate is not permitted to vote, but in case of a tie he is allowed to. The House of Representatives is made of 435 representatives, each is elected by his state and serve two years. The number of representatives depends on the state population. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate elect their own leaders; the part that controls the house, is called the majority leader while the other is called the minority leader.

On the other hand The House of Representatives is granted the power of originating all bills for the raising of revenue. The House leadership is structured essentially the same as the Senate, with the Members in the political parties responsible for the election of their respective leader and whips. The elected officers of the House of Representatives include the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, and the Chaplain. Both Houses of Congress act in impeachment proceedings, which, according to the Constitution, may be instituted against the President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the United States.