Dwg: Article written and Venn diagram created.

2025-11-28T14:05:29Z

Article written and Venn diagram created.

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== House of Representatives vs. Senate ==
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. federal government, consisting of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The structure was established by the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787, which created a dual system of representation.<ref name="ref1" /><ref name="ref2" /> In the House, each state is assigned a number of seats proportional to its population, while in the Senate, all states have equal representation with two seats each.<ref name="ref2" /><ref name="ref3" /> Both chambers must pass legislation for it to become law.<ref name="ref4" />

=== Comparison table ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! House of Representatives !! Senate
|-
| '''Number of members'''
| 435 voting members<ref name="ref5" />
| 100 members
|-
| '''Term length'''
| Two years
| Six years (staggered)
|-
| '''Representation'''
| Based on state population
| Two per state
|-
| '''Minimum age'''
| 25 years
| 30 years
|-
| '''Citizenship requirement'''
| 7 years
| 9 years
|-
| '''Role in revenue bills'''
| Must originate all revenue bills
| May amend revenue bills<ref name="ref5" />
|-
| '''Role in impeachment'''
| Has the sole power to impeach officials<ref name="ref5" />
| Has the sole power to try all impeachments
|-
| '''Role with treaties'''
| No formal constitutional role
| Provides "advice and consent" to ratify treaties
|-
| '''Presidential appointments'''
| No formal constitutional role
| Confirms presidential appointments
|}

[[File:Venn_diagram_Differences_between_House_of_Representatives_versus_Senate_comparison.png|thumb|center|800px|alt=Venn diagram for Differences between House of Representatives and Senate|Venn diagram comparing Differences between House of Representatives and Senate]]

=== Distinct powers ===
The Constitution grants each chamber specific powers. The House of Representatives has the exclusive authority to initiate all revenue bills, a power rooted in the principle of popular representation. It also possesses the sole power of impeachment, which allows it to formally charge federal officials with wrongdoing.<ref name="ref5" /> In cases where no presidential candidate secures a majority in the Electoral College, the House is responsible for electing the President.

The Senate holds several unique powers that check the authority of the other branches of government. It has the constitutional role to provide "advice and consent" on various executive actions. This includes the power to ratify treaties negotiated by the President, which requires a two-thirds supermajority vote. The Senate also confirms presidential appointments, including cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and ambassadors, by a majority vote. Following an impeachment by the House, the Senate conducts a trial to determine whether to convict and remove the official from office.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="ref1">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Compromise "wikipedia.org"]. Retrieved November 28, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref2">[https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Great_Compromise.htm "senate.gov"]. Retrieved November 28, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref3">[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Connecticut-Compromise "britannica.com"]. Retrieved November 28, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref4">[https://www.civicsrenewalnetwork.org/resources/house-and-senate-whats-the-difference/ "civicsrenewalnetwork.org"]. Retrieved November 28, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref5">[https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/education-resource/us-house-representatives "visitthecapitol.gov"]. Retrieved November 28, 2025.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Comparisons]]

Differences between House of Representatives and Senate - Revision history

Dwg: Article written and Venn diagram created.