Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
1
House and Senate: Differences and Committees
Standard SSCG10: The student will describe the legislative process including the roles played by committees and leadership.
2
Bell Ringer What is a term? How many years is a Senate term? House term? What happens to the seats in House after every census? What is the difference between a leader and a whip? Who are our Georgia Senators?
3
House-Senate Differences
435 members; 2 yr terms Low turnover (means members are likely to get re- elected) Speaker of the House has a lot of power Scheduling of bills is controlled by majority party with powerful Rules Committee (controls time of debate, amends., etc) Senate 100 members; 6 yr terms Moderate turnover (members have a harder time getting re- elected) Individual members are given more power Scheduling of bills is agreed upon by majority party & minority party leaders
4
House-Senate Differences
Debate limited to 1 hour Members policy specialists Emphasizes taxing & spending policy More formal & impersonal Senate Unlimited debate unless members vote to limit debate (called a vote of cloture) Members policy generalists Emphasizes foreign policy More informal & personal
5
Membership: Difference is stated in the Constitution House is “closer to the people” with representation based on population and 2 year terms Senate smaller, more deliberative
6
Turnover: 1. House: Incumbents win re-election over 90% of the time 2. Senate races are state-wide and more competitive
7
Leadership: House Senate
Members limited by strict rules (Because of 435) Difficult for individual members to challenge the Speaker of the House Senate More independent operators
8
Scheduling: House Senate
Majority Party tightly controls Leadership and Rules Senate Much more cooperation between parties **Due to Size**
9
Debate: House Limited Debate Senate More time given to Debate
10
Members and Policy: House Senate
Members most become experts in policies that directly affect their districts Senate Represent diverse interest of an entire state
11
Policy Focus: House Senate
All tax and revenue bills must originate there Public Policy decisions involve the budget Senate Ratify treaties Approve Appointments
12
Decorum: House Senate Need strict rules because of size
Smaller and therefore more “community”
13
Analyze the quote below and write 1 paragraph explaining the meaning.
Closing: Analyze the quote below and write 1 paragraph explaining the meaning. "Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” - Woodrow Wilson
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.