Difference Between Congress and Senate

‘Congress’ and ‘Senate’

Every government has laws that people must abide by. These laws and bills are formulated and approved by Senators and members of the House of Representatives in the government’s Congress.

‘Congress’
A congress is the meeting of the representative of different nations, states, organizations, or groups. It is formed so that each unit can have a voice or a hand in the planning, formulation, and development of laws that can affect the overall population.
The congress of federal governments is bicameral, which means that it is composed of two chambers or houses. The upper chamber is called the Senate and the lower chamber is known as the House of Representatives.

Members of the lower house of Congress are elected officials. The House of Representatives have a larger number of members, and the party which holds the majority has the biggest say in decision making. Passing a proposed bill would need the votes of the majority in order to be passed. There are 435 members in the United States’ House of Representatives. They have a term of 2 years and must at least be 25 years old and have resided in the United States for at least 7 years.

‘Senate’
A senate is an assembly of representatives in the upper chamber of a legislature or parliament. In ancient times, the members of the senate were those who were the eldest and are, therefore, considered the wisest in the land. The first Senate was formed by the Romans.
Today, members of the Senate are usually elected by their constituents, are appointed, have inherited the position, or have acquired it by some other method depending on the country. They act as the approving body of legislators that have been passed by the lower house or chamber.

In Australia, senators are elected and have a term of six years while in Canada, senators are appointed by the Governor General upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada. They can hold office until they resign, are removed, or are retired at the age of 75.
In the United States, the Senate has 100 members, with 2 senators from each state. U.S. Senators have a term of six years and must be American citizens who have resided in the US for at least nine years. Senators must at least be 30 years old. The Senate operates under the principle of unanimous consent agreements which means that all should agree before everything can proceed. Each senator has the power to stop any proceedings and is capable of confirming or voting on the President’s appointees for a judicial post.

Summary:
1. The Senate has 100 members while the House has 435 members.
2. Senators have longer terms while members of the House of
Representatives have shorter terms.
3. The Senate has more rigid eligibility requirements while the House of Representatives has less.
4. A senator must at least be 30 years old while a member of the lower house must at least be 25 years old.
5. Congress develops, proposes, and approves bills and passes laws. The Senate is the senior legislative body of the government.

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