Legislative+Qualifications+and+Terms

**The Legislative Branch Qualifications and Terms-** The Legislative Branch is home to congress, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members. To become a member of the House of Representatives you must be 25 years old, have been a United States citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state. Each representative serves a two year term. The Senate holds 100 people, two for each state. They are elected by popular vote and serve six year terms. Senators have to be at least 30 years old, have been a United States citizen for at least nine years, and have to be a resident of the state they represent. One third of the Senate goes up for reelection every two years (Legislative Branch The White House). Both parties, the representatives and senators represent the people. You might wonder why we have two separate committee's represent the same thing but there is a reason for this. It helps make the 'Checks and Balances' system work, and it allows new bills being looked at to be considered more seriously. They may represent the same thing but they both look into different idea's before passing a bill. The difference in term time is also believed to make them look at longer term effects of the bills that they do pass. The House of Representatives are based off of population, while the Senate is equal between states (Why we Have a House and a Senate). media type="youtube" key="8Qa9NZwdnBY" height="315" width="560" This Video describes the Legislative Branch through song.

"The Legislative Branch." __The Legislative Branch The White House.__ US Government, n.d. Web. 27 Feb 2012. .

"Why We Have a House and a Senate." __House and Senate Why We Have a House and a Senate.__ About.com, 2012. Web. 28 Feb 2012. . Legislative Qualifications and Terms