Discuss the composition, powers and functions of the senate

under the U.S constitution.

1) Introduction
● The senate is one of Congress's two chambers, and part of the federal government's
legislative branch. The legislature of the United States is called congress, the
bicameral body. The upper house is called the Senate and lower house is called the
House of Representatives and the main function of the congress is to make law. The
number of voting senators in the senate is fixed by law and no more than 100, as
well as they all are representing to their own states from which they belongs

2) Composition of congress
Article 1 sec 1 of the U.S constitution shows that congress is a bicameral body. It consists
of two houses
1) Senate
2) House of Representatives

3) Composition of senate
The senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress. The composition and powers of
the senate are established by Article 1 of the United States Constitution. It is popular chamber
of congress and more powerful than house of representatives

I. Number of members
● The senate consists of 100 members on the basis of two senators from each of the
states. These are direct elected members of the state and are senior politicians of the
state
II. Term of senate
● The term of senators is six years but one third of them retire after every two years

III. Senate a continuous body

● Senators are chosen for six year and one third out of them gets retire after every two
years and only one third are re-elected that’s why senate is continuous body because
two third members always remain occupied on their seats and senate has been
organized since 1789

4) Qualifications and election of senators

1. Qualification
Following are the qualifications of a senator

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 I. Age
● A candidate must not be less than 30 years of age. Otherwise he will not be
elected as senator

II. Citizenship
● A candidate must be the citizen of the U.S.A for nine years

III. Residence
● A candidate must be resident of the state from which he has been elected as senator

2. Elections of senators
⮚ Old method
● It was constitutionally decided that senators should be chosen by the legislature and
this method was active until 1913, then this method was changed by constitutional
amendment

⮚ After seventeenth amendment

● After 17th amendment, government of the state will elect two members from his state
in order to appoint them as senator

5) Presiding officer of senate

● According to the U.S constitution, the vice president of the united states is the presiding
officer of the senate

6) Committees of senate
● The Senate is divided into a number of committees. And each committee performs
different functions of the senate. All issues before the senate are referred to the
relevant committee for opinion and resolution

7) Powers and functions of senate

Following are the powers and functions of the senate

I. Legislative powers
a) Amendments
● The Senate has power to amend the constitution. Senate can amend any law by
its two third majority

b) Initiation of bills
● Some important bills which only can be initiated by senate then forwarded to the
house of representatives

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 c) Rejection of bills
● The Senate has overall powers to reject any kind of bill without consent of any
other. No one can interfere with senate in this regard

II. Executive powers

a) High appointments
● All high ranked official’s appointments are subject to the consent of the senate
and are advised by the senate

b) Aid and advice the president

● Senate gives aid and advice to the president in all official affairs among the state
c) Internal administration control
● Furthermore, the senate controls the internal administration of the country.
And interferes in all administrative matter in the state

III. Control over foreign affairs

a) Ratification of treaties
● All treaties are being made on the name of president but ratification or approval
of senate is necessary in this regard

b) Foreign policies
● Senators have power to make foreign policies of the country and guide the
government in foreign affair

IV. Judicial power

a) Court of impeachment
● Senate is court of impeachment and in this regard senate has power to impeach
president, vice president and other officials of the country

b) Appointment of judges
● The judges of the supreme court are appointed with the consent of senate by
president

V. Electoral power
● Senate has power to elect someone for presidential post when no candidate gets
votes in majority

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 VI. Investigative powers
● The Senate has investigative powers. Senate appoints a committee in order to
search or find the purpose for the better administration of justice

8) Senate, the powerful chamber of the world

1. Reason why the senate is powerful?
I. Direct executive powers
● Senate is only legislation authority in the world which has direct executive powers

II. Small membership

● The number of members of senate is very less which is consisted on only 100 members

III. Long tenure

● The tenure of the chamber is long because all senators are elected for the term of 6
years

IV. Senior politicians

● The senators are the senior politicians of the state as well as the country

V. Direction election
● It is constitutionally stated that Senators are directly selected by the people of the
country

VI. Freedom of speech

● The senators have freedom of speech. A senator can speak as long as he wants on the
issue under consideration. There is no time limit upon them

VII. Absence of parliamentary government

● There is no Parliament in the U.S system which makes the senate more powerful

VIII. Court for impeachment

● Senate is court of impeachment and in this regard senate has power to impeach
president, vice president and other officials of the country

IX. Unity
● A very strong unity between the members of the senate makes them more powerful

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 X. Representatives of the people
● The senate is the representative of the people in the U.S.A

XI. Representatives of the states

● Each and every senators represents his state in the senate because members of the
senate are elected on the basis of entire population of the state

XII. Special powers

● Senate has special powers which makes it more powerful , emergency powers are one
of those powers which have been vested in senate

XIII. Double role

● Senate plays double role in U.S.A a lot of matter which are resolved by president and
senate

XIV. Continuity of membership

● American senate is permanent organ, its term is 6 years and it never dissolved as a
whole

XV. Committees of investigation

● The senate is empowered to appoint committees of investigation in order to control
administrative issues of the country

9) Conclusion
● Today the American senate is the most powerful legislative authority in the world. The
senate has been created for the protection of the interest of the people of the U.S.A.
Senate is the most powerful chamber of the congress

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Composition, Powers, and Functions of the Senate under the U.S. Constitution 🇺🇸

Introduction: The Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress,
the legislative branch of the federal government. The U.S. Congress is bicameral,
consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is the upper
house, while the House of Representatives is the lower house. The primary function
of Congress is to make laws and represent the interests of the American people.

Composition of Congress: The United States Congress is composed of two houses:

Senate
House of Representatives

Composition of the Senate: The Senate is the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress. It
consists of 100 members, with each state having two senators. Senators represent
their respective states and are elected to serve six-year terms. The Senate is a
continuous body, as one-third of the members retire after every two years, and new
senators are elected to replace them.

Qualifications and Election of Senators: To be eligible to serve in the Senate, a

candidate must meet the following qualifications:

● Age: A candidate must be at least 30 years old.

● Citizenship: A candidate must be a U.S. citizen for at least nine years.
● Residence: A candidate must be a resident of the state from which they are
seeking election.

The old method of selecting senators involved their appointment by state

legislatures, but the 17th Amendment changed this, making senators directly
elected by the people of their respective states.

Presiding Officer of the Senate: According to the U.S. Constitution, the Vice President
of the United States serves as the presiding officer of the Senate. In the Vice
President's absence, the President Pro Tempore, who is elected by the Senate,
presides over the chamber.

Committees of the Senate: The Senate is divided into various committees, each with
specific functions and responsibilities. Committees play a crucial role in conducting
hearings, investigating issues, and reviewing legislation.

Powers and Functions of the Senate:

1️⃣Legislative Powers:
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 ● Equal Lawmaking Authority: The Senate shares legislative power with the
House of Representatives, and both chambers must pass a bill for it to become
law.
● Amendments: The Senate can propose and pass amendments to the U.S.
Constitution, subject to approval by the House of Representatives.

2️⃣Executive Powers:

● High Appointments: The Senate has the authority to confirm or reject

presidential appointments, including high-ranking officials, federal judges, and
ambassadors.
● Ratification of Treaties: The Senate must ratify international treaties
negotiated by the President before they become binding.

3️⃣Judicial Powers:

● Impeachment Trials: The Senate acts as the court for impeachment trials of
federal officials, including the President. A two-thirds majority is required for
conviction.

4️⃣Electoral Power:

● In case of a tie or no candidate receiving a majority of electoral votes for Vice

President, the Senate has the power to elect the Vice President from the top
two candidates.

5️⃣Investigative Powers:

● The Senate conducts investigations through its committees, which have the
authority to subpoena witnesses and gather evidence.

6️⃣Other Powers:

● Senate Rules: The Senate has the power to establish its rules and procedures.
● Filibuster: Senators have the right to engage in filibusters, which allow them to
speak for an extended period to delay or prevent a vote on legislation.

Conclusion: The Senate plays a critical role in the U.S. legislative process and has
significant powers and responsibilities. Its unique composition and long tenure give
it a distinctive position in the federal government, allowing it to act as a check and
balance on the executive and judicial branches.

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