by Mary Hale

Created on: February 27, 2010   Last Updated: February 28, 2010

Congress, in our government, is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. While both parties are of equal importance in the law making process, there are some major, and very important, differences in their responsibilities. Senators and Representatives do share some similarities, however. 

For instance, both Representatives and Senators are chosen through a direct election process. They are also equal partners in the legislative process, however, the Constitution grants each chamber, (House and Senate), some very unique and important powers.

Congress consists of 435 US Representatives and only 100 Senators. The reason for this is that there are only two Senators for each of the fifty states and DC, while the number of State Representatives varies by state. While each state has at least one Representative, the total number of State Representatives allotted to each state is based on that states population. 

Each of the Representatives represents not only a state, but also an individual district in that state; in contrast, both Senators from each state represent that state as a whole.

There are also differences in the term limits that each are allowed to serve.  Senators, for example, serve staggered 6-year terms. What this means is that during no election year will more than one third of the Senators come due for re-election. 

Approximately every two years, one third of the US Senate seats will be up for grabs in an election, however the incumbent Senator (currently in office) will generally be re-elected. Representatives, in contrast, serve a two year term and it is not as certain that they will be re-elected.

Senators and Representatives also have different requirements regarding both age limits and citizenship in order to run for office. For example, Senators are required to be at least 30 years old and must have been a US citizen for at least nine years in order to qualify to run for office. 

The Representatives on the other hand, only have to be 25 years old and a US citizen for at least seven years to qualify. Both Senators and Representatives must be residents of the state in which they are running for election to represent. 

Another major difference between the two is the fact that while Senators are usually considered to be Presidential material, Representatives are not; because of this fact, many Representatives will run for election to the Senate to increase their

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