2.The Membership and Powers of Congress

Under the US Constitution，legislative power is vested in the US Congress，which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.The two houses are equal importance and check each other.Members of the House are elected directly by the voters for a two-year term，and the numbers of the representatives in each state are apportioned according to its population.The senator serves a six-year term，and each state，whether it is big or small，has two senators.Senators were originally chosen by the state legislatures rather than the voters.It was not until 1913that the 17th Amendment to the Constitution providedx for the direct election of senators.Now the Senate has 100senators and the House has 435 representatives，roughly with one for 580，000inhabitants.The entire membership of the House of Representatives is elected every second year.Elections for senators are staggered，so that one-third of the 100senators are chosen every two years.

American Congress

According to the Constitution，members of the House of Representatives must be 25years old and must have been citizens for seven years.Senators must be at least 30and must have been citizens for nine years.For most of the US history，members of Congress have been mainly white males between the age of 35and 70.Many of them are well educated，and from middle or upper-middle-income backgrounds.Beginning with the civil rights movement of the 1960s，the number of ethnic minorities and women in Congress has increased，but still is much smaller than that of white males.

Getting elected to congress depends on a number of factors，for example，the party strength in the area，personal character and appeal，first-term or incumbent status，occasional national tides，and campaign strategies and fundraising abilities.Most congressional campaigns cost about＄500，000，but in recent years the top spenders laid out over＄1million for the House.The race for Senator may easily cost a million dollars.Once elected to office，members of Congress represent their constituents in different ways.Some consider themselves delegates，obligated to vote the way the majority of the people in their districts want.Others see themselves as trustees who，while taking the views of their constituents into account，use their own best judgment or their conscience to vote.In general，the congressman votes firstly to win the favor of his local district and secondly to conform to or support the policy of his party.That is the chief reason why congresspersons of the same party sometimes vote differently.

Under the Constitution，Congress has both specific and implied powers.The specific powers cover such areas as the right to collect taxes，regulate foreign and domestic commerce，coin money，declare war，support an army and navy，and establish lower federal courts.In addition，Congress can admit new states to the Union，propose amendments to the constitution，collect federal income taxes，and enforce protection and extension of civil rights，Implied powers are not stated per se in the Constittution.They derive from the right of Congress to make all laws“necessary and proper”to carry out its specific powers.

Each house has certain special powers.For example the Senate has the power to confirm presidential nominations，including members of the Supreme Court，and all treaties.The House brings impeachment charges，but the Senate has the“sole power”to try impeachment cases.All revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives，but the Senate can freely amend the bills that originate in the House.