Q # 07: 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 United States is called congress, the bicameral
body. The upper house is called Senate and lower house is called the House of
Representatives and 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 U.S constitution shows that congress is 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 then house of representatives

I. Number of members
 The senate is consisted upon 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
 I. Age
 A candidate must not 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
 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
 Senate has power of amendment in 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
 c) Rejection of bills
 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, 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
 VI. Investigative powers
 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
 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 American senate is most powerful legislative authority in the world. The senate
has been created for the protection of the interest of the people of U.S.A. Senate is the
most powerful chamber of the congress