Sénat des États-Unis

The United States Senate is a legislative chamber in the bicameral legislature of the United States of America, and together with the U.S. House of Representatives makes up the U.S. Congress.

Senat plus house of representatives -> executifs power

I COMPOSITION

Two senators from each State elected by popular vote within said state (i.e. 100 senators). The President of the Senate is the Vice-President of the United States, but he or she may vote only in case of a tie vote. In practice, the Vice-President does not often preside over sessions of the Senate.

Presiding Officers : The Senate elects a President pro tempore who, by tradition, is the Senator of the majority party who has served continuously in the Senate for the longest period of time. When the President pro tempore is not presiding over the Senate, other Senators of the majority party serve as the Presiding Officer.

II ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Method of voting:

Senators are elected in State-wide elections. In 48 states, Senators are elected by plurality vote :

the candidate receiving the most votes is elected, even if that candidate receives less than a majority of the votes cast. In two States, Georgia and Louisiana, the winning candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. If there are three or more candidates and none of them receives a majority vote, there is a second election between the two candidates who received the most votes. The candidate who receives a majority of votes cast at the second election is elected.

Term of office:

The term of office for a Senator is six years. The terms of Senators are staggered so that the terms of approximately one-third of Senators expire every two years. Elections to fill those Senate seats coincide every two years with elections for all members of the House of Representatives and, every four years, with the election of the President. The terms of office for Senators are fixed. Neither house can be dissolved, and the dates for congressional elections are established by law.

More recent elections : 6 November 2012

Criteria for eligibility:

30 years of age citizen of the United States for at least nine years; resident of the State from which he or she was elected.

III.- RELATIONS WITH THE OTHER CHAMBER AND THE EXECUTIVE

A - LEGISLATIVE POWER

1) The right to propose legislation

Senators have the same authority as Representatives to propose legislation, with two exceptions. The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives traditionally has insisted thar this constitutional provision also requires that appropriation bills originate in the House.

2) Right of amendment

Senators may amend all bills, including revenue and appropriation bills. Furthermore, Senators usually may propose amendments in plenary sessions that are unrelated to the subject of the bill that the Senate is considering. This right enables Senators

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