Governors, Senators and Representatives

kraggy

What the feck is the difference between these?!

Especially between the Governors and Senators since many of each have run for president?

mr_disc

Good question.... let the experts explain it !!.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_of_the_United_States

see " composition" a small bit down the page .

In very, very, very simple terms:

There is 1 governor per state. They have a similar role to the president within their state but only over areas where the state has jurisdiction. Representatives are like TDs here and sit in the House of Representitaves, the lower house of the US Congress. There are 430 or so of them. Senators are like Senators here and sit in the US Senate, which is the upper house of Congress. There are 2 senators per state, 100 total. The powers of the US Senate and House of Representitaves are broadly equal, unlike here, so Senate positions actually count for something.

kraggy

thanks folks

so the reps and senators are more or less equal. but bills are initially sent to the house of reps aren't they? do they go the senate thereafter?

and how would a party decide if they want a governor or a senator to run for president? is it purely on merit or are there more complicated reasons?

i guess my most particular question is what powers do each type of public office holder possess?

Have a look at these and follow the links on the pages to your areas of interest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Politics_of_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_politics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midterm_election

kraggy

thanks headbutt

alot of info there. tried searching this subject before but only got the composition of each house as opposed to their respective powers.

will look at them.

thanks

Manic Moran

kraggy wrote:

thanks folks

so the reps and senators are more or less equal. but bills are initially sent to the house of reps aren't they? do they go the senate thereafter?

Yes. The Senate can ratify, reject or ammend legislation. If you hold the House, but not the Senate, there's no automatic guarantee you can get your policies through. If you hold both House and Senate, the President can still veto it.

and how would a party decide if they want a governor or a senator to run for president? is it purely on merit or are there more complicated reasons?

No, just merit. Whoever is deemed most likely to win.

i guess my most particular question is what powers do each type of public office holder possess?

My rough guess is that a Governor is probably going to be better qualified on average than a Congresscritter. Foreigners just don't seem to comprehend how much individual power resides within a state. They really are in effect little countries, with a central oversight. Very much like the EU with it's European parliament, except that foreign policy is vested solely in the central government, unlike the EU. A State has its own Constitution, legal system, police forces, upper and lower legislatures, military, economic policies, education policies, and so on and so forth, and the Governor is in charge of the lot. My Governor basically controls a country 12 times the size of Ireland, with very few responsibilities missing. Take that, Bertie!

On the other hand, Congresscritters get a slightly better knowledge of the inside workings of the federal government. Particularly when it comes to issues of foreign policy, which Governors are forbidden by the Constitution to take much of an active part in. As they're in the system already, they know how to work it, and how to get what they think they need doing done. They also have already formed alliances and friendships with the other Congresscritters, so have a headstart on things.

NTM

kraggy

excellent stuff. great information manic, much appreciated!

just heard of democrats' senate-seizing victory. interesting times ahead. very complicated times ahead actually...

metrovelvet

Arent there two other main differences?

One is that a member of the house of rep holds a seat for two years, so once they are elected they have to immediately think of their campaign for the next election? Also arent house of reps population based? [not sure about this]

Senators hold six year terms so they can actually get some work done without all their time taken up by election campaigns? And they live in the state they represent.

Manic Moran

metrovelvet wrote:

Arent there two other main differences?

One is that a member of the house of rep holds a seat for two years, so once they are elected they have to immediately think of their campaign for the next election? Also arent house of reps population based? [not sure about this]

Yes, on both.

Senators hold six year terms so they can actually get some work done without all their time taken up by election campaigns? And they live in the state they represent.

Yes on both as well, though anyone who claims that Hillary is a New Yorker is talking out their trap. The only reason she lives there is that there was zero chance that Arkansas would elect her to the Senate but she knew New York would.

At any rate, those are just differences in make-up, not in job description or power.

NTM

Chakar

But Arkansas is a Democratic state two senators there are Democrat.

Manic Moran

Chakar wrote:

But Arkansas is a Democratic state two senators there are Democrat.

As I think has been made quite clear on the other thread, there are Democrats and there are Democrats. Hillary is definitely on the left side of the spectrum, a lot of Democrats from the central states are much more centrist. They don't win so much because they are Democrats, as much as they have the values and opinions that most suit the people of the state that represent them.

NTM

metrovelvet

Manic Moran wrote:

Yes on both as well, though anyone who claims that Hillary is a New Yorker is talking out their trap. The only reason she lives there is that there was zero chance that Arkansas would elect her to the Senate but she knew New York would.


NTM

Oh yeah, there's no way she's a New Yorker, but dont forget,New Yorkers voted in a Bostonian for their mayor. She is however a resident of one of, if not THE wealthiest communities in New York, Chappaqua.

Of course now that she has 2008 in sight, she has to balance the liberal northeast, while appealing to the more conservative midwest. She is after all slick willy's wife. Lets see how she slides. I mean, hasnt she been going around saying she wants to see the amounts of abortions in the US reduced? She's definitely sniffing around candidacy.

And as shes way too left for Arkansas, and maybe also a bit too Chicago for them too.