ABSTRACT
The Constitution set up a bicameral legislature to carry out the critical function of directing the work of the government. This chapter provides an overview of the constitutional debate and the key differences between the House and Senate. It looks at what led to the bicameral legislature and how the framers defended the choice. The chapter covers what majority and minority party leadership do, how top leaders are selected, how committees' jurisdictions are determined, and how members get on committees. Ultimately, Connecticut's Roger Sherman put forward what came to be called "the Great Compromise." Many House members represent constituencies that are homogeneous in terms of some combination of partisanship, ideology, economic status, race, or other factors. The House and Senate have parallel organizational units: party leadership and the committees. Getting good committee assignments is crucial in the Senate, just as it is in the House.
