State senator: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Member of an upper house of a U.S. state legislature}} | {{Short description|Member of an upper house of a U.S. state legislature}} | ||
{{about|the U.S. elected office|the Brazilian elected office|State Senator (Brazil)}} | {{about|the U.S. elected office|the Brazilian elected office|State Senator (Brazil)}} | ||
{{ | {{more citations needed|date=October 2013}} | ||
A '''state senator''' is a member of a [[State legislature (United States)|state's senate]] in the [[bicameral]] legislature of 49 [[U.S. state]]s, or a member of the [[unicameral]] [[Nebraska Legislature]]. | A '''state senator''' is a member of a [[State legislature (United States)|state's senate]] in the [[bicameral]] legislature of 49 [[U.S. state]]s, or a member of the [[unicameral]] [[Nebraska Legislature]]. | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's [[lower house]]; a senator's job is to represent the people at a higher level than a state representative in the lower house.<ref>''[[Gray v. Sanders]]'', 372 U.S. 368 (1963)</ref> In the past, this meant that senators represented various geographic regions within a state, regardless of the population, as a way of balancing the power of the lower house, which was apportioned according to population. This system changed in 1964, when the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] announced in ''[[Reynolds v. Sims]]'' that [[State legislature (United States)|state legislatures]] must apportion seats in both houses according to population.<ref>''[[Reynolds v. Sims]]'', 377 U.S. 533 (1964)</ref> However, the single-member district system remained, and as a result, the state senates became redundant bodies,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/2011/12/17/california-do-we-need-state-senators/|title=CALIFORNIA: Do we need state senators?|date=2011-12-17|work=Press Enterprise|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}}</ref> as other solutions, such as abolition (as in [[Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|Canada]]) or switching to statewide [[proportional representation]] (as in [[Parliaments of the Australian states and territories|Australia]]) have not been adopted. | There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's [[lower house]]; a senator's job is to represent the people at a higher level than a state representative in the lower house.<ref>''[[Gray v. Sanders]]'', 372 U.S. 368 (1963)</ref> In the past, this meant that senators represented various geographic regions within a state, regardless of the population, as a way of balancing the power of the lower house, which was apportioned according to population. This system changed in 1964, when the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] announced in ''[[Reynolds v. Sims]]'' that [[State legislature (United States)|state legislatures]] must apportion seats in both houses according to population.<ref>''[[Reynolds v. Sims]]'', 377 U.S. 533 (1964)</ref> However, the single-member district system remained, and as a result, the state senates became redundant bodies,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/2011/12/17/california-do-we-need-state-senators/|title=CALIFORNIA: Do we need state senators?|date=2011-12-17|work=Press Enterprise|access-date=2018-05-04|language=en-US}}</ref> as other solutions, such as abolition (as in [[Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|Canada]]) or switching to statewide [[proportional representation]] (as in [[Parliaments of the Australian states and territories|Australia]]) have not been adopted. | ||
Most state senators are elected to four-year terms every presidential election year. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
[[Category:State senators of the United States| ]] | |||
{{US-poli-stub}} | {{US-poli-stub}} | ||
Latest revision as of 12:57, 28 September 2025
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Script error: No such module "Unsubst". A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
History
There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house; a senator's job is to represent the people at a higher level than a state representative in the lower house.[1] In the past, this meant that senators represented various geographic regions within a state, regardless of the population, as a way of balancing the power of the lower house, which was apportioned according to population. This system changed in 1964, when the Supreme Court of the United States announced in Reynolds v. Sims that state legislatures must apportion seats in both houses according to population.[2] However, the single-member district system remained, and as a result, the state senates became redundant bodies,[3] as other solutions, such as abolition (as in Canada) or switching to statewide proportional representation (as in Australia) have not been adopted.
Most state senators are elected to four-year terms every presidential election year.
References
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- ↑ Gray v. Sanders, 372 U.S. 368 (1963)
- ↑ Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964)
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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