What are representives, senators, assembly, etc.? ?

Question

I am confused by all the different members of government. House, congress, assembly - what does it all mean? What is the order of importance. I would appreciate a quick rundown - no super long details - just a quick general definition, so I could follow along better.

Answer 1

In the Federal Government (meets in DC) there are 2 houses of the legislative branch, the Senate, which is considered the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. The Senate hosts 2 members from each state, and thus has 100 members. The House of Representatives has 435 members who are called Congressmen/women. In the house, seats or positions are given based on a state's population, thus a state like NY or CA would have more representatives then a state such as Rhode Island or Alaska. Each state must have at least one seat. The Senate is considered more prestigious because they hold their position for 6 years once elected, whereas Representatives hold their position for only 2 years before they must seek election. Both Senators and Representatives are law makers, as the legislative branch is our law making body. Hope this helps!