"The legislative branch of the federal government has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Founding Fathers carefully built in differences between the two chambers, as part of a system of checks and balances needed to protect the nation from falling into tyranny. "The main focus of the House of Representatives is domestic issues. The House controls the government’s purse strings through the creation of tax and spending bills. Its members are split unequally among the states, based on population. All seats are up for election every two years. Compared to members of the Senate, each representative speaks for a smaller and more localized group of people, and turnover is relatively rapid. Thus, the House was meant to be a more responsive and reactive body, one that both reflects and protects the interests of the common people. "The Senate has more influence on foreign affairs than the House. Its primary responsibility is to provide advice and consent to the President, by voting on treaties and cabinet and judicial nominees. Every state has two Senators, regardless of population. They serve six year, staggered terms. Compared to the House members, Senators are further removed from local interests and influences. The Senate was designed to be more stable and deliberative, and to represent and safeguard the interests of landowners and other elites. "The Senate and the House were each designed to have unique responsibilities and characteristics. However, they are still meant to act together in order to carry out the vital legislative business of the federal government." What are the points of comparison used to compare the House of Representatives and the Senate? intentions of the Founding Fathers, modern reality state roles, federal roles Founding Fathers, Representatives, Senators duties, terms, who they represent