Can someone please explain?
Posted by: woodface on 05 November 2004
After following the USA election I cannot quite get my head around their political system. I kind of understand how the Prez is elected, I assume each state has a number of electoral votes based upon its size and population, but I am unsure as to what the difference is between the Senate and House of Representatives and therefore between a Senator and a Congressman. Please help!
Posted on: 05 November 2004 by JonR
Woodface,
It's rather akin to our House of Lords and House of Commons - the Senate is the 'upper' house and the House of Representatives is the lower. However whereas there are only 100 Senators (each state elects two) there are over 400-odd Representatives.
That said I get confused also by the term 'congressman' which I reckon is a term the British media like to use instead to indicate a member of the House of Representatives. Anyone else like to comment?
jon
Posted on: 05 November 2004 by ErikL
Posted on: 05 November 2004 by woodface
Many thanks, great website - not surprising that us in UK get confused! So basically 'congress' applies to the senate and the house collectively. Ok so what's the difference between a Sheriff and a Policeman?!
Posted on: 05 November 2004 by Bhoyo
quote:
Originally posted by woodface:
Ok so what's the difference between a Sheriff and a Policeman?!
Not much. It's down to the jurisdictions. For example, in Ft. Lauderdale, there is a city police department. Some of the smaller neighboring cities also have police departments. The rest of the county is covered by the Broward County Sheriff's Office. That's pretty much how it works across the country.
The easy way to tell is that sheriffs are the ones with the funny hats, horses and posses.
Davie
Posted on: 05 November 2004 by 7V
quote:
Ok so what's the difference between a Sheriff and a Policeman?!
"Well I say we don't wait for the sheriff. I say we string him up right now" ...
Is one of my all time favourite film cliches.
Steve M
Posted on: 10 November 2004 by woodface
Many thanks, so basically the bigger cities will have their own Police Dept but smaller towns etc will be covered via a Sheriff (and his deputies) who looks after the whole county. All knowledge is here!
Posted on: 10 November 2004 by Steve Toy
It's obviously similar to the French Gendarmerie and Commissariat de Police then.
One is essentially rural; the other urban.
Regards,
Steve.
