USA > United States

United States Senate

The World's Most Exclusive Club

Originally structured to be a bulwark against popular democracy, members of the Senate were chosen by state legislatures rather than direct election, a situation which prevailed until the 17th Amendment in 1913. There are exactly two senators from each state, regardless of population.

The United States Senate meets in the United States Capitol in Washington D.C..

Although the prestige of the U.S. Senate is extremely high, only one President of the United States in the last 100 years, John F. Kennedy, was elected directly from its ranks.