American politics

[Sasha13]

OK - congress is made up of senators, congressmen/women and 3 elected officials from Washington DC who I guess are the president, vice president - who's the third???

[Sasha13]

I figured the speaker, but then wondered if he was one of the 435 (??) elected congressmen/women. Yes I know, I shouldn't learn about USA politics from The West Wing, but heh, what can I say?

[Clanad]

Sorry for the delay IAP! Beautiful day and the battery needed changing on my tractor. (Saw a sign in town that said "Watch Battery Changed $9.95"... still wondering why anyone pay to see that).

But, anyway you're correct in that there are two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each State gets 2 senators, regardless of population, while the House of Representatives is apportioned on the basis of population. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress direct jurisdiction for Washington, D.C. Citizens of the District also lack elected voting representation in Congress, though they do have three electoral votes in the Presidential elections, giving it more electoral votes per capita than 49 states.

The Vice President is also the President of the Senate and votes when a tie breaker is required... the line of succession in the event of the death (or removal for cause) of the President is to the Vice President to the Speaker of the House to the President pro tem of the Senate to various Secretaries of the Presidents Cabinet...
The Supreme Court Judges, being a part of the Judicial Branch of government are not in line since they are not elected by the people...

[kempie]

Further to the answers above...

The US Congress is comprised of the contingent from the Senate - 100 Senators, plus the contingent from the House of Representatives - 435 Members, 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commisioner. While unable to vote in the full House, a non-voting Delegate may vote in a House committee of which the Delegate is a member.

One Delegate represents the District of Columbia. The other three each represent a U.S. Territory - American Samoa, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Congress created the post of Resident Commissioner in 1904 to apply to Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Since 1946, only Puerto Rico has had a Resident Commissioner.