27 Amendment Meaning

 Purpose: The modification forbids any legislation that alters the salary for members of Congress from becoming effective until after the subsequent election of Representatives has taken place. This seeks to avert Congress from awarding itself immediate salary increases without responsibility to voters. Historical Context: Initially suggested by James Madison in 1789 as part of a collection of twelve amendments, it was not ratified at that time. Only ten of the amendments were confirmed in 1791, becoming recognized as the Bill of Rights.

Structure of Congress

The House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a district in one of the 50 states, with the number of representatives determined by the state’s population. The Senate, on the other hand, has 100 members, with two senators representing each state, regardless of its population. This structure is established by Article I, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, which states that “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."