The two chambers rest on different principles of representation. House seats follow population, while every state receives two senators. Requiring agreement between those constituencies slows legislation and protects more interests, but it also permits a coalition representing less of the national population to block a bill favored by a House majority.

Bicameralism is distinct from a supermajority rule. Each chamber usually acts by an ordinary majority, yet passage in one does not carry the measure through the other. Differences can be resolved through amendment exchanges or a conference, after which both chambers must approve identical text.

When a scenario describes delay, ask which veto point produced it. A bill may fail because one chamber never acts, because the chambers approve different versions, or because the president vetoes the enrolled bill. Only the first two consequences follow directly from bicameral structure.

Video lesson: The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics #2