Final answer:
The Florida State Legislature is bicameral like the U.S. Congress, comprising a Senate with longer terms and a House with shorter terms. Senators can thus take a longer-term view, while Representatives respond more directly to voters. This structure affects legislative behavior and outcomes, as seen in the different fates of initiatives in separate chambers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structure of the Florida State Legislature is similar to that of the United States Congress in that it is bicameral, meaning it consists of two separate chambers. The Florida Legislature, specifically, is composed of the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives. The Florida Senate has 40 members, similar to the US Senate in structure but not in size, with each senator representing a larger swath of Florida's population for longer terms of office. The Florida House of Representatives has 120 members, reflecting the US House of Representatives' responsibility to be closer to the constituents, with members serving shorter terms. Both chambers meet at the state's capital in Tallahassee to pass laws for Florida.
In terms of their function, Florida Senators have longer terms, allowing them a measure of distance from the immediate pressures of their constituents, while the Representatives in the House are more directly accountable to voters due to shorter terms. This mimics the dynamic between the US Senate and House, where House members often reflect the more immediate demands of their constituency while Senators can afford to take a longer view on issues. Additionally, the rules and structures of the different chambers can lead to variance in political behavior and legislative outcomes, exemplified by the way major initiatives can pass in one chamber but fail in the other, such as the federal 'Buffett Rule' or health care legislation.