Final answer:
The 'lower house,' known as the House of Representatives in the United States, is designed to closely represent the will of the people, with members serving short terms to reflect current public sentiment and reduce the risk of corruption. The bicameral legislature, including the 'upper house' or Senate, has its roots in historical European structures, and serves to balance the interests of states and provide a check on the lower house's actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'lower house' is commonly used to refer to one chamber of a bicameral legislature that is considered to be more closely representative of the populace. In the context of the United States, the House of Representatives is known as the lower house, and its design and operation are intended to mirror the immediate will of the people. In contrast, the Senate is referred to as the upper house and was originally structured to represent the states, with senators initially chosen by state legislatures and serving longer terms. This bicameral structure is rooted in European history and was a political compromise to balance the interests of both populous and less populous states. The differentiation in representation and term lengths further helps to serve as a check and balance within the legislative process.
Many revolutionaries held the belief that shorter terms in the lower house would reduce the likelihood of corruption, which is why, aside from South Carolina, all states initially featured annual elections for their lower house. The structural differences between the House and Senate also lead to differences in function, with the House often being more partisan due to the necessity of members to frequently engage with their constituents for re-election. The comparison using the cup and saucer analogy, where the House is likened to a hot cup of tea and the Senate to a saucer that serves to cool it, emphasizes the balancing effect the Senate has upon the more immediate, reactionary nature of the House.