Which statement about term lengths for Tennessee lawmakers is true?

• A. State senators serve two-year terms; House members serve four-year terms.
• B. State senators serve six-year terms; House members serve two-year terms.
• C. State senators serve four-year terms; House members serve two-year terms.
• D. State senators serve four-year terms; House members serve four-year terms.

Answer: (C)

Term lengths in Tennessee’s legislature differ by chamber: the Senate has longer terms than the House. Specifically, state senators serve four-year terms, while members of the House serve two-year terms. This setup comes from the Tennessee Constitution and creates a balance between keeping lawmakers accountable to voters (with more frequent elections for the House) and maintaining stability and continuity in the Senate (with longer terms and staggered elections so not all seats turn over at once). The statement that matches this arrangement is that senators have four-year terms and House members have two-year terms. The other possibilities—such as both chambers serving four years, or the Senate serving two years or six years, or the House serving four years—do not reflect how Tennessee structures its term lengths.