What was the first year Senators and Congressmen were given an annual salary – 1800, 1815, or 1868?

Answer: 1815. (Their annual salary was $1,500 per year. The nation was so outraged that many Congressmen were defeated in the next election. By 1817 the Congress voted to reduce their salary to a daily compensation of $8 per day while Congress was in session, and it remained that way until 1855, when the Congress once more voted itself an annual salary. This time it was $3,000 per year. Senators and Congressmen have remained on an annual salary ever since, with the amount increasing as circumstances have changed.)

Does the President receive regular compensation like the members of Congress, or is it simply an honor to serve, with no compensation given?Answer: The President receives compensation at regular intervals, just as do other government employees do.

Reference: Article 2, section 1, clause 6

When the United States was formed, members of the English Parliament served without pay. When did members of Parliament first vote themselves a small salary – 1855, 1893, or 1930?

Answer: 1893 (more than a hundred years after American Senators and Congressmen began receiving compensation for their services).

Can the compensation of the President be decreased during his term in office?Answer: No

Reference: Article 2, section 1, clause 6

Can the compensation of a judge be increased during his term of office?Answer: Yes. (Since a judge has life tenure during good behavior, it was felt that his compensation would need to be increased to keep pace with the economy. However, the Constitution provided that he could not be intimidated by having his compensations diminished – see Article 3, Section 1)

Can the compensation of a federal judge be diminished during his term of office?Answer: No

Reference: Article 3, section 1

Besides his salary, can the President receive any compensation from the government or any of the states while in office?Answer: No

Reference: Article 2, section 1, clause 6