Chambers of parliament
Encyclopedia
Many parliament
s or other legislature
s consist of two chambers (or houses): an elected
lower house
, and an upper house
or Senate
which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. This style of two houses is called bicameral
. Legislatures with only one house are known as unicameral
.
The lower house is almost always the originator of legislation
, and the upper house is the body that offers the "second look" and decides whether to veto
or approve the bill
s. In the United Kingdom
legislation can be originated in either house, but the lower house can ultimately prevail if the two houses repeatedly disagree. In most countries the lower house, regarded as more particularly the representatives of the people, has sole or predominant control over matters to do with finance
and taxation.
A parliament's lower house is usually composed of at least 100 members
, in countries with populations of over 3 million. The number of seats rarely exceeds 400, even in very large countries. In the United Kingdom however, the lower house (the House of Commons
) has 650 members. The upper house customarily has anywhere from 20, 50, or 100 seats, but almost always significantly fewer than the lower house. In the United Kingdom however, the upper house (the House of Lords
) currently has slightly more members than the lower house, and at one time (before the exclusion of most of the hereditary peer
s) had considerably more.
in Sweden
was similarly divided into the Första kammaren and Andra kammaren, but has since been a unicameral legislature. The Norwegian parliament (Storting) was officially divided in two chambers 1814–2009, but functioned as a single chamber in practice, a situation called Qualified unicameralism.
is the name for the full assembly, and a committee
is a small deliberative assembly that is usually subordinate to the floor.
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
s or other legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
s consist of two chambers (or houses): an elected
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
, and an upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
or Senate
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature or parliament. There have been many such bodies in history, since senate means the assembly of the eldest and wiser members of the society and ruling class...
which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. This style of two houses is called bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
. Legislatures with only one house are known as unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
.
The lower house is almost always the originator of legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
, and the upper house is the body that offers the "second look" and decides whether to veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
or approve the bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
s. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
legislation can be originated in either house, but the lower house can ultimately prevail if the two houses repeatedly disagree. In most countries the lower house, regarded as more particularly the representatives of the people, has sole or predominant control over matters to do with finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and taxation.
A parliament's lower house is usually composed of at least 100 members
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, in countries with populations of over 3 million. The number of seats rarely exceeds 400, even in very large countries. In the United Kingdom however, the lower house (the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
) has 650 members. The upper house customarily has anywhere from 20, 50, or 100 seats, but almost always significantly fewer than the lower house. In the United Kingdom however, the upper house (the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
) currently has slightly more members than the lower house, and at one time (before the exclusion of most of the hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
s) had considerably more.
Merging of chambers
Until 1971, the RiksdagParliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
was similarly divided into the Första kammaren and Andra kammaren, but has since been a unicameral legislature. The Norwegian parliament (Storting) was officially divided in two chambers 1814–2009, but functioned as a single chamber in practice, a situation called Qualified unicameralism.
Floor and committee
The floorFloor (legislative)
The floor of a legislature or chamber is the place where members sit and make speeches. When a person is speaking there formally, they are said to have the floor. The House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S...
is the name for the full assembly, and a committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
is a small deliberative assembly that is usually subordinate to the floor.
See also
- List of national parliaments
- Delegated legislationDelegated legislationIn the United Kingdom, delegated legislation is legislation or law that is passed otherwise than in an Act of Parliament . Instead, an enabling Act confers a power to make delegated legislation on a Government Minister or another person or body...
- Inter-Parliamentary Union
- LegislationLegislationLegislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
- Witan
Parliaments
- European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
- Parliament of the United KingdomParliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
- UN General Assembly