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What is a Bicameral Legislature?
L. S. Wynn
L. S. Wynn
In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. The relationship between the two chambers of a bicameral legislature can vary. In some cases, they have equal power, and in others, one chamber is clearly superior to the other. It is commonplace in most federal systems to have a bicameral legislature. The United States, for example, has a bicameral legislature in which one chamber, the Senate, has an equal number of members representing each constituent state, and the members of the other chamber, the House of Representatives, number according to each state's population.
Some political scientists believe that having a bicameral legislature makes meaningful political reforms more difficult to achieve and increases the risk of deadlock. This risk is greater in cases when both chambers have equal powers. Other political analysts argue strongly for the merits of the checks and balances that are provided by the bicameral model, which they believe helps prevent ill-considered legislation from being passed into law.
As of 2011, more than 20 countries had bicameral legislatures. Many other countries have unicameral legislatures, which consist of single legislative houses. The term "bicameral" comes from Latin and combines bi, which means "two", with camera, which means "chamber." "Unicameral" substitutes uni, or "one," for bi.
Partial List of Countries That Have Bicameral Legislatures:
| Country | Type | Legislative chambers |
| Afghanistan | National Assembly | Wolesi Jirga and Masharano Jirga |
| Australia | Parliament | House of Representatives and Senate |
| Canada | Parliament | House of Commons and Senate |
| France | Parliament | National Assembly and Senate |
| Germany | no single term | Bundestag and Bundesrat |
| India | Parliament | Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States) |
| Mexico | Congress | Chamber of Deputies and Senate |
| Pakistan | Parliament | National Assembly and Senate |
| Republic of Ireland | Oireachtas | Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) and Seanad Éireann (Senate) |
| United Kingdom | Parliament | House of Commons and House of Lords |
| United States | Congress | House of Representatives and Senate |
In addition, many regional or local legislative bodies also are bicameral. In the United States, for example, all of the state legislatures except Nebraska's are also bicameral. In Australia, all of the state parliaments except Queensland's are also bicameral.
AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
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![The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress.]()
The US Capitol Building, the seat of the US Congress. -
![The U.S. Senate is one branch of the U.S. Congress.]()
The U.S. Senate is one branch of the U.S. Congress. -
![The Parliament of the United Kingdom, which meets in the Palace at Westminster, is composed of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.]()
By: FyleThe Parliament of the United Kingdom, which meets in the Palace at Westminster, is composed of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. -
![Mexico has a bicameral legislature with the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.]()
By: StocksnapperMexico has a bicameral legislature with the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. -
![Canada employs a bicameral Parliament with the Senate and House of Commons.]()
By: AnnaCanada employs a bicameral Parliament with the Senate and House of Commons. -
![Germany has a bicameral legislature.]()
By: believeinme33Germany has a bicameral legislature. -
![The House of Representatives makes up one chamber of the bicameral legislature in the United States.]()
By: Jeffrey SchwartzThe House of Representatives makes up one chamber of the bicameral legislature in the United States. -
![In Australia, all of the state parliaments except Queensland's are also bicameral.]()
By: TupungatoIn Australia, all of the state parliaments except Queensland's are also bicameral. -
![India's parliament is a bicameral legislature.]()
By: www.andonwww.comIndia's parliament is a bicameral legislature.
Discussion Comments
Nigeria also has a bicameral legislature. It's called the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives).
there's clearly a type-o in this, like in the middle (commonplace).
Although I understand some of the disadvantages of a bicameral legislature, I really think that the advantages outweigh them.
For example, in a bicameral legislature you always have dissent. This can be a bad thing when it leads to filibustering and stalemate, but it also provides an excellent watchdog effect. Nobody watches a politician as closely as his rivals!
Another one of the advantages of bicameral legislature in the US is that it allows smaller stages to have an almost equal say with the bigger states.
By having a set number of Senate members, smaller states are appeased; and larger states are satisfied because they have more representatives.
Thank you so much for this article -- it was a great bicameral legislature definition, and I liked how it wasn't completely US focused. Well done!
in that case, why some other countries shift to unicameral from a bicameral. is unicameral better than the bicameral? why?
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