In a democracy, parliament is the highest legislative body. The national parliaments of individual states have different structures. These representative institutions may consist of one or two independent chambers. The bicameral parliament allows balancing the interests of the participants in the political process.
Instructions
Step 1
A parliament is called bicameral, which consists of two separate parts (chambers), each of which is formed in a special order and according to special procedures. A similar system emerged during the period of bourgeois-democratic revolutions. The need for a bicameral structure of the legislature is caused by the desire of legislators to contain opposing tendencies and maintain a balance of political forces.
Step 2
In a bicameral parliamentary system, the legislative body is composed of two chambers, which have different competencies. Members of the lower house are usually elected directly by the people with the right to vote. Various methods are used to form the upper house, for example, indirect or mixed elections. Sometimes the members of the upper house are appointed by the head of state.
Step 3
In a bourgeois state, the upper house represents the interests of the privileged strata of society. Typically, its members are elected for a longer term and have preferential rights, for example, they can veto bills that are passed by the lower house. Those who apply for membership in the upper house of parliament have to go through a more serious and less democratic selection system.
Step 4
Traditionally, laws are passed in the lower house of parliament, after which they are submitted for approval by the upper house, which has no right to amend draft laws. The upper house has the right to pass the bill or reject it. Therefore, the main part of legislative work (discussion of laws, adoption of amendments to them, etc.) is carried out by the lower house, therefore it is considered more important in political terms.
Step 5
In modern parliaments, the significance and political weight of the upper house is gradually being lost. It increasingly begins to play the role of a community of qualified experts who participate in the discussion of laws and make their recommendations to the lower house. This practice can significantly improve the quality of bills that pass through parliament.
Step 6
In states with a federal structure, the principle of double representation of the masses in a parliament with two chambers is often applied: on the basis of direct suffrage and through the election of an equal number of deputies from each of the constituent entities of the federation. For this reason, federal states have a bicameral rather than a unicameral parliament. Parliaments of unitary states most often consist of one chamber.
