Legislature
A
legislature is a type of representative
deliberative assembly with the power to adopt
laws. Legislatures are known by many names, the most common being
parliament and
congress, although these terms also have more specific meanings. In
parliamentary systems of
government, the legislature is formally supreme and
appoints the
executive. In
presidential systems of government, the legislature is considered a power branch which is equal to, and independent of, the executive. In addition to
enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to
raise taxes and adopt the
budget and other
money bills. The consent of the legislature is also often required to
ratify treaties and
declare war.
The primary component of a legislature is one or more
chambers or
houses: assemblies that
debate and
vote upon
bills. Most legislatures are either
bicameral or
unicameral, although historically there have also been rare incidences of two separate chambers, usually described as an
upper house and a
lower house, which may differ in duties, powers, and methods for the selection of members. Also quite rare have been
tricameral legislatures; the most recent existed in the waning years of the
white-minority rule of
South Africa.
In most
parliamentary systems, the lower house is the most powerful house while the upper house is merely a chamber of advice or review. However, in
presidential systems, the powers of the two houses are often similar or equal. In
federations it is typical for the upper house to represent the component states. For this purpose the upper house may either contain the delegates of state governments, as is the case of
Germany and was the case in the pre-20th century
United States, or to be elected according to a formula that grants disproportionate representation to smaller states, as is the case today in
Australia and the
United States.
The power of legislatures varies widely from country to country.
Rubber stamp legislature is a derogatory name for a legislature that has no real power but simply approves, by unanimous or near unanimous votes, bills put before it by other institutions. For example, the legislatures of many Communist states were often derided as mere 'rubber stamps' for decisions of the ruling party. The term is not usually used to describe legislatures of
parliamentary systems. Although the final draft of
legislation introduced by the government almost always passes, these legislatures are generally not labelled "rubber stamps" because legislators are involved in the drafting and amendment of bills.
National*
Parliament*
Congress*
Diet*
National Assembly*
Althing —
Iceland*
Assembleia da República —
Portugal*
Bundestag —
Germany*
Cortes Generales —
Spain*
Eduskunta or Riksdag —
Finland*
Federal Assembly —
Russia,
Switzerland*
Folketing —
Denmark*
Knesset —
Israel*
Assembly of Albania —
Albania*
Legislative Yuan —
Republic of China/Taiwan*
Majles Al-Ummah —
Kuwait*
Oireachtas —
Republic of Ireland*
Riigikogu —
Estonia*
Riksdag —
Sweden*
Rajya Sabha/
Lok Sabha —
India*
Sabor —
Croatia*
Saeima —
Latvia*
Seimas —
Lithuania*
Sejm —
Poland*
Skupština —
Serbia*
Estates-General or
Staten Generaal —
Netherlands*
Storting —
Norway*
Tynwald —
Isle of Man*
Verkhovna Rada —
UkraineHistorical*
States-General*
Dáil —
Irish Republic (1919-1922)
*
Volkskammer —
East Germany (1949-1990)
State*
List of state legislatures of the United States —
United States**General Assembly / Assembly
**Great and General Court / General Court
**House of Delegates
*
Landtag —
Germany,
AustriaRegional*
Legislative Council —
Hong Kong*
List of democracy and elections-related topics*
List of national legislatures*
Legislative Assemblies of Canada's provinces and territories*
List of state legislatures of the United States
