bicameral legislature
Dual-chamber lawmaking body
A bicameral legislature is a lawmaking body divided into two separate chambers or houses, each of which must typically approve legislation before it becomes law.
The United States Congress, with its Senate and House of Representatives, is a prominent example, as is the British Parliament with its House of Lords and House of Commons.
The two-chamber structure often balances different forms of representation—population-based in one house, equal representation of states or regions in the other—and provides a check on hasty lawmaking.
Bicameral legislature's senior chamber
- lower houseMore populous legislative chamber
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- senateLegislative governing body
- parliamentNational legislative assembly
assembly · diet · lords · commons · unicameralism
Delaying tactic through speech
- clotureProcedure ending legislative discussion
- quorumMinimum for valid proceedings
- floorIndoor walking surface
- motionChange in position
deliberation · oratory · rebuttal · amendment · whip · caucus · bipartisanship · parliamentarian
Constitutional power-limiting framework
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
- advice and consentConstitutional approval process
investigation · subpoena · hearing · accountability · separation of powers · concurrent powers · budget approval
Division into shares
- redistrictingRedrawing electoral boundaries
- gerrymanderingManipulating electoral boundaries strategically
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- districtBounded administrative area
proportional representation · equal suffrage · senators · representatives · delegates · deputies · constituents · malapportionment
Amount owed, written
- amendmentChange to official text
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- passageSegment of text
- readingInterpreting written text
vote · approval · veto · override · markup · referral · engrossment · enrollment
upper house
Bicameral legislature's senior chamber
- lower houseMore populous legislative chamber
- chamberEnclosed room or cavity
- senateLegislative governing body
parliament · assembly · diet · lords · commons · unicameralism
filibuster
Delaying tactic through speech
- clotureProcedure ending legislative discussion
- quorumMinimum for valid proceedings
- floorIndoor walking surface
motion · deliberation · oratory · rebuttal · amendment · whip · caucus · bipartisanship · parliamentarian · adjournment
checks and balances
Constitutional power-limiting framework
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
advice and consent · investigation · subpoena · hearing · accountability · separation of powers · concurrent powers · budget approval
apportionment
Division into shares
- redistrictingRedrawing electoral boundaries
- gerrymanderingManipulating electoral boundaries strategically
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
district · proportional representation · equal suffrage · senators · representatives · delegates · deputies · constituents · malapportionment
bill
Amount owed, written
- amendmentChange to official text
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- passageSegment of text
reading · vote · approval · veto · override · markup · referral · engrossment · enrollment · joint session
bicameral legislaturedirect democracy
Voters decide policy personally
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