Lower house
From Freepedia
A lower house (sometimes known as the first chamber) is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.
The supremacy of the lower house usually arises from special restrictions placed on the powers of the upper house, which often can only delay rather than veto legislation or has less control over money bills. Under parliamentary systems it is usually the lower house alone that designates the head of government or prime minister, and may remove them through a vote of no confidence. There are exceptions to this however, such as the Prime Minister of Japan, who is formally selected with the approval of both houses of the Diet. A legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.
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Common attributes
In comparison with the upper house, lower houses frequently display the certain characteristics:
- Given greater power, usually based on restrictions against the upper house.
- Directly elected (and based on fair apportionment).
- Given more members.
- Elected more often, and all at once.
- Given total or original control over budget and monetary laws.
- Able to override the upper house in some ways.
- In a Presidential system, given the sole power to impeach the executive (The upper house then has to try the impeached).
Titles of lower houses
Common names
- House of Representatives
- National Assembly
- Chamber of Deputies
- House of Assembly
- Legislative Assembly
- House of Commons - Many British Commonwealth countries
- Chamber of Representatives
Many lower houses are named in the following pattern: House/Chamber of Representatives/the People/Commons/Deputies.
Less common titles
- Congress of Deputies - Spain
- National Council - Switzerland, Austria
- Dáil - Republic of Ireland
- State Duma - Russia
- House of Keys - Isle of Man
- Lok Sabha (House of the People) - India
- Sejm - Poland
- Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber) - Netherlands
