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Lower house

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(Redirected from Lower chamber)

A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house.[1] Although formally styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise exert significant political influence.

Common attributes

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In comparison with the upper house, lower houses frequently display certain characteristics (though they vary by jurisdiction).

Powers

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In a parliamentary system, the lower house:

  • In the modern era, has much more power, usually due to restrictions on the upper house.
    • Exceptions to this are Australia, Italy, and Romania, where the upper and lower houses have similar power.
  • Is able to override the upper house in some ways.
  • Can vote a motion of no confidence against the government, as well as vote for or against any proposed candidate for head of government at the beginning of the parliamentary term.

In a presidential system, the lower house:

  • Generally has less power than the upper house, but maintains exclusive powers in some areas.
  • Has the sole power to impeach the executive; the upper house then tries the impeachment.
  • Typically initiates legislation on appropriation and supply.

Status

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The lower house:

  • Can, in a parliamentary system, be dissolved by the executive.
  • Has total or initial control over budget, supply, and monetary laws.
  • Has a lower age of candidacy than the upper house.
  • Is more numerous than the upper house.

Members of the lower house:

The government of the day is usually required to present its budget to the lower house, which must approve the budget. It is a widespread practice for revenue (appropriation) bills to originate in the lower house. A notable exception to this is the West Virginia House of Delegates in the United States, which allows revenue bills to originate from either house.[2]

Titles of lower houses

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Many lower houses are named in manners such as follows:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Tsebelis, George (1997). Bicameralism.
  2. ^ "West Virginia Constitution". West Virginia Legislature. Retrieved 22 February 2021.