View source for Bicameralism

{{Short description|Legislature with two chambers}}
{{About|a form of legislature||Bicameralism (disambiguation)}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Legislature}}

'''Bicameralism''' is a type of [[legislature]] that is divided into two separate [[Deliberative assembly|assemblies]], chambers, or houses, known as a '''bicameral legislature'''. Bicameralism is distinguished from [[unicameralism]], in which all members deliberate and vote as a single group. {{as of|2022}}, roughly 40% of the world's national legislatures are bicameral, while unicameralism represents 60% nationally and much more at the subnational level.<ref>{{cite web |date=2022 |title=IPU PARLINE database: Structure of parliaments |url=https://data.ipu.org/compare?field=country%3A%3Afield_structure_of_parliament#pie |access-date=25 October 2015 |website=ipu.org |archive-date=3 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503232124/https://data.ipu.org/compare?field=country%3A%3Afield_structure_of_parliament#pie |url-status=live }}</ref>

Often, the members of the two chambers are elected or selected by different methods, which vary from [[Jurisdiction (area)|jurisdiction]] to jurisdiction. This can often lead to the two chambers having very different compositions of members.

[[Enactment of a bill|Enactment]] of [[primary legislation]] often requires a [[concurrent majority]]—the approval of a majority of members in each of the chambers of the legislature. When this is the case, the legislature may be called an example of '''perfect bicameralism'''. However, in many parliamentary and semi-presidential systems, the house to which the executive is [[Responsible government|responsible]] (e.g. [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|UK]] and [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] of [[French Parliament|France]]) can overrule the other house (e.g. [[House of Lords]] of the UK and [[Senate (France)|Senate]] of France) and may be regarded as an example of '''imperfect bicameralism'''. Some legislatures lie in between these two positions, with one house able to overrule the other only under certain circumstances.

==History of bicameral legislatures==
[[File:Casas del Parlamento. Palacio de Westminster - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Palace of Westminster]], seat of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]]]
[[File:12-07-13-washington-by-RalfR-10.jpg|thumb|The [[United States Capitol]], seat of the [[United States Congress]]]]
[[File:Glimpses of the new Parliament Building, in New Delhi (2).jpg|thumb|The [[New Parliament House, New Delhi|New Sansad Bhavan]], seat of the [[Parliament of India]]]]

The British Parliament is often referred to as the "[[Mother of Parliaments]]" (in fact a misquotation of [[John Bright]], who remarked in 1865 that "England is the Mother of Parliaments") because the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]] has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its [[Act of Parliament|Act]]s have created many other parliaments.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Seidle|first1=F. Leslie|last2=Docherty|first2=David C.|title=Reforming parliamentary democracy|date=2003|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=9780773525085|page=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i6je60BF-3sC&pg=PA3}}</ref> The origins of British bicameralism can be traced to 1341, when the Commons met separately from the nobility and clergy for the first time, creating what was effectively an Upper Chamber and a Lower Chamber, with the knights and burgesses sitting in the latter. This Upper Chamber became known as the [[House of Lords]] from 1544 onward, and the Lower Chamber became known as the [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]], collectively known as the [[Houses of Parliament]].

The [[Founding Fathers of the United States]] also favoured a bicameral legislature. The idea was to have the Senate be wealthier and wiser. [[Benjamin Rush]] saw this though, and noted that "this type of dominion is almost always connected with opulence". The Senate was created to be a stabilising force, not elected by mass electors, but selected by the State legislators. Senators would be more knowledgeable and more deliberate—a sort of republican nobility—and a counter to what [[James Madison]] saw as the "fickleness and passion" that could absorb the House.<ref name="HG1">{{cite web |title=The Constitutional Background – House of Representatives archives |url=http://archives.democrats.rules.house.gov/Archives/jcoc2br.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730195430/http://archives.democrats.rules.house.gov/Archives/jcoc2br.htm |archive-date=30 July 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref>

He noted further that "The use of the Senate is to consist in its proceeding with more coolness, with more system and with more wisdom, than the popular branch." Madison's argument led the Framers to grant the Senate prerogatives in foreign policy, an area where steadiness, discretion, and caution were deemed especially important.<ref name="HG1" /> State legislators chose the Senate, and senators had to possess significant property to be deemed worthy and sensible enough for the position. In 1913, the [[Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|17th amendment]] passed, which mandated choosing Senators by popular vote rather than State legislatures.<ref name="HG1" />

As part of the [[Great Compromise]], the Founding Fathers invented a new rationale for bicameralism in which the Senate had an equal number of delegates per state, and the House had representatives by relative populations.

Many monarchies then followed them to some degree emulated the British "three-tier" model.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Julian Go |title=Constitutionalism and political reconstruction |date=2007 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004151741 |editor1-last=Arjomand |editor1-first=Saïd Amir |pages=92–94 |chapter=A Globalizing Constitutionalism?, Views from the Postcolony, 1945–2000 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYmmnYKEvE0C&pg=PA94}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2 December 2013 |title=How the Westminster Parliamentary System was exported around the World |url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-the-westminster-parliamentary-system-was-exported-around-the-world |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216190945/http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-the-westminster-parliamentary-system-was-exported-around-the-world |archive-date=16 December 2013 |access-date=16 December 2013 |publisher=University of Cambridge}}</ref>

In the 20th century most countries in Europe and the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] abolished the monarchy, and the upper house. Often a largely ceremonial [[head of state]] who formally opens and closes parliament was introduced, a larger house representing the population, and a smaller house mostly representing the regions was established.<ref>{{Cite book |last=LIJPHART |first=AREND |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ww3w2t |title=Democracies |date=1984-09-10 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-23620-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tsebelis |first=George |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511609350 |title=Bicameralism |last2=Money |first2=Jeannette |date=1997-06-13 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-58972-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shah |first=Anwar |last2=Watts |first2=Ronald L. |date=March 1999 |title=Comparing Federal Systems in the 1990s |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/3551415 |journal=Canadian Public Policy / Analyse de Politiques |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=152 |doi=10.2307/3551415 |issn=0317-0861|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Rationale for bicameralism and criticism==
{{Blockquote|text=A formidable sinister interest may always obtain the complete command of a dominant assembly by some chance and for a moment, and it is therefore of great use to have a second chamber of an opposite sort, differently composed, in which that interest in all likelihood will not rule.|author=[[Walter Bagehot]]|source="[[The English Constitution]]" (1867), in Norman St John-Stevas, ed., ''The Collected Works of Walter Bagehot'', London, The Economist, vol. 5, pp. 273–274.}}

[[Federation|Federal states]] have often adopted it as an awkward compromise between existing power held equally by each state or territory and a more democratic proportional legislature.<ref name=":42">{{cite book | last = Wirls | first = D. | title = The Senate : From White Supremacy to Governmental Gridlock | publisher = University of Virginia Press | date = 2021 | isbn = 978-0-8139-4689-4}}</ref> For states considering a different constitutional arrangement that may shift power to new groupings, bicameralism could be demanded by currently hegemonic groups who would otherwise prevent any structural shift (e.g. military dictatorships, aristocracies).

The growing awareness of the complexity of the notion of representation and the multi-functional nature of modern legislatures may be affording incipient new rationales for second chambers, though these do generally remain contested institutions in ways that first chambers are not. An example of political controversy regarding a second chamber has been the debate over the powers of the [[Senate of Canada]] or the election of the [[Senate of France]].<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/010132156-senat-le-triomphe-de-l-anomalie Liberation.fr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928055906/http://www.liberation.fr/politiques/010132156-senat-le-triomphe-de-l-anomalie |date=28 September 2012 }}, Sénat, le triomphe de l'anomalie</ref> Bicameral legislatures as a result have been trending down for some time with [[Unicameralism|unicameral]], proportional legislatures seen as more democratic and effective.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Wirls |first=Daniel |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51878651 |title=The invention of the United States Senate |date=2004 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |others=Stephen Wirls |isbn=0-8018-7438-6 |location=Baltimore |oclc=51878651}}</ref>

The relationship between the two chambers varies: in some cases, they have equal power, while in others, one chamber (the directly elected lower house with proportional representation<ref name=":42" />) is clearly superior in its powers. The first tends to be the case in federal systems and those with presidential governments. The second tends to be the case in unitary states with [[parliamentary system]]s. There are two streams of thought: critics believe bicameralism makes meaningful political reforms more difficult to achieve and increases the risk of gridlock—particularly in cases where both chambers have similar powers—while proponents argue the merits of the "[[checks and balances]]" provided by the bicameral model, which they believe help prevent ill-considered legislation.

==Communication between houses==
Formal communication between houses is by various methods, including:<ref name="Odgers">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_21#h02 |chapter=Chapter 21: Relations with the House of Representatives |publisher=Parliament of Australia |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice |edition=14th |access-date=19 February 2018 |archive-date=18 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518084044/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_21#h02 |url-status=live }}</ref>
;Sending messages: Formal notices, such as of [[resolution (law)|resolution]]s or the passing of bills, usually done in writing, via the [[Clerk (legislature)|clerk]] and [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] of each house.
;Transmission: of bills or amendment to bills requiring agreement from the other house.
;[[Joint session]]: a [[plenary session]] of both houses at the same time and place.
;[[Joint committee (legislative)|Joint committees]]:which may be formed by committees of each house agreeing to join, or by joint resolution of each house. The [[United States Congress]] has [[United States congressional conference committee|conference committee]]s to resolve discrepancies between House and Senate versions of a bill, similar to "Conferences" in Westminster parliaments.
;Conferences:Conferences of the Houses of the English (later British) Parliament met in the [[Painted Chamber]] of the [[Palace of Westminster]].<ref name="Jones2014">{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=Clyve|year=2014|title=Accommodation in the Painted Chamber for Conferences between the Lords and the Commons from 1600 to 1834|journal=Parliamentary History|volume=33|issue=2|pages=342–357|issn=0264-2824|doi=10.1111/1750-0206.12100}}</ref> Historically there were two distinct types: "ordinary" and "free". The British Parliament last held an ordinary conference in 1860—its elaborate procedure yielding to the simpler sending of messages. A free conference resolves a dispute through "managers" meeting less formally in private. The last free conference at Westminster was in 1836 on an amendment to the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]];<ref>Blayden 2017 p.6; {{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1836/aug/11/free-conference-municipal-corporations|title=Free Conference—Municipal Corporations' Act Amendment (, )|date=11 August 1836|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|pages=HC Deb vol 35 cc1125–7|no-pp=y|access-date=19 February 2018|archive-date=12 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312065113/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1836/aug/11/free-conference-municipal-corporations|url-status=live}}</ref> the previous one had been in 1740—with not much more success than ordinary conferences, the free type yielded to the greater transparency of messages.<ref>Blayden 2017 p.6; {{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol25/pp518-526|title=Managers for the Free Conference, on the Bill to prevent Commerce with Spain.|date=22–24 April 1740|work=House of Lords Journal|publisher=British History Online|pages=Volume 25, pp.518–526|no-pp=y|access-date=19 February 2018|archive-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220033241/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol25/pp518-526|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[Parliament of Australia]] there have been two formal conferences, in 1930 and 1931, but many informal conferences.<ref name="Odgers" /><ref name="BlaydenPLPP">{{cite web|url=https://www.aspg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BlaydenPLPP-Research-Essay-Free-Conferences-in-New-South-Wales.pdf|title=Do free conferences have a place in the present-day NSW Parliament?|last=Blayden|first=Lynsey|date=September 2017|publisher=Australasian Study of Parliament Group|access-date=19 February 2018|archive-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220033243/https://www.aspg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BlaydenPLPP-Research-Essay-Free-Conferences-in-New-South-Wales.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2007}} the "Conference of Managers" remains the usual procedure for dispute resolution in the [[Parliament of South Australia]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Crump|first=Rick|date=Spring 2007|title=Why the conference procedure remains the preferred method for resolving disputes between the two houses of the South Australian Parliament|journal=Australasian Parliamentary Review|volume=22|issue=2|pages=120–136 |citeseerx=10.1.1.611.7131}}</ref> In the [[Parliament of New South Wales]] in 2011, the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] requested a free conference with the [[New South Wales Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] over a bill on graffiti; after a year the Council refused, describing the mechanism as archaic and inappropriate.<ref name="BlaydenPLPP" /> The two houses of the [[Parliament of Canada]] have also used conferences, but not since 1947 (although they retain the option).

==Examples of bicameralism at the national level==

===Federal===
[[File:Webysther 20180212163207 - Congresso Nacional.jpg|thumb|right|The [[National Congress of Brazil]], seat of the [[Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)|Chamber of Deputies]] and the [[Brazilian Senate|Federal Senate]]]]

Some countries, such as [[Argentina]], [[Australia]], [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]], [[Germany]], [[India]], [[Malaysia]], [[Mexico]], [[Nepal]], [[Nigeria]], [[Pakistan]], [[Russia]], [[Switzerland]], and the [[United States]], link their bicameral systems to their [[federation|federal]] political structure.

In the United States, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Nepal for example, each state or province is given the same number of seats in one of the houses of the legislature, despite variance between the populations of the states or provinces.

====Australia====
[[File:Parliament House - panoramio (7).jpg|thumb|right|The federal bicameral [[Parliament of Australia]], which contains a [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and a [[Australian Senate|Senate]]]]

The bicameral [[Parliament of Australia]] consists of two Houses: the [[lower house]] is called the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[upper house]] is named the [[Australian Senate|Senate]]. As of 31 August 2017,<ref name="AECannouncement31August2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.aec.gov.au/media/media-releases/2017/08-31.htm|title=Determination of membership entitlement to the House of Representatives|work=aec.gov.au|date=31 August 2017|access-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831130456/http://www.aec.gov.au/media/media-releases/2017/08-31.htm|archive-date=31 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> the lower house has 151 members, each elected from single-member constituencies, known as [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|electoral divisions]] (commonly referred to as "electorates" or "seats") using full-preference [[instant-runoff voting]]. This tends to lead to the chamber being dominated by two major groups, the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]/[[National Party of Australia|National]] [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] and the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]]. The government of the day must achieve the confidence of this House to gain and hold power.

The upper house, the Senate, is also popularly elected, under the [[single transferable vote]] system of [[proportional representation]]. There are a total of 76 senators: 12 senators are elected from each of the 6 [[Australian state]]s (regardless of population) and 2 from each of the 2 autonomous internal territories (the [[Australian Capital Territory]] and the [[Northern Territory]]). This makes the total number 76, i.e. 6×12 + 2×2.

In many respects, Australia is a unique hybrid with influences from the [[United States Constitution]], as well as from the traditions and conventions of the [[Westminster system]] and some indigenous features. Australia is exceptional in this sense because the government faces a fully elected upper house, the [[Australian Senate|Senate]], which must be willing to pass all its legislation. Although only the lower house, the House of Representatives, can hold a no-confidence vote against the government, in practice the support of the Senate is also necessary in order to govern. The Senate maintains the ability similar to that held by the British House of Lords, prior to the enactment of the [[Parliament Act 1911]], to block supply against the government of the day. A government that is unable to obtain supply can be dismissed by the [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]]: however, this is generally considered a last resort and is a highly controversial decision to take, given the conflict between the traditional concept of confidence as derived from the lower house and the ability of the Senate to block supply (see [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]]). Many political scientists have held that the [[Politics of Australia|Australian system of government]] was consciously devised as a blend or hybrid of the Westminster and the [[Federal Government of the United States|United States systems of government]], especially since the Australian Senate is a powerful upper house like the U.S. Senate; this notion is expressed in the nickname "the Washminster mutation".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=Elaine |date=1980 |title=The 'Washminster' mutation |journal=Politics |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=32–40 |doi=10.1080/00323268008401755}}</ref>

Unlike upper houses in most [[Westminster system|Westminster parliamentary systems]], the Australian Senate is vested with significant power, including the capacity to block legislation initiated by the government in the House of Representatives. This block can however be overridden in a [[Joint meetings of the Australian Parliament|joint sitting]] after a [[double dissolution]] election, at which the House of Representatives has the dominant numbers. As a result of proportional representation, the chamber features a multitude of parties vying for power. The governing party in the lower house rarely has a majority in the Senate, and so generally needs to negotiate with other parties and independents to get legislation passed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop34 |title=Papers on Parliament No. 34 Representation and Institutional Change: 50 Years of Proportional Representation in the Senate |date=1999 |access-date=23 February 2017 |archive-date=3 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103003608/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop34 |url-status=live }}</ref>

This variant of bicameralism has also been further explored by Tarunabh Khaitan, who coined the phrase "Moderated Parliamentarism" to describe a parliamentary system with several distinctive features: mixed bicameralism, moderated (but distinct) electoral systems for each chamber, weighted multipartisanship, asynchronous electoral schedules, and deadlock resolution through conference committees.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Khaitan |first=Tarunabh |date=2021 |title=Balancing Accountability and Effectiveness: A Case for Moderated Parliamentarism |url=https://www.cjccl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/6-Khaitan.pdf |journal=Canadian Journal of Comparative and Contemporary Law |volume=7 |pages=81–155 |access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref>

====Canada====
[[File:Mosaika display, Centre Block, Parliament Hill.jpeg|thumb|right|The federal bicameral [[Parliament of Canada]], which contains a [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] and a [[Senate of Canada|Senate]]]]

Canada's elected lower house, the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]], comprises Members of Parliament (MPs) from single-member "ridings" based mainly on population (updated every 10 years using Census data). The Commons is democratically elected every four years (constitutionally up to five years). In contrast, in [[Senate of Canada|Canada's upper house]], Senators are appointed to serve until age 75 by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] on the [[Advice (constitutional)|advice]] of the [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] through an [[Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments|Independent Advisory Board]] as of 2016.

The government (i.e. executive) is responsible to and must maintain the confidence of the elected House of Commons. Although the two chambers formally have many of the same powers, this accountability clearly makes the Commons dominant—determining which party is in power, approving its proposed budget, and (largely) the laws enacted. The Senate primarily acts as a chamber of revision: it rarely rejects bills passed by the Commons but does regularly amend them; such amendments respect each bill's purpose, so they are usually acceptable to the Commons. The Senate's power to investigate issues of concern to Canada can raise their profile (sometimes sharply) on voters' political agendas.

====Others====
In German, Indian, and Pakistani systems, the upper houses (the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]], the [[Rajya Sabha]], and the [[Senate of Pakistan|Senate]] respectively) are even more closely linked with the federal system, being appointed or elected directly by the governments or legislatures of each [[States of Germany|German]] or [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]], or [[Provinces of Pakistan|Pakistani province]]. This was also the case in the United States before the [[Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Seventeenth Amendment]] was adopted. Because of this coupling to the [[Executive (government)|executive branch]], German legal doctrine does not treat the ''Bundesrat'' as the second chamber of a bicameral system formally. Rather, it sees the ''Bundesrat'' and the ''[[Bundestag]]'' as independent constitutional bodies. Only the directly elected ''Bundestag'' is considered the parliament.<ref>According to the ''[[Bundesverfassungsgericht]]'', BVerfGE 37, 363, Aktenzeichen 2 BvF 2, 3/73</ref> In the German [[Bundesrat of Germany|''Bundesrat'']], the various ''Länder'' have between three and six votes; thus, while the less populated states have a lower weight, they still have a stronger voting power than would be the case in a system based proportionately on population, as the [[North Rhine-Westphalia|most populous ''Land'']] currently has about 27 times the population of the [[Bremen (state)|least populous]]. The Indian upper house does not have the states represented equally, but on the basis of their population.

There is also bicameralism in countries that are not federations, but have upper houses with representation on a territorial basis. For example, in South Africa, the [[National Council of Provinces]] (and before 1997, the [[Senate of South Africa|Senate]]) has its members chosen by each [[Provinces of South Africa|province]]'s legislature.

In Spain, the [[Spanish Senate|Senate]] functions as a ''de facto'' territorially based upper house, and there has been some pressure from the [[Autonomous Communities]] to reform it into a strictly territorial chamber.

The [[European Union]] maintains a somewhat close to bicameral legislative system consisting of the [[European Parliament]], which is elected in elections on the basis of universal suffrage, and the [[Council of the European Union]], which consists of one representative for each government of member countries, who are competent for a relevant field of legislation. Though the European Union has a highly unusual character in terms of legislature, one could say that the closest point of equivalency lies within bicameral legislatures.<ref>European Union Politics, John McCormick, 3rd Edition</ref> The European Union is considered neither a country nor a state, but it enjoys the power to address national Governments in many areas.

===Aristocratic and post-aristocratic===
In a few countries, bicameralism involves the juxtaposition of democratic and aristocratic elements.

====House of Lords of the United Kingdom====
[[File:House of Lords Chamber.png|thumb|The House of Lords chamber]]

The best known example is the British [[House of Lords]], which includes a number of [[hereditary peer]]s. The House of Lords is a vestige of the aristocratic system that once predominated in British politics, while the other house, the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], is entirely elected. Over the years, some have proposed reforms to the House of Lords, some of which have been at least partly successful. The [[House of Lords Act 1999]] limited the number of hereditary peers (as opposed to [[life peer]]s, appointed by the [[British monarchy|Monarch]] on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]) to 92, down from around 700. Of these 92, one is the [[Earl Marshal]], a hereditary office always held by the [[Duke of Norfolk]], one is the [[Lord Great Chamberlain]], a hereditary office held by turns, currently by [[Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington|Baron Carrington]], and the other 90 are [[Representative peer|elected by all sitting peers]]. Hereditary peers elected by the House to sit as representative peers sit for life; when a representative peer dies, there is a by-election to fill the vacancy. The power of the House of Lords to block legislation is curtailed by the [[Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949]]. Peers can introduce bills except Money Bills, and all legislation must be passed by both [[Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons|Houses of Parliament]]. If not passed within two sessions, the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] can override the Lords' delay by invoking the ''Parliament Act''. Certain legislation, however, must be approved by both Houses without being forced by the Commons under the ''Parliament Act''. These include any bill that would extend the time length of a Parliament, private bills, bills sent to the House of Lords less than one month before the end of a session, and bills that originated in the House of Lords.

Life Peers are appointed either by recommendation of the Appointment Commission (the independent body that vets non-partisan peers, typically from academia, business or culture) or by Dissolution Honours, which take place at the end of every Parliamentary term when leaving MPs may be offered a seat to keep their institutional memory. It is traditional to offer a peerage to every outgoing Speaker of the House of Commons.<ref>"[http://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-appointment/ How do you become a Member of the House of Lords?" – UK Parliament]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112203428/https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/about-lords/lords-appointment/ |date=12 January 2021 }}. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref>

Further reform of the Lords has been proposed; however, no proposed reforms have been able to achieve public consensus or government support. Members of the House of Lords all have an aristocratic title, or are from the [[Lord Spiritual|Clergy]]. 26 Archbishops and Bishops of the [[Church of England]] sit as [[Lord Spiritual|Lords Spiritual]] (the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Archbishop of York]], the [[Bishop of London]], the [[Bishop of Durham]], the [[Bishop of Winchester]] and the next 21 longest-serving Bishops). It is usual that retiring Archbishops, and certain other Bishops, are appointed to the [[Crossbencher|Crossbenches]] and given a life peerage.

Until 2009, 12 [[Lord of Appeal in Ordinary|Lords of Appeal in Ordinary]] sat in the House as the highest court in the land; they subsequently became justices of the newly created [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]]. As of 16 February 2021, 803 people sit in the House of Lords, with 92 Hereditary Peers, 26 Lords Spiritual and 685 Life Peers. Membership is not fixed and decreases only on the death, retirement or resignation of a peer.

====Japan's former House of Peers====
Another example of aristocratic bicameralism was the Japanese [[House of Peers (Japan)|House of Peers]], abolished after [[World War II]] and replaced with the present [[House of Councillors]].

===Unitary states===
{{multiple image
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 | image1 = Senate @ Jardin du Luxembourg @ Paris (23764477852).jpg
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 | footer=Some bicameral legislatures have chambers that meet in different buildings, at different parts of the city. Here, France's upper house called the [[Senate of France|Senate]] meet in the [[Luxembourg Palace]] (top), while the lower house, the [[National Assembly of France|National Assembly]], meets at the [[Palais Bourbon]] (bottom).
 }}

Many [[unitary state]]s like [[Italy]], [[France]], the [[Netherlands]], the [[Philippines]], the [[Czech Republic]], the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Romania]] have bicameral systems. In countries such as these, the upper house generally focuses on scrutinizing and possibly vetoing the decisions of the lower house.

====Italian Parliament====
On the other hand, in [[Italy]] the [[Italian Parliament|Parliament]] consists of two chambers that have the same role and power: the [[Italian Senate|Senate]] (Senate of the Republic, commonly considered the ''upper house'') and the [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]] (considered the ''lower house''). The main difference among the two chambers is the way the two chambers are composed: the deputies, in fact, are elected on a nationwide basis, whilst the members of the Senate are elected on a regional basis: this may lead to different majorities among the two chambers because, for example, a party may be the first nationally but second or third in some regions. Considering that in the Italian Republic the Government needs to win confidence votes in both the chambers, it may happen that a Government has a strong majority (usually) in the Chamber of Deputies and a weak one (or no majority at all) in the Senate. This has led sometimes to legislative deadlocks, and has caused instability in the Italian Government.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://parliamentsandlegislatures.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/italy-by-c-fasone-and-m-romaniello.pdf |title=The Italian Parliament: Symmetric Bicameralism Under Review |first1=Cristina |last1=Fasone |first2=Maria |last2=Romaniello |access-date=10 September 2019 |archive-date=28 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228100009/https://parliamentsandlegislatures.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/italy-by-c-fasone-and-m-romaniello.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fusaro |first=Carlo |title=Bicameralism in Italy. 150 Years of Poor Design, Disappointing Performances, Aborted Reforms |url=http://www.carlofusaro.it/in_english/Bicameralism_in_ITA_2013.pdf |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Carlo Fusaro |archive-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223201219/http://www.carlofusaro.it/in_english/Bicameralism_in_ITA_2013.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://constitutionnet.org/news/italian-constitutional-reforms-towards-stable-and-efficient-government |first1=Francesco |last1=Clementi |date=23 June 2016 |title=Italian constitutional reforms: Towards a stable and efficient government|website=ConstitutionNet|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-date=21 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221175127/http://constitutionnet.org/news/italian-constitutional-reforms-towards-stable-and-efficient-government|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Indirectly elected Upper Houses (France, Ireland, Netherlands)====
In some of these countries, the upper house is indirectly elected. Members of France's [[French Senate|Senate]] and Ireland's [[Seanad Éireann]] are chosen by [[electoral college]]s. In Ireland, it consists of members of the lower house, local councillors, the [[Taoiseach]], and graduates of selected universities, while the Netherlands' [[Senate of the Netherlands|Senate]] is chosen by members of provincial assemblies (who, in turn, are directly elected).

====Semi-bicameral (Hong Kong, Northern Ireland; earlier in Norway, the Netherlands)====
In [[Hong Kong]], members of the unicameral [[Legislative Council (Hong Kong)|Legislative Council]] returned from the democratically elected geographical constituencies and partially democratic [[Functional constituency (Hong Kong)|functional constituencies]] are required to vote separately since 1998 on motions, bills or amendments to government bills not introduced by the government. The passage of these motions, bills or amendments to government motions or bills requires double majority in both groups simultaneously. (Before 2004, when elections to the Legislative Council from the [[Election Committee]] was abolished, members returned through the Election Committee vote with members returned from geographical constituencies.) The double majority requirement does not apply to motions, bills and amendments introduced by the [[Hong Kong Government|government]].

Another similar situation are [[cross-community vote]]s in [[Northern Ireland]] when the ''petition of concern'' procedure is invoked.

[[Norway]] had a kind of [[Qualified unicameralism|semi-bicameral legislature]] with two chambers, or departments, within the same elected body, the [[Storting]]. These were called the Lagting and the Odelsting, and were abolished after the general election of 2009. According to [[Morten Søberg]], there was a related system in the 1798 constitution of the [[Batavian Republic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.minervanett.no/|title=Minerva|website=Minerva|access-date=17 December 2018|archive-date=17 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217134415/https://www.minervanett.no/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Examples of bicameralism in subnational entities==
In some countries with federal systems, individual states (like those of the [[U.S. state|United States]], [[Provinces of Argentina|Argentina]], [[States and territories of Australia|Australia]] and [[States and territories of India|India]]) may also have bicameral legislatures. A few such states as [[Nebraska]] in the U.S., [[Queensland]] in Australia, [[Bavaria]] in Germany, and [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]] and [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba]] in Argentina have later adopted unicameral systems. ([[States of Brazil|Brazilian states]] and [[Provinces of Canada|Canadian provinces]] all abolished upper houses).

===Argentina===
[[File:Legislaturas provinciales de Argentina.png|thumb|upright|[[List of provincial legislatures in Argentina|Provincial legislatures in Argentina]]]]

Only 8 out of 24 [[Provinces of Argentina|provinces]] still have bicameral legislatures, with a [[Senate]] and a [[Chamber of Deputies]]: [[Buenos Aires Province|Buenos Aires]], [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]], [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]], [[Entre Ríos Province|Entre Ríos]], [[Mendoza Province|Mendoza]], [[Salta Province|Salta]], [[San Luis Province|San Luis]] (since 1987) and [[Santa Fe Province|Santa Fe]]. [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]] and [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba]] changed to [[unicameral]] systems in 1990 and 2001 respectively.<ref>Malamud, Andrés and Martín Costanzo (2010) "[http://repositorio.ul.pt/handle/10451/11915 Bicameralismo subnacional: el caso argentino en perspectiva comparada] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113161734/https://repositorio.ul.pt/handle/10451/11915 |date=13 January 2021 }}". In: Igor Vivero Ávila (ed.), Democracia y reformas políticas en México y América Latina (pp. 219–246). Mexico: M. A. Porrúa.</ref> [[Santiago del Estero Province|Santiago del Estero]] changed to a bicameral legislature in 1884, but changed back to a unicameral system in 1903.

===Australia===
When the Australian states were founded as British colonies in the 19th century, they each had a bicameral Parliament. The lower house was traditionally elected based on the one-vote-one-value principle, with universal male suffrage, later expanded to women, whereas the upper house was either appointed on the advice of the government or elected, with a strong bias towards country voters and landowners. After [[Federation of Australia|Federation]], these became the state Parliaments. In Queensland, the appointed [[Queensland Legislative Council|upper house]] was abolished in 1922, while in [[New South Wales]] there were similar attempts at abolition, before the [[New South Wales Legislative Council|upper house]] was reformed in the 1970s to provide for direct election.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/australias-upper-houses/11038996| title = Australia's Upper Houses – ABC Rear Vision| date = 24 April 2019| publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| access-date = 7 September 2020| archive-date = 7 November 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201107230458/https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/australias-upper-houses/11038996| url-status = live}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1970s, Australian states (except Queensland, which is unicameral) began to reform their upper houses to introduce proportional representation in line with the Federal Senate. The first was the [[South Australian Legislative Council]] in 1973, which initially used a [[Party-list proportional representation|party list]] system (replaced with STV in 1982),<ref>{{cite book|last=Dunstan |first=Don |year=1981 |title=Felicia: The political memoirs of Don Dunstan |publisher=Griffin Press Limited |pages=214–215 |isbn=0-333-33815-4}}</ref> followed by the Single Transferable Vote being introduced for the [[New South Wales Legislative Council]] in 1978,<ref name=LA>{{cite web|title = Role and History of the Legislative Assembly|publisher = Parliament of New South Wales|url = http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/LARole|access-date = 9 September 2014|url-status = live|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110423094710/https://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/LARole|archive-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref> the [[Western Australian Legislative Council]] in 1987<ref>Electoral Reform expected to alter balance of power, ''The Australian'', 11 June 1987, p.5</ref> and the [[Victorian Legislative Council]] in 2003.<ref>Constitution (Parliamentary Reform) Act 2003</ref>

Nowadays, the upper house both federally and in most states is elected using [[proportional representation]] while the lower house uses [[Instant-runoff voting]] in single member electorates. This is reversed in the state of [[Tasmania]], where proportional representation is used for the [[Tasmania House of Assembly|lower house]] and single member electorates for the [[Tasmania Legislative Council|upper house]].<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Griffith| first1 = Gareth| last2 = Srinivasan| first2 = Sharath| title = State Upper Houses in Australia| publisher = New South Wales Parliamentary Library Service| year = 2001| url = https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/state-upper-houses-in-australia/bg01-01.pdf| access-date = 6 September 2020| archive-date = 27 November 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201127235022/https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/state-upper-houses-in-australia/bg01-01.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref>

===Bosnia and Herzegovina===
The Legislature of the [[Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]], one of the two entities of [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], is a bicameral legislative body. The House of Representatives has 98 delegates, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation. The House of Peoples has 58 members, 17 delegates from among each of the constituent peoples of the Federation, and 7 delegates from among the other peoples.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.advokat-prnjavorac.com/legislation/constitution_fbih.pdf|title=Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina|access-date=28 September 2016|archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305182336/https://advokat-prnjavorac.com/legislation/constitution_fbih.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Republika Srpska]], the other entity, has a unicameral parliament, known as the [[National Assembly (Republika Srpska)|National Assembly]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.narodnaskupstinars.net/?q=en/national-assembly/about-national-assembly|title=About National Assembly – NSRS|website=narodnaskupstinars.net|date=28 January 2015|access-date=28 September 2016|archive-date=8 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408154612/http://narodnaskupstinars.net/?q=en/national-assembly/about-national-assembly|url-status=live}}</ref> but there is also a Council of Peoples who is ''de facto'' the other legislative house.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vijecenarodars.net/ |work=vijecenarodars.net |language=sr |title=Home page |access-date=8 December 2019 |archive-date=8 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208112946/https://www.vijecenarodars.net/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===India===
Only 6 of the 36 states or Union Territories of India have bicameral legislatures, [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Bihar]], [[Karnataka]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Telangana]], and [[Uttar Pradesh]], while the rest all have unicameral legislatures. The lower houses are called [[State legislative assemblies of India|Legislative Assemblies]], and their members are elected by universal adult suffrage from single-member constituencies in state elections, which are normally held every five years called Vidhana Sabha. In the six states with bicameral legislatures, the upper house is called the [[State Legislative Council (India)|Legislative Council]] (''Vidhan Parishad'') or Vidhana Parishat, one-third of whose members are elected every two years. Members of the Legislative Council are elected in various ways:
* One-third are elected by the members of local bodies in the state such as [[Municipal governance in India|municipalities]], [[Gram panchayat|''gram panchayats'']], [[Panchayat samiti|block development councils]] and [[District Councils of India|district councils]].
* One-third are elected by the members of the state's [[State Legislative Assembly (India)|Legislative Assembly]] from amongst persons who are not members of the State Legislative Assembly.
* One-sixth are nominated by the [[Governor (India)|governor]] of the state from amongst persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as [[literature]], [[science]], [[arts]], the [[Cooperative|co-operative movement]] and [[Social work|social service]].
* One-twelfth are elected from special constituencies by persons who are college graduates of three years' standing residing in those constituencies.
* One-twelfth are elected by persons engaged for at least three years in teaching in [[Education in India|educational institutions within the state]] not lower than [[secondary school]]s, including [[college]]s and [[University|universities]].<ref>{{cite constitution|article=171|clause=3|polity=India|date=1950}}</ref>

From 1956 to 1958 the Andhra Pradesh Legislature was unicameral. In 1958, when the State Legislative Council was formed, it became bicameral until 1 June 1985 when it was abolished. This continued until March 2007 when the State Legislative Council was reestablished and elections were held for its seats. In [[Tamil Nadu]], a resolution was passed on 14 May 1986 and the state's Legislative Council was dissolved on 1 November 1986. Again on 12 April 2010, a resolution was passed to reestablish the council, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Similarly, the states of [[Assam]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], and [[West Bengal]] have also dissolved the upper houses of their [[State Legislature (India)|state legislatures]].{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

===United States===
During the 1930s, the legislature of the State of [[Nebraska]] was reduced from bicameral to unicameral with the 43 members that once comprised that state's Senate. One of the arguments used to sell the idea at the time to Nebraska voters was that by adopting a unicameral system, the perceived evils of the "[[conference committee]]" process would be eliminated.

A conference committee is appointed when the two chambers cannot agree on the same wording of a proposal, and consists of a small number of legislators from each chamber. This tends to place much power in the hands of only a small number of legislators. Whatever legislation, if any, the conference committee finalizes is presented in an unamendable "take-it-or-leave-it" manner by both chambers.

During his term as [[governor]] of the State of [[Minnesota]], [[Jesse Ventura]] proposed converting the Minnesotan legislature to a single chamber with [[proportional representation]], as a reform that he felt would solve many legislative difficulties and impinge upon legislative corruption. In his book on political issues, ''Do I Stand Alone?'', Ventura argued that bicameral legislatures for provincial and local areas were excessive and unnecessary, and discussed unicameralism as a reform that could address many legislative and budgetary problems for states.

===Historical===
The German federal state of [[Bavaria]] had a bicameral legislature from 1946 to 1999, when the [[Senate of Bavaria|Senate]] was abolished by a referendum amending the state's constitution. The other 15 states have used a unicameral system since their founding.

In the [[Soviet Union]], regional and local [[Soviet (council)|Soviets]] were unicameral. After the adoption of the [[Constitution of Russia|1993 Russian Constitution]], bicameralism was introduced in some regions. Bicameral regional legislatures are still technically allowed by federal law but this clause is dormant now. The last region to switch from bicameralism to unicameralism was [[Sverdlovsk Oblast]] in 2012.

Four [[Federative units of Brazil|Brazilian states]] ([[Bahia]], [[Ceará]], [[Pernambuco]], and [[São Paulo (state)|São Paulo]]) had bicameral legislatures that were abolished when [[Getúlio Vargas]] came to power after the [[Brazilian Revolution of 1930|Revolution of 1930]].

==Reform==

===Arab political reform===
A 2005 report<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/pdf/Arab_Democracy_TF.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705153315/http://www.cfr.org/pdf/Arab_Democracy_TF.pdf|url-status=dead|title=2005 report|archive-date=5 July 2008}}</ref> on democratic reform in the Arab world by the U.S. [[Council on Foreign Relations]] co-sponsored by former Secretary of State [[Madeleine Albright]] urged Arab states to adopt bicameralism, with upper chambers appointed on a 'specialized basis'. The Council claimed that this would protect against the '[[Tyranny of the majority]]', expressing concerns that without a system of checks and balances extremists would use the single chamber parliaments to restrict the rights of [[minority group|minority]] groups.

In 2002, [[Bahrain]] adopted a bicameral system with an elected lower chamber and an appointed upper house. This led to a boycott of parliamentary elections that year by the [[Al Wefaq]] party, who said that the government would use the upper house to veto their plans. Many secular critics of bicameralism were won around to its benefits in 2005, after many MPs in the lower house voted for the introduction of so-called [[Islamic religious police|morality police]].

===Romania===
A [[2009 Romanian parliamentary reform referendum|referendum]] on introducing a unicameral Parliament instead of the current bicameral [[Parliament of Romania|Parliament]] was held in [[Romania]] on 22 November 2009. The turnout rate was 50.95%, with 77.78% of "Yes" votes for a unicameral Parliament.<ref>[http://www.news-ro.info/referendum-turnout-5095-7778-said-yes-for-a-unicameral-parliament-8884-voted-for-the-decrease-in-the-number-of-parliamentarians.html Referendum turnout 50.95%. 77.78 said YES for a unicameral Parliament, 88.84% voted for the decrease in the number of Parliamentarians] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721231024/http://www.news-ro.info/referendum-turnout-5095-7778-said-yes-for-a-unicameral-parliament-8884-voted-for-the-decrease-in-the-number-of-parliamentarians.html |date=21 July 2011 }}, Official results from the Romanian Central Electoral Commission</ref> This referendum had a consultative role, thus requiring a parliamentary initiative and another referendum to ratify the new proposed changes.

===Ivory Coast===
A [[2016 Ivorian constitutional referendum|referendum]] on a new [[Constitution of Ivory Coast#2016 Constitution (proposed)|constitution]] was held on 30 October 2016. The constitution draft would create a bicameral [[Parliament of Ivory Coast|Parliament]] instead of the current unicameral. The [[Senate (Ivory Coast)|Senate]] is expected to represent the interests of territorial collectivities and Ivoirians living abroad. Two thirds of the Senate is to be elected at the same time as the general election. The remaining one third is appointed by the president elect.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://constitutionnet.org/news/innovations-draft-constitution-cote-divoire-towards-hyper-presidentialism|title=Innovations of the Draft Constitution of Cote d'Ivoire: Towards hyper-presidentialism?|website=ConstitutionNet|access-date=13 January 2020|archive-date=8 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408021122/http://constitutionnet.org/news/innovations-draft-constitution-cote-divoire-towards-hyper-presidentialism|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Examples==

===Current===
[[File:Unibicameral Map.svg|thumb|center|upright=3.4|{{legend|#38b4d8|Nations with a bicameral legislature}}{{legend|#f09c30|Nations with a unicameral legislature
}}{{legend|#b0e947|Nations with a unicameral legislature and an advisory body}}{{legend|#303030|Nations with no legislature}}{{legend|#a0989f|No data}}]]

====Federal====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! rowspan=3| Country !! colspan=2| Bicameral body !! rowspan=3| Notes
|-
! Upper house !! Lower house
|-
! Seats of Upper house !! Seats of Lower house
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Argentina}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Argentine National Congress|National Congress]]''' || rowspan=3| Of the twenty-three provincial legislatures, eight ([[Legislature of Buenos Aires Province|Buenos Aires]], [[Legislature of Catamarca|Catamarca]], [[Legislature of Corrientes|Corrientes]], [[Legislature of Entre Ríos|Entre Ríos]], [[Legislature of Mendoza|Mendoza]], [[Legislature of Salta|Salta]], [[Legislature of San Luis|San Luis]], and [[Legislature of Santa Fe|Santa Fe]]) are bicameral, while the remaining fifteen and the legislature of the [[Autonomous City of Buenos Aires]] are unicameral.
|-
| [[Argentine Senate|Senate]] || [[Argentine Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 72 || 257
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Australia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Australia|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the state parliaments except [[Parliament of Queensland|Queensland]]'s are also bicameral. The legislatures of the [[Parliament of the Northern Territory|NT]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly|ACT]] are unicameral.
|-
| [[Australian Senate|Senate]] || [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 76 || 151
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Austria}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Austrian Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the ''[[States of Austria|Bundesländer]]'' have unicameral parliaments.
|-
| [[Bundesrat (Austria)|Bundesrat]] (Federal Council) || [[National Council (Austria)|Nationalrat]] (National Council)
|-
| 61 || 183
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Belgium}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Belgian Federal Parliament|Federal Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the [[Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium|community and regional]] parliaments are unicameral.
|-
| [[Belgian Senate|Senate]] || [[Belgian Chamber of Representatives|Chamber of Representatives]]
|-
| 60 || 150
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Parliamentary Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3| The [[Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina]] is also bicameral, while the [[National Assembly (Republika Srpska)|National Assembly of Republika Srpska]] is unicameral.
|-
| [[House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina|House of Peoples]] || [[House of Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 15 || 42
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Brazil}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Congress of Brazil|National Congress]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the 26 state legislatures and the Federal District legislature are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Brazil|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of Brazil|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 81 || 513
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Canada}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the provincial and territorial legislatures are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Canada|Senate]] || [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]]
|-
| 105 || 343
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Ethiopia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Federal Parliamentary Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3| Regional Councils are unicameral. Assemblypersons of the Regional Councils are elected directly.
|-
| [[House of Federation]] || [[House of Peoples' Representatives]]
|-
| 112 || 547
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Germany}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| N/A || rowspan=3| Technically, Bundestag and Bundesrat form two distinct unicameral legislative constitutional bodies not framed by a comprehensive institution. German jurisprudence doesn't recognise the Bundesrat as a parliamentary chamber, because it consists of members of the state governments. Although it must always be heard in the legislative process, it only has to give consent to bills in certain defined areas. All of the federal states (''[[States of Germany|Länder]]'') today have unicameral ''[[Landtag]]e''.
|-
| [[Bundesrat (Germany)|Bundesrat]] (Federal Council) || de |[[Bundestag]] (Federal [[Diet (assembly)|Diet]])
|-
| 69 || 630
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|India}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of India|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| Six of the [[States and union territories of India|twenty-eight states]] also have bicameral legislatures, consisting of the upper house, the [[State Legislative Council (India)|State Legislative Council]] (Vidhan Parishad) and the lower house, the [[State Legislative Assembly (India)|State Legislative Assembly]] (Vidhan Sabha) respectively. The remaining twenty-two states and the [[Union territory|union territories]] of [[Delhi]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] have unicameral legislatures.
|-
| [[Rajya Sabha]] (Council of States) || [[Lok Sabha]] (House of the People)
|-
| 245 || 543
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Malaysia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Malaysia|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All the 13 State Legislative Assemblies are unicameral.
|-
| [[Dewan Negara]] (Senate) || [[Dewan Rakyat]] (House of Representatives)
|-
| 70 || 222
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Mexico}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Congress of Mexico|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3| All the 31 State Congresses and the Congress of Mexico City are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Mexico|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of Mexico|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 128 || 500
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Nepal}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Nepal|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the provincial assemblies are unicameral.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://constitution.org.np/userfiles/constitution%20of%20nepal%202072-en.pdf |title=Constitution of Nepal |access-date=18 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223153410/http://constitution.org.np/userfiles/constitution%20of%20nepal%202072-en.pdf |archive-date=23 December 2015 }}</ref>
|-
| [[National Assembly (Nepal)|Rastriya Sabha]] (National Assembly) || [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|Pratinidhi Sabha]] (House of Representatives)
|-
| 59 || 275
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Nigeria}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Assembly (Nigeria)|National Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Nigeria|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives (Nigeria)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 109 || 360 
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Pakistan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Pakistan|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the provincial assemblies are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Pakistan|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]]
|-
| 96 || 336
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Russia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Federal Assembly (Russia)|Federal Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3| All the regional legislatures are now unicameral while bicameralism in regions is technically allowed by the Federation.
|-
| [[Federation Council of Russia|Federation Council]] || [[State Duma]]
|-
| 178 || 450
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Somalia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Federal Parliament of Somalia|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Somalian Senate|Senate]]|| [[Lower House|House of The People]]
|-
| 54 || 275
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Switzerland}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Federal Assembly of Switzerland|Federal Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the cantons have unicameral parliaments.
|-
| [[Swiss Council of States|Council of States]] || [[National Council of Switzerland|National Council]]
|-
| 46 || 200
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|United States}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[United States Congress|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the state legislatures are bicameral, except [[Nebraska legislature|Nebraska]]. The [[Council of the District of Columbia]] is unicameral.
|-
| [[United States Senate|Senate]] || [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 100 || 435
|}

====Unitary====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! rowspan=3| Country !! colspan=2| Bicameral body !! rowspan=3| Notes
|-
! Upper house !! Lower house
|-
! Seats of Upper house !! Seats of Lower house
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Algeria}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Algeria|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Council of the Nation]] || [[People's National Assembly]]
|-
| 144 || 407
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Antigua and Barbuda|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 17 || 17
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Bahamas}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of the Bahamas|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Parliament of the Bahamas|Senate]] || [[Parliament of the Bahamas|House of Assembly]]
|-
| 16 || 39
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Bahrain}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Assembly (Bahrain)|National Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Consultative Council (Bahrain)|Consultative Council]] || [[Council of Representatives of Bahrain|Council of Representatives]]
|-
| 40 || 40
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Barbados}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Barbados|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Barbados|Senate]] || [[House of Assembly of Barbados|House of Assembly]]
|-
| 21 || 30
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Belarus}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Assembly of Belarus|National Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Council of the Republic of Belarus|Council]] || [[House of Representatives of Belarus|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 64 || 110
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Belize}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Assembly (Belize)|National Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Belize|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of Belize|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 13 || 31
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Bhutan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Bhutan|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[National Council (Bhutan)|National Council]] || [[National Assembly (Bhutan)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 25 || 47
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Bolivia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Plurinational Legislative Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Plurinational Legislative Assembly|Senate]] || [[Plurinational Legislative Assembly|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 36 || 130
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Burundi}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Burundi|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Burundi|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Burundi|National Assembly]]
|-
| 39 || 123
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Cambodia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Parliament of Cambodia|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Cambodia|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Cambodia|National Assembly]]
|-
| 62 || 125
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Cameroon}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Cameroon|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
|[[Senate (Cameroon)|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Cameroon|National Assembly]]
|-
| 100 || 180
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Chad}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''Parliament of Chad''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Chad|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Chad|National Assembly]]
|-
| 69 || 188
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Chile}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Congress of Chile|National Congress]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 50 || 155
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Colombia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Congress of Colombia|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Colombia|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Representatives of Colombia|Chamber of Representatives]]
|-
| 108 || 188
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of the Czech Republic|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 81 || 200
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|DR Congo}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|National Assembly]]
|-
| 108 || 500
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Congo}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of the Republic of the Congo|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of the Republic of the Congo|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo|National Assembly]]
|-
| 72 || 151
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Dominican Republic}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Congress of the Dominican Republic|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
|[[Senate of the Dominican Republic|Senate]]|| [[Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 32 || 190
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Egypt}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Egypt|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
|[[Senate (Egypt)|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives (Egypt)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 300 || 596
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Equatorial Guinea}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Equatorial Guinea|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate (Equatorial Guinea)|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies (Equatorial Guinea)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 70 || 100
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Eswatini}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Eswatini|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Eswatini|Senate]] || [[House of Assembly of Eswatini|House of Assembly]]
|-
| 30 || 70
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|France}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[French Parliament|Parliament]]''' in the [[France|Fifth French Republic]] || rowspan=3| All [[Regional Council (France)|Regional Councils]] are unicameral. The regional councillors are elected directly.
|-
| [[Senate (France)|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 348 || 577
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Gabon}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Gabon|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate (Gabon)|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (Gabon)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 102 || 143
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Grenada}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Grenada|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Parliament of Grenada|Senate]] || [[Parliament of Grenada|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 13 || 15
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Haiti}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Haitian Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate (Haiti)|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies (Haiti)|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 30 || 119
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Indonesia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[People's Consultative Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the provinces have unicameral parliaments.
|-
| [[Regional Representative Council]] || [[People's Representative Council]]
|-
| 136 || 575
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Ireland}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| {{lang|ga|'''[[Oireachtas]]'''}} || rowspan=3| A [[Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2013|2013 proposal to abolish the Seanad]] was defeated at referendum.
|-
| [[Seanad Éireann]] (Senate of Ireland'')'' || [[Dáil Éireann]] (Assembly of Ireland)
|-
| 60 || 174
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Italy}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Italian Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| Both houses possess the same powers. The executive is responsible to both houses. All of the [[Regional council (Italy)|regional councils]] are unicameral.
|-
| [[Italian Senate|Senate of the Republic]] || [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 200 || 400
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Ivory Coast}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Ivory Coast|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate (Ivory Coast)|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (Ivory Coast)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 99 || 255
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Jamaica}} ||colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Jamaica|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Parliament of Jamaica|Senate]] || [[Parliament of Jamaica|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 21 || 63
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Japan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Diet]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[House of Councillors of Japan|House of Councillors]] || [[House of Representatives of Japan|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 248 || 465
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Jordan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Jordan|Parliament]]'''||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Parliament of Jordan|Senate]] || [[Parliament of Jordan|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 65 || 130
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Kazakhstan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Kazakhstan|Parliament]]'''||rowspan=3|All of the [[mäslihat]]s (local assemblies) are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Kazakhstan|Senate]] || [[Mäjilis]] (Assembly of People)
|-
| 49 || 107
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Kenya}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Kenya|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Kenya|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Kenya|National Assembly]]
|-
| 67 || 349
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Lesotho}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Lesotho|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Lesotho|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (Lesotho)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 33 || 120
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Liberia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Legislature of Liberia|Legislature]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Liberia|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of Liberia|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 30 || 73 
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Madagascar}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Madagascar|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Madagascar|Senate]] || [[National Assembly of Madagascar|National Assembly]]
|-
| 18 || 163
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Morocco}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Morocco|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[House of Councillors (Morocco)|House of Councillors]] || [[House of Representatives (Morocco)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 120 || 395
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Myanmar}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Assembly of the Union|Pyidaungsu Hluttaw]] (Assembly of the Union)''' || rowspan=3| All the 14 State and Region Hluttaw (Assemblies) are unicameral.
|-
| [[House of Nationalities|Amyotha Hluttaw]] (House of Nationalities) || [[House of Representatives (Myanmar)|Pyithu Hluttaw]] (House of Representatives)
|-
| 224 || 440
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Namibia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Namibia|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[National Council of Namibia|National Council]] || [[National Assembly of Namibia|National Assembly]]
|-
| 42 || 104
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Netherlands}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[States General of the Netherlands|States General]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of the Netherlands|Eerste Kamer]] || [[House of Representatives of the Netherlands|Tweede Kamer]]
|-
| 75 || 150
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Oman}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Oman|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| |[[Council of State of Oman|Majlis al-Dawla]] (Council of State) || [[Consultative Assembly of Oman|Majlis al-Shura]] (Consultative Assembly)
|-
| 83 || 90
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Palau}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Palau National Congress|National Congress]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Palau|Senate]] || [[House of Delegates of Palau|House of Delegates]]
|-
| 13 || 16
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Paraguay}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Congress of Paraguay|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Paraguay|Senate]]|| [[Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 45 || 80
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Philippines}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Congress of the Philippines|Congress]]''' || rowspan=3| The [[Bangsamoro Parliament]] of the [[Bangsamoro|Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]] and all Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council), Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council), and Sangguiniang Bayan (Municipal Council) are unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 24 || 316
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Poland}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Poland|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the [[voivodeship sejmik]]s are unicameral. Bicameral body technically does not have a name instead being referred to as the Sejm and the Senate,<ref>{{Cite Polish law
| title       = Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
| trans_title = Constitution of the Republic of Poland
| year        = 1997
| volume      = 78
| number      = 483
| date        = 1997-04-02
}}</ref> but generally when referring to the body the name Parliament is used, as it is the most official unofficial name.
|-
| [[Senate of the Republic of Poland|Senate]] || [[Sejm of the Republic of Poland|Sejm]] ([[Diet (assembly)|''Diet'']])
|-
| 100 || 460
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Romania}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Romania|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Romania|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of Romania|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 136 || 330
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Rwanda}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Rwanda|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate (Rwanda)|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Deputies (Rwanda)|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| 26 || 80
|-
|rowspan=3| {{flag|Saint Lucia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Saint Lucia|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
|[[Senate of Saint Lucia|Senate]]||[[House of Assembly of Saint Lucia|House of Assembly]]
|-
| 11 || 17
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Slovenia}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Slovenian Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|In 2008, the [[Constitutional Court of Slovenia]] recognized the Slovenian Parliament as incompletely bicameral.
|-
| [[National Council (Slovenia)|National Council]] || [[National Assembly (Slovenia)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 40 || 90
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|South Africa}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of South Africa|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| All of the provincial legislatures are unicameral.
|-
| [[National Council of Provinces]] || [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]]
|-
| 90 || 400
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Spain}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''{{Lang|es|[[Cortes Generales]]|italic=no}}''' || rowspan=3| A fixed number of 208 members of the Senate are elected by citizens, a variable number (currently 58) are appointed by the [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous regions]]. Congress of Deputies can override a negative vote of the Senate on a bill with an [[absolute majority]] affirmative vote. Moreover, each Spanish autonomous region has its own [[List of Spanish regional legislatures|unicameral regional parliament]], with wide-ranging legislative powers on their own.
|-
| [[Spanish Senate|Senate]] || [[Spanish Congress of Deputies|Congress of Deputies]]
|-
| 266 || 350
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Tajikistan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Supreme Assembly (Tajikistan)|Supreme Assembly]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
| [[National Assembly of Tajikistan|National Assembly]]|| [[Assembly of Representatives (Tajikistan)|Assembly of Representatives]]
|-
| 33 || 63
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Thailand}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[National Assembly of Thailand|National Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Thailand|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives (Thailand)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 200 || 500
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Togo}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Togo|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|
|-
|[[Senate (Togo)|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (Togo)|National Assembly]]
|-
| 61 || 113
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3| The [[Tobago House of Assembly]] in the island of [[Tobago]] is unicameral.
|-
| [[Senate of Trinidad and Tobago|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 31 || 41
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Turkmenistan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[National Council of Turkmenistan|National Council]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[People's Council of Turkmenistan|People's Council]] || [[Assembly of Turkmenistan|Assembly]]
|-
| 56 || 125
|-co
| rowspan=3| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3| [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]] have devolved unicameral legislatures, each with a varying range of powers.
|-
| [[House of Lords]] || [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]
|-
| {{HOL|TOTAL}} || 650
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Uruguay}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[General Assembly of Uruguay|General Assembly]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Uruguay|Senate]] || [[Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay|Chamber of Representatives]]
|-
| 30 || 99
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Uzbekistan}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Oliy Majlis]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Uzbekistan|Senate]] || [[Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan|Legislative Chamber]]
|-
| 100 || 150
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Yemen}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''Parliament''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Shura Council (Yemen)|Shura Council]] ||[[House of Representatives (Yemen)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 111 || 301
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Zimbabwe}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Parliament of Zimbabwe|Parliament]]''' ||rowspan=3|
|-
| [[Senate of Zimbabwe|Senate]]||[[National Assembly of Zimbabwe]]
|-
| 80 || 280
|}

===Territorial===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! rowspan=3| Country !! colspan=2| Bicameral body !! rowspan=3| Notes
|-
! Upper house !! Lower house
|-
! Seats of Upper house !! Seats of Lower house
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|American Samoa}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[American Samoa Fono|Fono]]'''||rowspan=3|Unincorporated territory of the United States
|-
| [[American Samoa Senate|Senate]] || [[American Samoa House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 18 || 21
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Bermuda}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Parliament of Bermuda|Parliament]]'''||rowspan=3|British Overseas Territory
|-
| [[Senate of Bermuda|Senate]]||[[House of Assembly of Bermuda|House of Assembly]]
|-
| 11 || 36
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Isle of Man}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Tynwald]]'''||rowspan=3|British Overseas Territory
|-
| [[Legislative Council of the Isle of Man|Legislative Council]]||[[House of Keys]]
|-
| 11 || 24
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature|Commonwealth Legislature]]'''||rowspan=3|Commonwealth of the United States
|-
| [[Northern Mariana Islands Senate|Senate]]||[[Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 9 || 20
|-
| rowspan=3|{{flag|Puerto Rico}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico|Legislative Assembly]]'''||rowspan=3|Unincorporated territory of the United States/Commonwealth
|-
| [[Senate of Puerto Rico|Senate]]||[[House of Representatives of Puerto Rico|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 27 || 51
|}

===State parliaments with limited recognition===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! rowspan=3| Country !! colspan=2| Bicameral body !! rowspan=3| Notes
|-
! Upper house !! Lower house
|-
! Seats of Upper house !! Seats of Lower house
|-
| rowspan=3| {{flag|Somaliland}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Parliament of Somaliland|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=3|Each house has 82 members. The constitution of Somaliland does not clarify how members of the elders house are elected. But the members of the house of representative are elected once every five years.
|-
| [[House of Elders (Somaliland)|House of Elders]] || [[House of Representatives (Somaliland)|House of Representatives]]
|-
| 82 || 82
|}

==Historical Bicameral Parliament==


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! rowspan=3| Country !! colspan=2| Bicameral body !! rowspan=3| Notes
|-
! Upper house !! Lower house
|-
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Denmark}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Rigsdagen]]''' || rowspan=2| Under the 1849 [[Constitution of Denmark|constitution]] ''Rigsdagen'' was created, with two houses, an upper and a lower house. However, after the [[1953 Danish constitutional and electoral age referendum|1953 referendum]], both ''Rigsdagen'' and the ''Landsting'' was abolished, making the ''Folketing'' the [[Unicameralism|sole chamber]] of the parliament.
|-
| [[Landsting (Denmark)|Landsting]] ([[Upper house]]) || [[Folketing]] ([[Lower house]])
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Greece|old}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Hellenic Parliament|Parliament of the Hellenes]]''' || rowspan=2| The [[Greek Senate|Senate]] as an upper chamber was established by the [[Greek Constitution of 1844]], of the [[Kingdom of Greece (Wittelsbach)|Kingdom of Greece]], and was abolished by the [[Greek Constitution of 1864]]. The [[Greek Senate|Senate]] was reestabished by the [[republic]]an [[Greek Constitution of 1927|Constitution of 1927]], which establishing the [[Second Hellenic Republic]] and was disestablished by the restoration of the [[Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg)|Kingdom of Greece]] at 1935.
|-
| [[Greek Senate|Gerousia]] ([[Senate]]) || [[Hellenic Parliament|Vouli]] ([[Chamber of Deputies]])
|-
| rowspan=4| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Hungary}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[National Assembly (Hungary)|Assembly of the Realm]]''' || rowspan=2| Between 1608 and 1918 the Hungarian Parliament called ''Országgyűlés'' (Assembly of the Realm) had a bicameral structure, both houses having the same rights in legislature. In 1848 the popular representation was introduced for the Lower Table (replacing the representation of the Estates), while with Act VII of 1885 the Upper Table was slightly transformed, but its historical and partly aristocratic nature was preserved.
|-
| Upper Table (after 1885: House of Lords) || Lower Table (after 1848: House of Representatives)
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[National Assembly (Hungary)|Assembly of the Realm]]''' || rowspan=2| Between 1927 and 1944 the Hungarian Parliament became bicameral again, as Act XXII of 1926 reistanted the upper chamber, now simply called ''Felsőház'' (Upper House). This new house was partly an elected body: the mid-level local governments (counties) and some corporative, cultural and scientific associations (such as, e.g., the universities or the chamber of commerce) got the right to co-opt deputies from their own members. From 1945 on, the Hungarian Parliament is a unicameral legislative body.
|-
| Upper House || House of Representatives
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Iceland}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Althing|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| Once the Icelandic Parliament was restored by royal decree in 1844, it originally operated unicamerally from 1845 to 1874 when it became principally bicameral with an additional third chamber, known as Unified Parliament. However, the third chamber consisted of the union of the other two and deliberated as a single body, which makes some scholars classify it as only a bicameral system. However, the third chamber did have its own speaker distinct from the speakers for the other two chambers. The Icelandic Parliament followed the legislatures of Denmark and Sweden and became unicameral once more in 1991.
|-
| Upper Chamber || Lower Chamber
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|South Korea|1949|name=Korea, South}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[National Assembly of South Korea|National Assembly]]''' || rowspan=2| Under the first constitution ([[First Republic of South Korea|first republic]], 1948–52), the National Assembly was unicameral. The second and third constitutions (first republic, 1952–60) regulated the National Assembly was bicameral and consisted of the House of Commons and the Senate, but only the House of Commons was established and the House of Commons could not pass a bill to establish the Senate. During the short-lived [[Second Republic of South Korea|second republic]] (1960–61), the National Assembly became practically bicameral, but it was overturned by the [[May 16 coup]]. The National Assembly has been unicameral since its reopen in 1963.
|-
| [[Senate (South Korea)|Senate]] || [[House of Commons (South Korea)|House of Commons]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|New Zealand}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[New Zealand Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| Until 1950, the New Zealand Parliament was bicameral. It became unicameral in 1951, following the abolition of the Legislative Council, leaving the House of Representatives as the sole parliamentary chamber.
|-
| [[New Zealand Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] || [[House of Representatives of New Zealand|House of Representatives]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Peru}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Congress''' || rowspan=2| The [[Constitution of Peru#1979 Constitution|1979 Constitution]], which marked the return to democracy, followed the trend of previous constitutions by retaining a bicameral legislature. However it was dissolved altogether by President [[Alberto Fujimori]] by his [[1992 Peruvian constitutional crisis|1992 autocoup]]. Later, under the newer [[Constitution of Peru|1993 constitution]], the bicameral system was replaced by the unicameral [[Congress of the Republic of Peru|Congress of the Republic]].
|-
| Senate || Chamber of Deputies
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Portugal|1830}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Portuguese Cortes|Cortes]]''' || rowspan=2| During the period of Constitutional Monarchy, the Portuguese Parliament was bicameral. The lower house was the Chamber of Deputies and the upper house was the Chamber of Peers (except during the 1838–1842 period, where a Senate existed instead). With the replacement of the Monarchy by the Republic in 1910, the Parliament continued to be bicameral with a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate existing until 1926.
|-
| [[Chamber of Most Worthy Peers|Chamber of Peers]] || [[Chamber of Deputies of Portugal (1822–1910)|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Soviet Union}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union]]''' || rowspan=2| The [[Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union|Congress of People's Deputies]] superseded the Supreme Soviet. The Soviet of the Republics briefly succeeded the Soviet of Nationalities in late 1991.
|-
| [[Soviet of Nationalities]] || [[Soviet of the Union]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Sweden}}
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Riksdag]]en
| rowspan="2" |Until 1970, the Swedish [[Riksdag]] was bicameral. It became unicameral in 1971, but retained the name Riksdag.
|-
|{{Lang|sv|[[Första kammaren]]|italic=no}} ([[Upper house]])
|[[Andra kammaren]] ([[Lower house]])
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Taiwan}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''Parliament''' || rowspan=2| The tricameral parliament became bicameral in 1993 after the [[Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China|1991 constitutional amendments]] made the [[Control Yuan]] a non-parliamentary institution; the National Assembly became the upper house and the Legislative Yuan the lower house. The parliament became [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] in 2005 when the National Assembly was suspended.
|-
| [[National Assembly (Republic of China)|National Assembly]] ([[Upper house]]) || [[Legislative Yuan]] ([[Lower house]])
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Yugoslavia}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Parliament of Yugoslavia|Federal Assembly]]''' || rowspan=2| Between 1974 and 1992.
|-
| Chamber of Republics || Federal Chamber
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Turkey}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Turkish Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| It was established with the [[Turkish constitution of 1961]] and abolished with the [[Turkish constitution of 1982]], although it did not exist between 1980 and 1982 either as a result of the [[1980 coup d'état in Turkey]].
|-
| [[Senate of the Republic (Turkey)|Senate of the Republic]] || [[Grand National Assembly of Turkey|National Assembly]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Venezuela|1954}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Congress''' || rowspan=2| Under the [[Constitution of Venezuela|1999 constitution]], the bicameral system was replaced by the unicameral [[National Assembly of Venezuela]].
|-
| [[Senate of Venezuela|Senate]]||[[Venezuelan Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of Deputies]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Fiji}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Parliament of Fiji|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| Original bicameral system suspended by [[2006 Fijian coup d'état|2006 coup]]. [[2013 Constitution of Fiji]] abolished it and replaced it with a single chamber Parliament.
|-
| [[Senate of Fiji|Senate]] || [[House of Representatives of Fiji|House of Representatives]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Mauritania|1959}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Parliament of Mauritania|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| Under the 2017 Referendum, the bicameral system was replaced by the unicameral system.
|-
| [[Senate of Mauritania|Senate]] || [[National Assembly (Mauritania)|National Assembly]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Iran|1964}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''Parliament''' || rowspan=2| Between 1950 and 1979
|-
| [[Senate of Iran|Senate]] || [[National Consultative Assembly|National Assembly]]
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Croatia}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Croatian Parliament|Parliament]]''' || rowspan=2| Between 1990 and 2001
|-
| Chamber of Counties || Chamber of Representatives
|-
| rowspan=2| {{nowrap|1={{flag|South Vietnam|1964|name=Republic of Vietnam}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''National Assembly''' || rowspan=2| Between 1966 and 1975
|-
| [[1967 South Vietnamese Senate election|Senate]] || [[1967 South Vietnamese parliamentary election|House of Representatives]]
|-
| rowspan=4| {{nowrap|1={{flag|Czechoslovakia}}}} || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[National Assembly (Czechoslovakia)|National Assembly]]''' || rowspan=2| Between 1920 and 1939
|-
| Senate || Chamber of Deputies
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | '''[[Federal Assembly (Czechoslovakia)|Federal Assembly]]''' || rowspan=2| Under the [[Constitutional Act on the Czechoslovak Federation]], the Federal Assembly replaced the unicameral [[National Assembly (Communist Czechoslovakia)|National Assembly]] in 1969. Its two constituent republics, the [[Czech Socialist Republic|Czech (Socialist) Republic]] and the [[Slovak Socialist Republic|Slovak (Socialist) Republic]], had unicameral legislatures ([[Czech National Council]] and [[Slovak National Council]]). When [[Dissolution of Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia was dissolved]] at the start of 1993, the Federal Assembly was disbanded. The Czech Republic established their upper house, the [[Senate of the Czech Republic|Senate]], in December 1992.
|-
| Chamber of Nations || Chamber of People
|}

==See also==
* [[Federalism]]
* [[List of abolished upper houses]]
* [[Tricameralism]]
* [[Unicameralism]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last=Aroney|first=Nicholas|title=Four Reasons for an Upper House: Representative Democracy, Public Deliberation, Legislative Outputs and Executive Accountability|url=https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=687101067008103021026024001076080090096055058047023043031088001109087108029089028121061053000000033097052116074125026022096070009094010045014121127004118118086071075085127002099028023121082113095080104121081027119117006027108109092066005102102089&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE|year=2008|volume=29|journal=Adelaide Law Review|access-date=21 February 2021 }}{{dead link|date=October 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}

==External links==
* [https://ssrn.com/abstract=505822 ''Noncontemporaneous Lawmaking: Can the 110th Senate Enact a Bill Passed by the 109th House?''], 16 Cornell J.L. & Pub. Pol'y 331 (2007).
* [https://ssrn.com/abstract=932574 Against Mix-and-Match Lawmaking] Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl, ''Against Mix-and-Match Lawmaking]'', 16 '''Cornell J.L. & Pub. Pol'y''' 349 (2007).
* [https://ssrn.com/abstract=956155 ''Defending the (Not So) Indefensible: A Reply to Professor Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl''], 16 '''Cornell J.L. & Pub. Pol'y''' 363 (2007).

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