Lower house

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

Contents

Common attributes

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

Powers
Status of lower house

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

Titles of lower houses

Many lower houses are named in manners such as follows:

See also

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References

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