Unicameralism
Unicameralism (from uni- "one" & Latin camera "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one.[1] Unicameralism makes up nearly 60% of all national legislatures[2] and an even greater share of subnational legislatures.
Sometimes, as in New Zealand and Denmark, unicameralism comes from the abolition of one of two bicameral chambers, or, as in Sweden, through the merger of the two chambers into a single one, while in others a second chamber has never existed from the beginning.
Rationale for unicameralism and criticism
The principal advantage of a unicameral system is more efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is simpler and there is no possibility of deadlock between two chambers. Proponents of unicameralism have also argued that it reduces costs, even if the number of legislators stays the same, since there are fewer institutions to maintain and support financially. Popular among 20th-century democratic countries, unicameral, proportional legislatures were seen by nascent nations as both more democratic and effective.[3] However, at the tail end of the 20th century, the trend in favour of unicameral legislatures over bicameral legislatures started to reverse,[4][5][6] with a trend of countries starting to either restore or create Upper houses with the objectives of achieving greater checks and balances, representation, and/or legislative oversight,[7] causing the number of bicameral parliaments to rise from some 45 countries at the beginning of the 1970s to more than 80 in 2024.[6]
Proponents of bicameral legislatures say that having two legislative chambers offers an additional restraint on the majority, though critics note that there are other ways to restrain majorities, such as through non-partisan courts and a robust constitution.[8]
List of unicameral legislatures
Approximately half of the world's sovereign states are currently unicameral. The People's Republic of China is somewhat in-between, with a legislature and a formal advisory body. China has a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference which meets alongside the National People's Congress, in many respects an advisory "upper house".
Many subnational entities have unicameral legislatures. These include the state of Nebraska and territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands in the United States, the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, the Australian state of Queensland as well as the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, a majority of the provinces of Argentina, all of the provinces and territories in Canada, all of the Communities, Regions and Community Commissions of Belgium, all of the regions of Italy and France, all of the provinces of Nepal, all of the Spanish autonomous communities, both of the autonomous regions of Portugal, most of the states and union territories of India, and all of the states of Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Austria, and Germany. In the United Kingdom, the devolved Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the London Assembly are also unicameral.
National (UN member states and observers)
Federal
| Country | Unicameral body | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros | Assembly of the Union | 33 | |
| File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany | Bundestag | 630 | The Bundestag is technically the unicameral parliament of Germany, since the Basic Law (German constitution) defines the Bundesrat not as a chamber of the legislature, but as a completely separate legislative institution. |
| File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq | Council of Representatives | 329 | A provision exists for the founding of a "Council of Union", but no move to this effect has been initiated by the existing Council |
| File:Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia | Congress | 14 | |
| File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis | National Assembly | 15 | |
| File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates | Federal National Council | 40 | |
| File:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela | National Assembly | 285 |
Unitary
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Territorial
State parliaments with limited recognition
| Country | Unicameral body | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg Abkhazia | People's Assembly | 35 | |
| File:Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo | Assembly | 120 | |
| File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg Northern Cyprus | Assembly of the Republic | 50 | |
| File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | National Council | 53 | |
| File:Flag of South Ossetia.svg South Ossetia | Parliament | 34 | |
| File:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan | Legislative Yuan | 113 | The original constitution is partially superseded by the additional articles only on Taiwan which replaced the tricameral parliament into a unicameral one. A sunset clause in the additional articles will terminate them in the event of a hypothetical resumption of ROC rule in mainland China. |
| File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg Transnistria | Supreme Council | 33 |
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Subnational
Federations
- All legislatures and legislative councils of the regions and communities of Belgium
- All legislative assemblies in all states of Brazil
- All legislative assemblies of the provinces and territories of Canada
- All Landtage of the states of Germany
- All legislative assemblies of the states of Malaysia
- All legislatures in all states of Mexico
- All legislatures of the provinces in Nepal
- All legislatures of the provinces and territories in Pakistan
- The legislature of the state of Nebraska, and council of the District of Columbia in the United States
- The tribal councils of the Five Civilized Tribes in the state of Oklahoma
- Parliament of Queensland and the legislative assemblies of the territories of Australia (but not the other states)
- Provincial legislatures of the provinces of South Africa
- Narodna skupština of Republika Srpska
- 15 of the 23 provinces of Argentina — Chaco, Chubut, Córdoba, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, San Juan, Santa Cruz, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego, Tucumán, and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.
- 22 of the 28 states and union territories of India — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal; and 3 of the union territories — Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry.
Devolved governments
- Regional councils of France
- Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament
- Regional councils of Italy
- Regional House of Representative councils of Indonesian provinces, regencies, and cities
- Bangsamoro Parliament in Philippines
- Parliaments (variously named Parlamento, Cortes, Junta) of the autonomous communities of Spain
- City and County Councils of the administrative divisions of Taiwan
- Councils of the oblasts of Ukraine
- Countries of the United Kingdom:
Others
- Local People's Congresses of all levels of provinces, regions, and municipalities of the People's Republic of China
- National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization
List of historical unicameral legislatures
National
- The First Protectorate Parliament and Second Protectorate Parliament of the Kingdom of England, regulated by the Instrument of Government (dissolved)
- Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland until 1707 (dissolved)
- Congress of the Confederation was unicameral before being replaced in 1789 by the current, bicameral United States Congress.
- Provisional Congress of the Confederate States was unicameral before being replaced by the bicameral Confederate States Congress in 1862.
- Ministry of Dáil Éireann of the Irish Republic a revolutionary state between 1919 and 1922 was unicameral during the Irish War of Independence. Replaced by the bicameral Irish Free State government's Seanad (upper house) & Dail (lower house)
- Congress of Deputies of Second Spanish Republic was unicameral between 1931 and 1936. Dissolved at the end of Spanish Civil War
- Sejm of Poland under Soviet influence was unicameral between 1947 and 1989. The bicameral parliament was restored following the end of communist rule.
- The Parliament of Uzbekistan was unicameral before being replaced in 2005 by the current, bicameral Oliy Majlis.
- National Assembly of Cameroon was unicameral before being replaced in 2013 by the current, bicameral Parliament of Cameroon.
- Chamber of People's Representative of Equatorial Guinea was unicameral before being replaced in 2013 by the current, bicameral Parliament of Equatorial Guinea.
- National Assembly of Kenya was the country's unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Kenya in 2013.
- National Assembly of Ivory Coast was the country's unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Ivory Coast in 2016.
- Central National Committee and the Provisional People's Representative Council of Indonesia was the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Indonesia during the War of Independence and the liberal democracy era.
- The National Assembly of Togo
- The National Assembly of Chad
- The Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Tunisia[9]
- The National Assembly of Benin[10]
- The Congress of the Republic of Peru from 1995 to 2026[11]
Subnational
- General Assembly of Georgia until 1789
- General Assembly of Pennsylvania until 1790
- General Assembly of Vermont until 1836
Other
- Assembly of Representatives of Yishuv community in Mandatory Palestine from 1920 to 1949
Unicameralism in the Philippines
Though the current Congress of the Philippines is bicameral, the country experienced unicameralism in 1898 and 1899 (during the First Philippine Republic), from 1935 to 1941 (the Commonwealth era) and from 1943 to 1944 (during the Japanese occupation). Under the 1973 Constitution, the legislative body was called Batasang Pambansa, which functioned also a unicameral legislature within a parliamentary system (1973–1981) and a semi-presidential system (1981–1986) form of government.
The ongoing process of amending or revising the current Constitution and form of government is popularly known as Charter Change. A shift to a unicameral parliament was included in the proposals of the constitutional commission created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[12] Unlike in the United States, senators in the Senate of the Philippines are elected not per district and state but nationally; the Philippines is a unitary state.[13] The Philippine government's decision-making process, relative to the United States, is more rigid, highly centralised, much slower and susceptible to political gridlock. As a result, the trend for unicameralism as well as other political system reforms are more contentious in the Philippines.[14]
While Congress is bicameral, all local legislatures are unicameral: the Bangsamoro Parliament, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Boards), Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Councils), Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Councils), Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Councils), and the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Councils).
Unicameralism in the United States
Local government legislatures of counties, cities, or other political subdivisions within states are usually unicameral. Three U.S. states and territories have a unicameral legislature: the state of Nebraska, and the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands.
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the supreme legislative body of the state of Nebraska and the only unicameral state legislature in the United States. Its members are called "senators", as it was originally the upper house of a bicameral legislature before the Nebraska House of Representatives dissolved in 1937. The legislature is also notable for being nonpartisan and officially recognizes no party affiliation, making Nebraska unique among US states. With 49 members, it is also the smallest legislature of any US state.
Early history
The history of unicameralism in the United States began with the American Revolution: The provisional government of the early United States was unicameral from 1775–1788.
Three revolutionary states had unicameral legislatures: Georgia (1777–1789), Pennsylvania (1776–1790), and Vermont (1776–1836). These constitutions introduced a strong unicameral legislature and weak governor with no veto power. In Pennsylvania, the 1776 Constitution was based substantially on Thomas Paine's Common Sense.[15] In 1790, moderates gained power in the Pennsyvlania state legislature, called a new constitutional convention, and rewrote the constitution with a strong executive with veto power and created a new upper house.[16] Thomas Paine strongly opposed the new Constitution, calling it "a departure from the principles" of representative government and a mere "copy in miniature of the government of England".[16][17]
Since the creation of the United States Senate at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 under the Connecticut Compromise, reformers have proposed reforms to the United States Senate or its outright abolition, which would make the United States federal government a unicameral entity.
Later proposals
In 1944, Missouri held a vote on changing the General Assembly to a unicameral one, which was narrowly rejected by the voters 52.42–47.58. Only the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis County voted in favor, whilst Jackson County (containing the bulk of Kansas City) narrowly voted against, and all other counties voted against the change to unicameralism.[18][19]
In 1970, North Dakota voters voted to call a constitutional convention. In 1972, a change to a unicameral legislature was approved by 69.36–30.64;[20] however, since the voters rejected the new constitution at the same referendum, it never took effect.[21]
In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura proposed converting the Minnesota Legislature into a single chamber.[22] Although debated, the idea was never adopted.
In 2005, the US territory of Puerto Rico held a non-binding unicameralism referendum. Voters approved changing its Legislative Assembly to a unicameral body by 456,267 votes in favor (83.7%) versus 88,720 against (16.3%).[23] If both the territory's House of Representatives and Senate had approved by a 2⁄3 vote the specific amendments to the Puerto Rico Constitution that are required for the change to a unicameral legislature, another referendum would have been held in the territory to approve such amendments. If those constitutional changes had been approved, Puerto Rico could have switched to a unicameral legislature as early as 2015.
On June 9, 2009, the Maine House of Representatives voted to form a unicameral legislature, but the measure did not pass the Senate.[24]
During the 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis, which yielded legislative gridlock, former Congressman Rick Lazio, a prospective candidate for governor, proposed that New York adopt unicameralism.[25]
A 2018 study found that efforts to adopt unicameralism in Ohio and Missouri failed due to rural opposition.[26] There was a fear in rural communities that unicameralism would diminish their influence in state government.[26]
See also
- Bicameralism – Legislature with two chambers
- Tricameralism
References
- ↑ Lanham, Url (2018). The insects. Gene-Tech Books. ISBN 978-81-89729-42-4. OCLC 1003201754.
- ↑ "Structure of parliaments". IPU PARLINE database. 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ↑ Wirls, Daniel (2004). The invention of the United States Senate. Stephen Wirls. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-7438-6. OCLC 51878651.
- ↑ Coakley, John (December 2014). "The Strange Revival of Bicameralism". Journal of Legislative Studies. 20 (4): 542–572. doi:10.1080/13572334.2014.926168. ISSN 1357-2334.
- ↑ Meg, Russell (2013-07-11). "The Contemporary House of Lords: Westminster Bicameralism Revived". OUP Academic. doi:10.1093/acprof:o (inactive 18 August 2026). Archived from the original on 2026-02-04.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2026 (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Report on Bicameralism". Venice Commission of the Council of Europe - www.coe.int. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ "Bicameralism around the World : position and prospect". Sénat (in français). Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ Litt, David (2020). Democracy in One Book Or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn't, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think (First ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-287936-3. OCLC 1120147424.
- ↑ "Venice Commission - Report on Bicameralism". docs-venice.coe.int. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ "In Benin, new senate is inaugurated with powers to review legislation, protect constitution, and discipline politicians". ConstitutionNet. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ "Peru returns to a bicameral legislature". ConstitutionNet. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- ↑ "Proposals and Recommendations". Consultative Commission. Archived from the original on Sep 26, 2007. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ "The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines". gov.ph. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ Abueva, Jose V. (Oct 19, 2005). "Why change our Presidential Government to a Parliamentary Government". Consultative Commission. Archived from the original on 2006-08-18. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ Williams, Robert F. (1988). "The Influences of Pennsylvania's 1776 Constitution on American Constitutionalism during the Founding Decade". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 112 (1): 25–48. ISSN 0031-4587.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Wood, Gordon (1992). The Radicalism of the American Revolution.
- ↑ Paine, Thomas (1805). To the Citizens of Pennsylvania on the Proposal for Calling a Convention.
- ↑ "Missouri Unicameral Legislature, Issue 2 (1944)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "1944 Referendum General Election Results - Missouri".
- ↑ "North Dakota Unicameral or Bicameral Legislature, Alternate Proposition 1 (1972)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "North Dakota Constitution, Main Proposition (1972)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ↑ "One People – One House". News.minnesota.publicradio.org. 1999-04-29. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ "Referéndum sobre el Sistema Cameral". Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico. 2005-07-10.
- ↑ "RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Establish a Unicameral Legislature" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ↑ One for All, Rick Lazio, New York Times, July 14, 2009
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Myers, Adam S. (2018). "The Failed Diffusion of the Unicameral State Legislature, 1934–1944". Studies in American Political Development. 32 (2): 217–235. doi:10.1017/S0898588X18000135. ISSN 0898-588X. S2CID 150363451.
Further reading
- Martin, Shane; Strøm, Kaare W. (2023). "Cameral Structures". Legislative Assemblies: Voters, Members, and Leaders. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198890829.003.0005. ISBN 9780198890829.
