A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicamerallegislature, the other chamber being the upper house.[1] Despite its official position "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, typically, is the larger of the two chambers, meaning its members are more numerous.
Common attributes
In comparison with the upper house, lower houses frequently display certain characteristics (though they vary per jurisdiction).
In the modern era, has much more power, usually based on restrictions against the upper house.
Is able to override the upper house in some ways.
Can vote a motion of no confidence against the government, as well as vote for or against any proposed candidate for head of government at the beginning of the parliamentary term.
Exceptions are Australia, where the Senate has considerable power approximate to that of the House of Representatives, and Italy and Romania, where the Senate has exactly the same powers as the Chamber of Deputies.
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]
