This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: "Lower house" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2023)

A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, 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).

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

United Kingdom House of Commons
Australian House of Representatives

Many lower houses are named in manners such as these:

See also

References

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