Unicameralism (fromuni- "one" + Latincamera "chamber") is a type oflegislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one.[1] Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly 60% of all national legislatures[2] and an even greater share of subnational legislatures.
Sometimes, as inNew Zealand andDenmark, unicameralism comes about through the abolition of one of two bicameral chambers, or, as inSweden, through the merger of the two chambers into a single one, while in others a second chamber has never existed from the beginning.
The principal advantage of a unicameral system is more efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is simpler and there is no possibility ofdeadlock 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. More popular among modern-day democratic countries, unicameral,proportional legislatures are widely seen as both more democratic and effective.[3]
Proponents ofbicameral legislatures say that having two legislative chambers offers an additional restraint on themajority, though critics note that there are other ways to restrain majorities, such as through non-partisan courts and a robust constitution.[4]
The Bundestag is technically the unicameral parliament of Germany, since theBasic Law (German constitution) defines theBundesrat not as a chamber of the legislature, but as a completely separate legislative institution.
Theoriginal constitution is partially superseded by theadditional articles only on Taiwan which replaced the tricameral parliament into a unicameral one.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.
National Assembly ofKenya was the country's unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Kenya in 2013.
National Assembly ofIvory Coast was the country's unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Ivory Coast in 2016.
The ongoing process of amending or revising thecurrent Constitution and form of government is popularly known asCharter Change. A shift to a unicameral parliament was included in the proposals of the constitutional commission created by PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo.[7] Unlike in the United States, senators in theSenate of the Philippines are elected not per district and state but nationally; thePhilippines is aunitary state.[8] The Philippine government's decision-making process, relative to the United States, is more rigid, highly centralised, much slower and susceptible topolitical gridlock. As a result, the trend for unicameralism as well as other political system reforms are more contentious in the Philippines.[9]
Three U.S. states and territories have a unicameral legislature: the state ofNebraska, and the territories ofGuam and theVirgin Islands.
TheNebraska 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.
A 2018 study found that efforts to adopt unicameralism in Ohio and Missouri failed due to rural opposition.[10] There was a fear in rural communities that unicameralism would diminish their influence in state government.[10]
Local government legislatures of counties, cities, or other political subdivisions within states are usually unicameral and have limited lawmaking powers compared to their state and federal counterparts.
Some of the 13 colonies which became independent, such asPennsylvania,New Jersey andNew Hampshire had initially introduced strong unicameral legislature and (relatively) less powerful governors with no veto power. Pennsylvania's constitution lasted only 14 years. In 1790, conservatives gained power in the state legislature, called a new constitutional convention, and rewrote the constitution. The new constitution substantially reduced universal male suffrage, gave the governor veto power and patronage appointment authority, and added an upper house with substantial wealth qualifications to the unicameral legislature.Thomas Paine called it a constitution unworthy of America.[citation needed]
In 1944,Missouri held a vote on changing theGeneral Assembly to a unicameral one, which was narrowly rejected by the voters 52.42–47.58. Only the city ofSt. Louis and theSt. Louis County voted in favor, whilstJackson County (containing the bulk ofKansas City) narrowly voted against, and all other counties voted against the change to unicameralism.[11][12]
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,[13] however, since the voters rejected the new constitution at the same referendum, it never took effect.[14]
TheUS territory ofPuerto Rico held a non-bindingreferendum in 2005. Voters approved changing itsLegislative Assembly to a unicameral body by 456,267 votes in favor (83.7%) versus 88,720 against (16.3%).[16] If both the territory'sHouse of Representatives andSenate had approved by a2⁄3 vote the specific amendments to thePuerto 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.
The United States as a whole was subject to a unicameral Congress during the years 1781–1788, when theArticles of Confederation were in effect. TheConfederate States of America, pursuant to its Provisional Constitution, in effect from February 8, 1861, to February 22, 1862, was governed by a unicameral Congress.[19]
^Wirls, Daniel (2004).The invention of the United States Senate. Stephen Wirls. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.ISBN0-8018-7438-6.OCLC51878651.
^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.ISBN978-0-06-287936-3.OCLC1120147424.
^Reuter, Konrad (2003). "Zweite Kammer?". Bundesrat und Bundesstaat: Der Bundesrat der Bundesrepublik Deutschland(PDF) (in German) (12th ed.). Berlin: Direktor des Bundesrates. p. 50. ISBN 3-923706-22-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2007-01-04. Im Ausland wird ein solches parlamentarisches System im Allgemeinen als Zweikammer- System bezeichnet. Für Bundestag und Bundesrat ist dagegen eine gemeinsame Bezeichnung nicht allgemein üblich, und es ist sogar umstritten, ob der Bundesrat eine Zweite Kammer ist. (English: Abroad, such a parliamentary system is in general called a bicameral one. For Bundestag and Bundesrat such a common designation is not usual and it is even contentious whether the Bundesrat is a second chamber at all.)
^Classifications of Germany as a country with a bicameral legislature can be controversial.[5]
