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Parliament

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

The Magna Carta, a historic document from 1215 that helped shape the idea of legal rights, shown here in its original medieval form.

A parliament is a type of legislature, or law-making body, of a state. It has three main jobs: representing the people who live there, making laws, and watching over the government to make sure it works well. Many countries have a parliament, and it is especially common in places that were once ruled by kings or queens, known as monarchies.

Parliaments have a long history. In the Middle Ages, people began to meet to help make sure that kings followed the rules too. One early example was the Cortes of León in 1188, and later, an English parliament in 1265 helped start a group called the House of Commons. Over time, parliaments became very important in making laws and keeping governments in check.

Today, most parliaments are made up of people who are chosen by the public in elections. These members discuss ideas, make new laws, and ask questions to the leaders of the country. Parliaments continue to play a big role in how many countries are run, helping to make sure that everyone has a say in the rules that affect their lives.

Etymology

The word "parliament" comes from old words used in Anglo-Norman and Old French. Long ago, it meant having a discussion or talking things through. Over time, especially in Britain, it came to mean a special group of people who make laws for the country.

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A 1215 edition of Magna Carta, as featured on display at the British Library

Development of modern parliaments

The development of the modern concept of parliamentary government dates back to the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800).

United Kingdom

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 by the Acts of Union that replaced the former parliaments of England and Scotland. A further union in 1801 united the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland into a Parliament of the United Kingdom. Through a series of Reform Acts in the 19th and 20th centuries, it became democratically elected.

The British Parliament is often called the Mother of Parliaments because it has been a model for many other parliamentary systems. Many countries have similar parliaments with a ceremonial head of state, a large elected lower house, and a smaller upper house. The Parliament of the United Kingdom has been known for its stable governing institutions and its ability to adapt to change.

In the United Kingdom, Parliament consists of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch. The House of Commons is made up of 650 members who are elected by citizens to represent areas called constituencies. The leader of the party that wins the most seats is invited by the Monarch to form a government. The House of Lords is made up of members who are not elected, including those who inherit their titles and others who are appointed for life.

The Palace of Westminster, London

Laws, called bills, can start in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords. They go through several stages, including readings and a committee stage, before becoming law. The House of Lords has less power than the House of Commons and can only delay certain types of bills for a short time.

Sweden

Main article: Age of Liberty

In Sweden, a period called the Age of Liberty began after the death of Charles XII in 1718 and ended with Gustav III’s self-coup in 1772. During this time, civil rights expanded, and power shifted from the monarch to parliament.

Poland

Changes in Poland in the 1980s led to talks that resulted in an agreement on 5 April 1989. This agreement helped change the country's political system and regain independence. It allowed for free elections and changes to the Constitution. Over time, Poland adopted a new Constitution on 2 April 1997, which introduced a modern parliamentary system. The Constitution defined the roles of the Sejm (lower house) and the Senate (upper house) and balanced powers between the government and parliament. Both houses work independently but together as the National Assembly for certain important decisions.

Parliamentary system

Many parliaments are part of a parliamentary system of government. In these systems, the leader of the government, often called a prime minister, must have the support of the parliament. If the parliament loses trust in the prime minister, they can vote to remove them from office. This makes it easier to change leaders compared to systems where leaders are elected separately.

Parliaments can have one or two groups of members, called chambers or houses. Some countries, like the United Kingdom, have the prime minister as a member of parliament, while others, like the Netherlands, do not. In some places, the head of state also acts as the leader of the government and is responsible to the parliament.

Women in parliament

Main article: Women in government

Many countries have worked to make sure that women have the same chances to help make laws as men. Over time, more women have joined parliaments around the world. This shows that everyone, no matter if they are a boy or a girl, can help decide the rules and leaders of their country. Having women in parliament helps make sure that everyone's ideas and needs are considered when making important decisions.

List of national parliaments

The Binnenhof in The Netherlands is the oldest Parliament buildings in the world still in use.

See also: List of legislatures by country

Parliaments of the European Union

Others

List of subnational parliaments

Australia

Australia has several state and territory parliaments, including:

Belgium

Belgium has parliaments for its regions and communities, such as:

Canada

Main article: Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories

Canada's provinces and territories have their own parliaments, including:

China

China has legislative bodies in its special administrative regions:

Denmark

Denmark has parliaments for its autonomous territories:

Finland

Finland has a parliament for its autonomous region:

Germany

Germany's states have their own parliaments, called Landtag, except for Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, which have city councils that also serve as state parliaments:

India

India has legislative assemblies and councils in its states and territories. For more details, see the main articles:

Main article: State legislative assemblies of India

Main article: State legislative councils of India

Some states have legislative councils, including:

Malaysia

Netherlands

The Netherlands has provincial councils and a national parliament:

Norway

Main article: Subnational parliamentary system in Norway

Philippines

The Philippines has a parliament for its autonomous region:

Portugal

Portugal has legislative assemblies for its autonomous regions:

Spain

Main article: List of Spanish regional legislatures

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has provincial councils:

Switzerland

Main article: List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago has an assembly for its island:

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has parliaments and assemblies for its nations:

Other parliaments

Main articles: International parliament and Inter-parliamentary institution

Parliament is a group of people who make laws and help run a country. Many places around the world have their own parliaments. Some groups of countries also work together with special parliaments, like the European Parliament. Each country may have a different name for its parliament, such as the Majlis in Iran or the People's Consultative Assembly in Indonesia. Some parliaments no longer exist, like the Parliament of Northern Ireland or the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria.

Images

Inside the Chamber of the House of Representatives at Japan's National Diet Building.
The Alþingishúsið building in Reykjavik, home to Iceland's parliament.
The grand Session Hall inside the Parliament House in Helsinki, Finland.
The grand Council Hall inside the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest, showcasing its impressive architecture and design.
Historical painting of the First Sejm by Jan Matejko, showing Polish nobles gathered in an early parliamentary meeting.
Members of Poland's parliament during a session on September 7, 2007.
A formal meeting hall in the State Duma where important government discussions take place.
The interior of the Scottish Parliament's Main Debating Chamber, where important discussions and decisions for Scotland take place.
Statues of lions outside the Congress of Deputies in Spain.
A statue of Oliver Cromwell, a historical leader, located near the UK Parliament in London.

Related articles

Legislature
State (polity)
Representation (politics)
Law
Monarchies
Middle Ages

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Parliament, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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