Legislatures
Type of Legislature:
Differentiated in three ways: recruitment method, size + number of chambers.
Recruiting Legislatures:
Two main methods: election + appointment.
Third way but recently removed: heredity - mainly in Lords.
92 members HOL are hereditary members, but could be abolished in next reforms.
Life peers + Church of England archbishops + bishops were there by appointment.
17th amendment 1913, provided direct elections to Senate, both chambers are elected.
Size of Legislatures:
UK parliament is larger than US Congress.
HOC = 650 members + HOL = 788.
USA HOR = 435 members + Senate = 100.
Reason for Congress being smaller is that America also has state legislatures.
Creation of Scottish Parliament - number of MP's could be smaller.
Number of Chambers:
UK + USA = bicameral.
USA - system of checks + balances between HOR + Senate.
May 2003 - HOR passed $550 billion tax cut, Senate refused to pass anything more than $350 billion. In the end,
President Bush signed $350 billion tax cuts.
US Senate specifically represent interests of individual states.
Regardless of population each state has 2 Senators.
Bicameralism - associated with inefficiency + duplication.
True when different parties has control of two chambers - 2005 Labour control HOC but HOL = 213 Conservative
peers, Labour peer = 186.
2014 = Indeed President Obama must currently deal with a House of Representative in which the Republican
party have a majority (246-188) and just recently the Senate (54-44) is now in control of the Senate.
HOL -politically subservient to HOC not the case with Senate.
Differences in Composition:
UK US
Executive drawn from legislature. Separation of powers + Separation of Personnel - executive recruited
from outside legislature.
HOL still remains entirely appointed. 435 in HOR + 100 in Senate - 1913 Senate + HOR - fully elected.
Election Qualifications:
US HOR UK HOC
Fixed elections – 2yrs. Elections at least every 5 years.
Minimum age -25. Minimum age of 21.
Residency qualification + locality rule in some states. No residency qualification.
No executive branch members. Executive branch members.
Wakeham Commission:
Recommended in 2000:
o Stage 1 reform: Abolished all hereditary peers eventually. Immediately get rid of all bar 92 hereditary
peers.
o Stage 2 reform: Make HOL part appointed + part elected mixed chamber. Elected peers – regionally
balanced.
Type of Legislature:
Differentiated in three ways: recruitment method, size + number of chambers.
Recruiting Legislatures:
Two main methods: election + appointment.
Third way but recently removed: heredity - mainly in Lords.
92 members HOL are hereditary members, but could be abolished in next reforms.
Life peers + Church of England archbishops + bishops were there by appointment.
17th amendment 1913, provided direct elections to Senate, both chambers are elected.
Size of Legislatures:
UK parliament is larger than US Congress.
HOC = 650 members + HOL = 788.
USA HOR = 435 members + Senate = 100.
Reason for Congress being smaller is that America also has state legislatures.
Creation of Scottish Parliament - number of MP's could be smaller.
Number of Chambers:
UK + USA = bicameral.
USA - system of checks + balances between HOR + Senate.
May 2003 - HOR passed $550 billion tax cut, Senate refused to pass anything more than $350 billion. In the end,
President Bush signed $350 billion tax cuts.
US Senate specifically represent interests of individual states.
Regardless of population each state has 2 Senators.
Bicameralism - associated with inefficiency + duplication.
True when different parties has control of two chambers - 2005 Labour control HOC but HOL = 213 Conservative
peers, Labour peer = 186.
2014 = Indeed President Obama must currently deal with a House of Representative in which the Republican
party have a majority (246-188) and just recently the Senate (54-44) is now in control of the Senate.
HOL -politically subservient to HOC not the case with Senate.
Differences in Composition:
UK US
Executive drawn from legislature. Separation of powers + Separation of Personnel - executive recruited
from outside legislature.
HOL still remains entirely appointed. 435 in HOR + 100 in Senate - 1913 Senate + HOR - fully elected.
Election Qualifications:
US HOR UK HOC
Fixed elections – 2yrs. Elections at least every 5 years.
Minimum age -25. Minimum age of 21.
Residency qualification + locality rule in some states. No residency qualification.
No executive branch members. Executive branch members.
Wakeham Commission:
Recommended in 2000:
o Stage 1 reform: Abolished all hereditary peers eventually. Immediately get rid of all bar 92 hereditary
peers.
o Stage 2 reform: Make HOL part appointed + part elected mixed chamber. Elected peers – regionally
balanced.
