The House of Commons is the name of the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
In the UK and Canada, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the upper house (the House of Lords or the Canadian Senate respectively). An upper house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Lower house. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons usually becomes the prime minister. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Since 2005, the British House of Commons has had 646 elected members; this will increase to 650 at the next General Election. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Canadian House of Commons has 308 members. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Commons' functions are to consider through debate new laws and changes to existing ones, authorise taxes, and provide scrutiny of the policy and expenditure of the Government. It has the power to give a Government a vote of no confidence. A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion
Historically, there have also been Houses of Commons in Ireland and North Carolina (United States). Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
History and naming
Originally, "the commons" were an Estate of the realm prior to the Enlightenment in European politics, which typically divided the governance of an area between estates of society. The Estates of the realm were the broad divisions of society usually distinguishing Nobility, Clergy, and Commoners recognized in the Middle Ages The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century The commons represented commoners, such as members of craft guilds, burghers, and tenants. In British law a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers Other estates included the prelates, nobles, merchants and knights. A prelate is a high-ranking member of the Clergy who either is an Ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime Merchants function as professionals who deal with Trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves in order to produce Profit. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. The British House of Commons was created to serve as the political outlet for this "commons" class, while the elite estates were represented in the House of Lords. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons was thus elected while members of the upper house were appointed on the basis of various forms of merit, such as hereditary titles, family lineage, or a service to the realm that warranted special recognition. However, the term "commons" in House of Commons, is derived from the Anglo-Norman word communes, which referred to the respective geographic and collective "communities" of their representatives and not the third estate, the commonality.
Throughout their histories, the British and Canadian Houses of Commons have become increasingly representative, as suffrage has been extended. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally Both bodies are now elected via universal adult suffrage. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to In both countries, the House of Commons may be prorogued for election only by the Crown. A parliamentary session is a period of time where the Legislature in a Parliamentary government is sitting
Specific bodies
Although it is common to associate the title of "House of Commons" with the Westminster system in general, in practice, only two states actually use the title. The Westminster system is a democratic Parliamentary system of Government modelled after the British government (the Parliament of the United They are:
- The British House of Commons (at the Palace of Westminster, London)
- The Canadian House of Commons (on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa)
Three historical bodies have used this name in Ireland as well, they are:
- House of Commons of Ireland (abolished in 1801)
- House of Commons of Southern Ireland (1921–1922)
- House of Commons of Northern Ireland (1921–1972)
The lower house of the General Assembly of North Carolina was also known as the House of Commons between 1760 and 1868. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Irish House of Commons was the Lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800 House of Commons of Southern Ireland was the lower house of the Irish parliament created by the Government of Ireland Act, passed in 1920 during the Irish War The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. A lower house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Upper house. The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States
See also
The first purpose-built House of Commons chamber in the world. The Irish House of Commons was the Lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800 Painted c. 1780.
Dictionary
House of Commons
-proper noun
- (Politics, UK, Canada) The lower house of the UK and Canadian Houses of Parliament
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