The Upper Chamber of a Bicameral National Legislature

Abstract

Although this book deals primarily with unicameral national legislatures and the lower chamber of bicameral legislatures, it would be inappropriate to entirely ignore the upper chamber of bicameral legislatures. At least 48 nations have bicameral national legislatures in which the members of the upper chamber are appointed, including those in which these members are “indirectly elected” by state, provincial, or other local legislative bodies. Another 28 nations have bicameral national legislatures in which at least some in the upper chamber are directly elected. At least 128 have unicameral national legislatures. Appendix B provides a list of nations with bicameral and unicameral national legislatures. In most of the nations with bicameral legislatures, only the members of the “lower chamber” are directly elected.