I know the lower house is selected through general elections, but what about the upper house?
In: Other
In the UK, the upper house is the House of Lords. Where members of the lower house are elected, Lords are mostly appointed for life, and 26 are bishops from the church of England. Historically, many lordships were also hereditary, meaning they passed from father to son, but that has been reformed and no peerages are directly inherited anymore. The remaining hereditary peerages are filled by a vote within the House of Lords.
The House of Lords has many of the same functions as the House of Commons: Lords can introduce legislation or propose amendments to legislation, the House of Lords debates proposed bills and government policy. It can also delay bills becoming law or in some cases prevent it. Its function is essentially to act as a legislative body that is disconnected from electoral politics.
In other countries, things can be completely different. There may not even be an upper house.
Latest Answers