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Senate
*** Shopping-Tip: Senate
A '''senate''' is a
deliberative body, often the
upper house or chamber of a
legislature. The word ''senate'' is derived from the
Latin word ''senex'' for "old man", via the Latin word ''senatus'' (senate). The members or legislators of a senate are called '''senators'''. The Latin word ''senator'' has been adopted by English with no change in spelling. Its meaning comes from a very ancient form of even simple social organization in which decision-making powers are reserved for the eldest men. For the same reason, the word ''senate'' is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. The original senate was the
Roman Senate, which lasted until
580.
Modern democratic states with
bicameral parliamentary systems are sometimes equipped with a senate, often distinguished by an ordinary parallel
lower house, known variously as the "
House of Representatives", "
Chamber of Deputies", "
National Assembly" or "
House of Assembly", by electoral rules. This may include minimum age required for voters and candidates, proportional or
majoritarianism majoritarian or
plurality system, and an electoral basis or ''collegium''. Typically, the senate is referred to as the upper house and has a smaller membership than the lower house.
An example of this is the
United States Senate where the number of seats is fixed at two per state, regardless of population or size. The
Australian Senate is similarly modelled on the United States Senate, with 12 Senators for each state, while the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have two each. The term of a senator is in the United States is 6 years. Every two years, 1/3 of the senate is chosen: 33 or 34 senators.
In a federal system, the senate often serves a balancing effect by giving a larger share of power to regions and groups which would otherwise be overwhelmed in a purely representative system.
In the legislatures of
U.S. states, Senates were also used for this purpose until the
1963 case of ''
Baker v. Carr'', in which the
Supreme Court of the United States ruled that state legislatures must apportion seats in both houses according to population. However, there are still typically fewer members of a state Senate than there are members of the lower house.
In the
United States, each of its member states has a Senate and a lower chamber, known variously as the House of Representatives, House of Delegates, General Assembly or Assembly, except for the state of
Nebraska, where the Senate is the only body of a
unicameral legislature.
Some senates, notably in Canada and the
Commonwealth of Nations Commonwealth Caribbean, are appointed rather than elected. The Jamaican Senate, for example, has 21 members, thirteen appointed by the
prime minister and eight by the
leader of the opposition. This serves as a block on constitutional change, which requires a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
A senate can also be the name of an executive branch of government.
Until 1919, the
Senate of Finland was the executive branch and supreme court.
In
Germany, the term Senate also has different meanings, referring to the executive branch of government rather than the legislature, and to the judiciary. In the city
States of Germany states of
Berlin,
Bremen (state) Bremen and
Hamburg, the executive is called the Senate ("''Senat''" in
German language German), with Senators ("''Senatoren''") holding ministerial portfolios. Also in Germany, bodies of usually five
judges in higher
court of appeal courts of appeal hearing and deciding cases are called "senates", although the judges are not called "senators". However, in the Free State of
Bavaria, the Senate was the upper house of parliament until its abolition in
1999.
The title of '''senator''' can also be used for certain members of other legislative bodies, for example, some elected members of the
Politics of Jersey States of
Jersey, and nominated members of
Dominica's House of Assembly and
St Kitts and Nevis's National Assembly, are known as 'Senators'.
In
Scotland, judges of the
High Court of Justiciary are called '''Senators of the College of Justice'''.
Senates around the world
*
Senate of Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda
*
Argentine Senate Argentina
*
Australian Senate Australia
*
Senate of the Bahamas Bahamas
*
Senate of Barbados Barbados
*
Belgian senate Belgium
*
Senate of Belize Belize
*
Senate of Bolivia Bolivia
*
National Congress of Brazil Brazil
*
Senate of Burundi Burundi
*
Senate of Cambodia Cambodia
*
Canadian Senate Canada
*
Senate of Chile Chile
*
Senate of Colombia Colombia
*
Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the
*
Senate of the Republic of Congo Congo, Republic of
*
Politics of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
*
Senate of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
*
Senate (Fiji) Fiji
*
French Senate France
*
Senate of Gabon Gabon
*
Senate of Grenada Grenada
*
Senate of Haiti Haiti
*
Seanad Éireann Ireland (Seanad Éireann)
*
Italian Senate Italy
*
Senate of Jamaica Jamaica
*
Senate of Jordan Jordan
*
Senate of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
*
Senate of Lesotho Lesotho
*
Senate of Liberia Liberia
*
Senate of Madagascar Madagascar
*
Senate of Malaysia Malaysia
*
Senate of Mexico Mexico
*
Nigerian Senate Nigeria
*
Senate of Palau Palau
*
Senate of Pakistan Pakistan
*
Senate of Paraguay Paraguay
*
Senate of the Philippines Philippines
*
Senate of Poland Poland
*
Senate of Romania Romania
*
Senate of Rwanda Rwanda
*
Senate of Saint Lucia Saint Lucia
*
Spanish Senate Spain
*
Senate of Swaziland Swaziland
*
Senate of Thailand Thailand
*
Senate of Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago
*
House of Lords United Kingdom
*
United States Senate United States
*
Senate of Uruguay Uruguay
*
Senate of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe
Defunct senates
*
Bavaria#Politics Bavaria (
1999)
1
*
Politics of Chad Chad (
2005)
1
*
Congress_of_the_Confederate_States Confederate States of America (
1861-
1865)
2
*
Politics of Egypt Egypt (
1952)
2
*
Politics of Ethiopia Ethiopia (
1974)
2
*
Politics of Guyana British Guiana (now Guyana) (
1955)
2
*
Politics of Indonesia Indonesia (
1950)
3
*
Majlis of Iran Iran (
1979)
3
*
Politics of Iraq Iraq (
1958)
2
*
Politics of Kenya Kenya 1966 1
*
Politics of Libya Libya (
1969)
2
*
Politics of Malta Malta (
1949)
3
*
Politics of Nicaragua Nicaragua (
1979)
3
*
Senate of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland (
1921-
1972)
2
*
Politics of Senegal Senegal (
2001)
1
*
Senate of South Africa South Africa
**(
1910-
1981)
1
**(
1994-
1997)
4
*
South Vietnam#Politics South Vietnam (
1975)
2
*
Politics of Sri Lanka Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (
1971)
1
*
Congress of Peru Peru (
1993)
3
*
Politics of Turkey Turkey (
1980s)
3
*
National Assembly of Venezuela Venezuela (
2000)
3
1. Senate abolished, unicameral system adopted.
2. Legislature disbanded.
3. New Constitution adopted.
4. Replaced by National Council of Provinces.
Category:Legislatures
Category:National upper houses
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