Parliament
Parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. The term is similar to the idea of a senate, synod or congress, and is commonly used in countries that are current or former monarchies, a form of government with a monarch as the head. Some contexts restrict the use of the word parliament to parliamentary systems, although it is also used to describe the legislature in some presidential systems, even where it is not in the official name.
History[edit | edit source]
The term parliament comes from Old French parlement, the action of speaking (parler: to speak), discussion, conference, court. It was first used in a medieval context around the 13th century in reference to the English Parliament and has been used to describe many different kinds of deliberative and decision-making bodies since then.
Functions[edit | edit source]
Parliaments have four main functions: legislation (making laws), representation (representing voters), scrutiny (examining the government), and formation of government.
Legislation[edit | edit source]
In addition to enacting laws, parliaments also often have authority to amend or repeal existing legislation.
Representation[edit | edit source]
Parliaments represent the views of the electorate. They provide a forum for public debate on issues of national importance.
Scrutiny[edit | edit source]
Parliaments scrutinize government actions. This is done through questioning ministers, debating policies, and conducting inquiries.
Formation of government[edit | edit source]
In parliamentary democracies, the government is formed by the party or coalition that has the most members in the lower house of parliament.
Types of parliaments[edit | edit source]
There are two main types of parliaments: unicameral and bicameral. Unicameral parliaments have one house. Bicameral parliaments have two houses.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
.jpg)
.jpg)
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
