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Parliament

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

The Magna Carta, a historic document from 1215 written on parchment, showcasing an important moment in the development of legal rights.

A parliament is a type of legislature, or law-making body, of a state. It plays a key role in making laws, representing the people, and watching over the government. Think of it as a group of people who talk, discuss, and decide on rules that everyone in a country should follow.

Parliaments are usually made up of elected members, who are called legislators. These people come from different areas and bring the ideas and needs of ordinary citizens to the discussion. They have the power to create new laws, change old ones, and make sure the government is doing a good job.

Historically, parliaments started in the Middle Ages. Early examples include the Cortes of León in 1188 and the English parliament in 1265. Over time, especially after events like the Glorious Revolution in 1688, parliaments became more important. They helped make sure that even powerful leaders had to follow the law. Today, many countries around the world have parliaments that help keep their governments fair and responsive.

Etymology

The word "parliament" comes from old languages. It started in the 14th century from a French word, parlement, which means 'discussion' or 'talk'. Originally, it referred to any kind of meeting or conversation, often called together by a king. Over time, especially by the 15th century in Britain, it came to mean a special group that makes laws.

Early parliaments

See also: History of parliamentarism

Since ancient times, societies had councils or leaders whose decisions were assessed by village elders. This is called tribalism. Some scholars suggest that in ancient Mesopotamia there was a primitive democratic government where kings were assessed by council. The same has been said about ancient India, where some form of deliberative assemblies existed. However, these claims are not accepted by other scholars, who see these forms of government as oligarchies.

Ancient Athens was known for its democracy. The Athenian assembly (ekklesia) was the most important institution, and every free male citizen could take part in the discussions. However, Athenian democracy was direct, not representative, so it was different from modern parliamentary systems.

The Roman Republic had legislative assemblies, which decided on important matters like elections, laws, punishment, war, and alliances. The Roman Senate handled money, administration, and foreign policy.

Assemblies and councils were common in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. However, these were usually local and lacked the structure and regularity of later parliaments.

The Parliament of England is special because it has kept the same basic structure since it began in 1265, almost without interruption.

England

Early forms of assembly

England has a long history of having a group of people to advise the king on important matters. Under the Anglo-Saxon kings, there was a council called the Witenagemot. The first recorded meeting of this council was around 600 AD, making it an early ancestor of today’s English parliament.

After the Norman Conquest, King William I replaced the Witenagemot with the Curia Regis ("King's Council"). This council included nobles and church leaders and was used to make laws.

A 1215 edition of Magna Carta, as featured on display at the British Library

Most historians believe that a true parliament, with some real power, began during the reign of Edward I in the late 1200s. Edward invited nobles, church leaders, and representatives from towns to discuss government matters, especially money and taxes. This meeting in 1295 is called the Model Parliament because it set the pattern for future parliaments.

Magna Carta and the model parliament

In 1215, nobles and church leaders got King John of England to sign the Magna Carta. This document stated that the king could not collect taxes without the agreement of a council. It also said that important nobles and church leaders had to be personally invited to the council.

During the reign of King Henry III, English parliaments included elected representatives from rural areas and towns. These are seen as early versions of today’s parliament.

In 1265, Simon de Montfort called a parliament with nobles, church leaders, and representatives from towns — a first for including towns. In 1295, Edward I used these ideas in the "Model Parliament".

Parliament under Henry VIII and Edward VI

Under Henry VIII, Parliament changed greatly. Thomas Cromwell, a key advisor, helped make these changes. The Acts of Supremacy made the monarch the head of the Church of England.

Civil War and beyond

After the Civil War, Parliament’s power grew compared to the monarch. This led to more stability and better organization. Parliament could run the country even without a king, limiting the king’s power. For example, Henry VIII needed Parliament to approve laws.

Parliament became more important in the 17th century. Conflicts between the king and Parliament led to big changes, including the brief rule of Oliver Cromwell. Later events helped make Parliament stronger and separate from the king.

Acts of Union

The Parliament of England ended when it merged with the Parliament of Scotland under the Acts of Union. This created the new Parliament of Great Britain in 1707. Later, it became the Parliament of the United Kingdom after uniting with Ireland.

The statue of Oliver Cromwell, as it stands outside the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster

France

Main article: Estates General (France)

Originally, there was the Parlement of Paris, created in 1307. Over time, other parlements were created in places like Toulouse, Grenoble, and Bordeaux. These could make rules and sometimes refuse laws they didn’t agree with.

However, France’s absolute monarchy limited parliamentary power. Eventually, these parlements were overshadowed by the larger Estates General. During the French Revolution, the Estates General became the National Assembly, independent of the king.

Germanic and Nordic countries

A thing or ting was the governing meeting in early Germanic societies, made up of free men. These meetings made laws, solved disputes, and chose leaders.

Countries like Iceland (Althing), the Faroe Islands (Løgting), and Man (Tynwald) have parliaments that started from these early meetings.

Later, countries like Sweden and Finland developed national diets with chambers for different groups. Today, these are called riksdag.

Italy

The Sicilian Parliament in Palermo began in 1097 as the legislature of the Kingdom of Sicily.

Hungary

Main article: Diet of Hungary

Iceland's parliament house, the Alþingishúsið, at Austurvöllur in Reykjavík, built in 1880–1881, home of one of the oldest still-acting parliaments in the world

The Diet of Hungary became the main law-making body in the medieval kingdom from the 1290s onward. It met regularly until 1946, with some interruptions.

Poland

The Polish parliament, the Sejm, began around 1180. It grew stronger as rulers had less power. By the 14th century, it included nobles and city representatives. The Sejm became very important in Poland’s government.

Portugal

Main article: Portuguese Cortes

Portugal’s first Cortes (parliament) met in 1211 in Coimbra. Over time, it included representatives from towns. The Cortes helped make laws and approve taxes. Though its power changed over time, it played a key role in Portugal’s history.

Russia

The zemsky sobor was Russia’s first parliament in the 16th and 17th centuries. It included nobles, church leaders, and town representatives.

Roman Catholic Church

Main article: Conciliarism

The conciliar movement in the 14th and 15th centuries wanted a general church council to have ultimate spiritual authority, not the pope. This was similar to parliaments challenging kings.

Scotland

The Art Deco-styled session hall of the Parliament House of Finland

Scotland’s parliament began in the Middle Ages from the king’s council of bishops and earls. It included knights, freeholders, and burgh commissioners. It had significant powers over taxes, justice, and other laws.

After the Acts of Union in 1707, Scotland’s parliament merged with England’s to form the Parliament of Great Britain. A new Scottish Parliament was created in 1999 with more limited powers.

Spain

Main article: Cortes Generales

Spain’s first parliament, the Cortes of León, met in 1188. It included nobles, church leaders, and commoners. This is considered one of Europe’s earliest parliaments.

Over time, parliaments formed in other Spanish kingdoms. After unions, these parliaments sometimes lost power. A new Cortes representing all of Spain began in 1812 in Cádiz.

Switzerland

The Federal Diet of Switzerland was a long-lasting representative body from the 13th century to 1848.

Ukraine

Main article: Verkhovna Rada

Ukraine’s parliament tradition began with tribal assemblies. The Sich Rada was a Cossack council from the 16th to 18th centuries. The modern Verkhovna Rada is Ukraine’s current parliament.

Development of modern parliaments

The development of the modern concept of parliamentary government dates back to the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800).

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 by the Acts of Union that replaced the former parliaments of England and Scotland. A further union in 1801 united the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland into a Parliament of the United Kingdom. Through a series of Reform Acts in the 19th and 20th centuries, it became democratically elected.

The British Parliament is often referred to as the Mother of Parliaments because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems. Many nations with parliaments have to some degree emulated the British "three-tier" model known as the Westminster system. Most countries in Europe and the Commonwealth have similarly organised parliaments with a largely ceremonial head of state who formally opens and closes parliament, a large elected lower house and a smaller, upper house. The Parliament of the United Kingdom has been described as characterised by the stability of its governing institutions and its capacity to absorb change.

The Palace of Westminster, London

In the United Kingdom, Parliament consists of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarch. The House of Commons is composed of 650 members who are directly elected by British citizens to represent single-member constituencies. The leader of a party that wins more than half the seats, or less than half but is able to gain the support of smaller parties to achieve a majority in the house, is invited by the Monarch to form a government.

In Sweden, the half-century period of parliamentary government beginning with Charles XII's death in 1718 and ending with Gustav III's self-coup in 1772 is known as the Age of Liberty. During this period, civil rights were expanded and power shifted from the monarch to parliament.

Changes in Poland's internal situation in the 1980s led to the Round Table Talks which ended in the signing of the famous Round Table Agreement on 5 April 1989. The Agreement spearheaded the evolutionary transformation of the country's political system; independence was regained once again. The amended Constitution restored the office of the President of the Polish People's Republic and the Senate – both to be elected in free and democratic elections. In the Sejm, the opposition was allocated 35% of the mandates. Thus the so called "contract" elections could not be fully democratic. The Sejm (first chamber) became superior to the Senate (second chamber). In addition, the institution of National Assembly was established, consisting of the Sejm and the Senate sitting jointly to elect the President of the Polish People's Republic.

After long years of legislative work, on 2 April 1997, the National Assembly adopted The Constitution of the Republic of Poland. It entered into force on 17 October 1997. The new Constitution introduced a "rationalised" parliamentary-cabinet system in Poland. It is the first Constitution of the Third Republic. The act defined the position of the Sejm and the Senate within the system without using the term "parliament". It adopted the doctrine of separation of powers, which provided for a balance between the legislative and executive powers. In practice the binding provisions of the Constitution ensure the supremacy of the legislative power. Both chambers are autonomous bodies, independent of each other, with their own powers. The Constitution retained the principle of bicameralism of the legislature. The Sejm and the Senate sitting jointly constitute the National Assembly. Characteristically, the new Constitution conferred very extensive powers on the Sejm. On the other hand, the powers of the Senate are limited, as in the Constitutions of 1921 and 1992.

Parliamentary system

Many parliaments are part of a parliamentary system of government. In this system, the leader of the government, often called a prime minister, is usually a member of the parliament. They stay in office as long as they have the support of the majority of parliament members. If parliament loses trust in the prime minister, they can vote to remove them from office. This makes it easier to change leaders compared to systems where leaders are elected separately.

Some countries, like the United States, have a different system called a presidential system, where the leader is not part of the parliament. Other countries, like France, use a mix of both systems, called a semi-presidential system.

Women in parliament

Main article: Women in government

Women have played important roles in parliaments around the world, fighting for equal rights and representation. Over time, more women have been elected to serve in governments, bringing diverse perspectives to law-making. Their presence helps ensure that the needs and viewpoints of all citizens are considered in decisions that affect the country.

List of national parliaments

The Binnenhof in The Netherlands is the oldest Parliament buildings in the world still in use.

See also: List of legislatures by country

Parliaments of the European Union

Others

List of subnational parliaments

Australia

Australia's States and territories:

Belgium

In Belgium, there are legislatures for three regions and three cultural communities:

Brazil

Main article: Legislative Assemblies of Brazilian states

Canada

Main article: Legislative assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories

Canada's provinces and territories:

China

Denmark

Finland

Germany

Except for the city-states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg, all state parliaments are called Landtag:

India

Indian states and territorial legislative assemblies

Main article: State legislative assemblies of India

Indian states legislative councils

Main article: State legislative councils of India

Malaysia

Netherlands

Norway

Main article: Subnational parliamentary system in Norway

Philippines

Portugal

Spain

Main article: List of Spanish regional legislatures

Sri Lanka

Switzerland

Main article: List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

Trinidad and Tobago

United Kingdom

Other parliaments

Main articles: International parliament and Inter-parliamentary institution

Parliaments can exist beyond single countries, serving groups of nations. Examples include the Pan-African Parliament, Central American Parliament, Latin American Parliament, and the European Parliament. Some countries use different names for their law-making bodies, like the Majlis in Iran or the People's Consultative Assembly in Indonesia, which includes the People's Representative Council and the Regional Representative Council. There have also been parliaments in the past that no longer exist today.

Images

The Chamber of the House of Representatives in Japan's National Diet Building.
The grand Council Hall inside the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest.
A historical painting showing the First Sejm, an early Polish parliament, as depicted by artist Jan Matejko.
Poland's parliament during an early election announcement in 2007.
A formal meeting hall in the State Duma where important discussions take place.
The Main Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament, where important discussions and decisions take place.
Statue of Lions at the Congress of Deputies in Spain

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Parliament, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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