This Presentation will help in understanding the Legislative branch of government

1. PLB-152
Modern Government:
Concept, Organization and Classification
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Unit I (b)

2. State
Territory Population Government
Legislature Executive Judiciary
Sovereignty
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3. Meaning
- The most essential organ of the government.
- The lawmaking branch of a government.
- The body, which legislates.
- French word Parlement from parlay "to speak.”
- US – Congress; India & UK – Parliament; Pakistan – Majlis-e-Shura
- In a democratic setup:
“The legislature is an organ of the government, which deals with the act of lawmaking in a
country through debates and discussions.”
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4. Main functions of legislature
i) Legislative or Lawmaking functions
- Primary among the functions of legislature
- The primary organs which legislates
ii) Deliberative functions
- To discuss and debate on the issues of country
iii) Controlling the executive
- Legislature works closely to the executive and control its functioning
iv) Amendment of constitution
- To make changes in the constitution
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5. Types of Legislature
a) Bicameral Legislature
b) Unicameral Legislature
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6. a) Bicameral Legislature
- Consists of two chambers/houses
i) Upper house; ii) Lower house
- Generally the enactment of laws requires majority votes from both of the houses.
- India Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
- USA Senate and House of Representative
- UK House of Lords and House Commons
- Generally the lower house is more powerful as it draws power directly through the people
- Members of LH are directly elected representatives of people.
- Upper house ensures representation of states or federal units.
- Members of UH are nominated by the states.
- More democratic, compared to Unicameral legislature.
- Maintains a balanced representation of Centre and the States
- Evident mostly in federal systems of government
- India, UK, USA, Germany, Russia, Australia, and many other
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7. b) Unicameral Legislature
- Consists of only a single chamber/house
- Efficiency and less-complexity in lawmaking
- No possibility of contrast of opinion in different chambers
- Less democratic as majority can do anything without restraints
- Possibility of Worse circumstances in Parliamentary systems because of closeness of
legislature with executive
- Lack of representation of states in the Centre
- Evident mostly in unitary government systems
- Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Israel, New Zealand, China, Turkey, etc
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8. The major differences
Bicameralism
1. Delay in law making
2. High risk of deadlocks
3. Representation of different segment of the
society
4. Divided responsibility
5. Reduce the workload
6. High expenditure
Unicameralism
1. No delay in law making
2. Minimum risk of deadlocks
3. Less representation of different segment
of the society
4. Responsibilities are concentrated
5. Higher workload
6. Economical in expenditure
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