Monocameral Parliaments
Monocameral systems (Table 1.1) are characterized by a single chamber representation of the people according to the underlying electoral systems. Occasionally structural subentities with functional differences have existed (monocameralism
Table 1.1 | Monocameral parliaments
| Legal Nature & Function | Modes of Representation | Countries |
| Representation of the People e.g. Finland (§ 2 par. 1) | Representation of voters in Constituencies, e.g. Norway (art. 57: 169 deputies in 19 constituencies), Denmark (§ 28: 174 deputies, § 31 par. 2: electoral system delegated to parliament) | Nordic Countries: Denmark (art. 28: Folketing), Sweden (Chap. III, art. 1: Rijksdaag), Norway (art. 5: Storting), Finland (§ 24 par. 1: Eduskunta) |
| Lithuania (art. 55 par. 1: “The Seimas shall consist of representatives of the nation...”) | Lithuania (art. 55 par. 1: 141 members) | Baltic States: Estonia (§ 59: Riigikogu), Latvia (§ 69: Saeima), Lithuania (art. 55: Seimas) |
| Portugal (art. 147: “The Assembly of the republic shall be the Assembly that represents all Portuguese citizens") | Portugal (art. 148: composition [180-230 members], art. 149: “uninominal or plurinomonal constituencies” proportionality vote & D’Hondt) | Portugal (art. 147: Asembleia) |
| Greece (art. 51 par. 2: “The members of Parliament represent the nation") | Greece (art. 51 par. 1: 200-300 members, electoral system & constituencies regulated by law) | Greece (art. 51: Vouli) |
| Croatia (art. 70: “The Croatian Parliament shall be a representative body of the people") Hungary (2011) (art. 1: “the Parliament is the supreme body of popular representation") | Croatia (art. 71: 100-160 members) Hungary (art. 2 par. 1: electoral system regulated by “cardinal law” [qualified majority]) Ethnic representation for minorities is guaranteed in Kosovo, Croatia, North- Macedonia, Montenegro, Rumania, Slovenia, Serbia (no guaranteed mandates however) a Adequate representation of women required: art. 71 par. 2 Kosovo; art. 100 par. 2 Serbia | Other Middle & Eastern European Countries: Albania (art. 64 par. 1: Kuvendi), b Bulgaria (art. 63: Narodno Sabranie), Croatia (arts. 72, 73 par. 2 Sabor), Hungary (art. 1: Orszaggules), North- Macedonia (art. 62 par. 1: Sobranie), Moldova (art. 60 par. 2: Parlamen tul), Montenegro (art. 83 par. 2:) Skupstina), Serbia (art. 100 par. 1: Narodna skupstina), Kosovo (art. 64 par. 1: Kuvendi), Slovakia (art. 72: National Council), Ukraine (art. 75: Verkovna Rada) |
| Composition No52: electoral divisions regulated by law | Malta (Chap. VI, No51: House of Representatives) | |
| Armenia (art. 88 par. 1: “the national Assembly is the people's representative body") | Armenia (art. 88 par. 1: 101 members, also including minorities, art. 88 par. 3: proportional electoral system) | Armenia (art. 88: National Assembly) |
Table 1.1 (continued)
| Legal Nature & Function | Modes of Representation | Countries |
| Azerbaijan (art. 81: 125 deputies, art. 83: majority electoral system) Kyrgyzstan (120 deputies) | Azerbaijan (art. 81: Milli Majilis), Kyrgyzstan (art. 70: Yogorku Kenesh) | |
| Turkey (Const. Amendment 2017: 600 deputies) | Turkey (art. 75: Grand National Assembly) | |
| China (art. 57: The NPC is the “highest organ of state power”) Taiwan (art. 62: “highest legislative organ”) | Singapore (art. 39: deputies from constituencies as regulated by law, “nonconstituencies' members” (NCMP's) to protect political minorities) Sri Lanka (225 members, no constitutional regulation of electoral system) China (art. 59: “elected members” from provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions Taiwan (art. 65: 5-6 deputies from each province or municipality) South Korea (art. 41: min. 200 deputies, proportional system) | Asia, e.g. Singapore (art. 39(1): Parliament) Sri Lanka (art. 62: Parliament) China (art. 57: National Peoples Congress = NPC) Mongolia (Great State Assembly) Taiwan (art. 62: Legislative Yuan) South Korea (art. 40: National Assembly) Laos (National Assembly) Vietnam (National Assembly) |
| *Purely advisory bodies, not democratically legitimated | Arab States, e.g. Kuwait (National Assembly) Syria (Peoples Assembly) *Saudi Arabia (Consultative Council) *United Arab Emirates (Consultative Council) | |
| Peru (art. 90: “The legislative branch shall be vested in Congress, which has a single chamber.”) | Peru (130 deputies) | Latin America, e.g. c Peru (Congress) Costa Rica, Cuba (Nat Assembly of the People's Power), Dominican Republic (National Congress), El Salvador (Legislative Assembly), Guatemala (Congress), Guyana (National Assembly), Honduras (National Congress), Nicaragua (National Assembly), Panama (National Assembly), |
| Benin (art. 79: “The Parliament shall be composed of a single Assembly called the National Assembly”) | Benin (electoral system and constituencies left to legislature) | African States, e.g. d Angola (National Assembly), Benin (National Assembly), Botswana (National |
Table 1.1 (continued)
| Legal Nature & Function | Modes of Representation | Countries |
| Assembly), Central Africa (National Assembly, 1959/2004), Congo-Kinshasa/Democratic Republic (National Assembly), Eritrea (National Assembly), Gambia (National Assembly), Ghana (Parliament), Guinea (National Assembly), Guinea-Bissau (National People’s Assembly), Kenya (National Assembly), e Libya (General People’s Congress), Malawi (de facto unicameral: National Assembly), f Mali (National Assembly), Nigeria (National Assembly), Tanzania (National Assembly), Uganda (National Assembly), Zambia (National Assembly), Zimbabwe (unicameral since 1987: Parliament) |
a Ackerman (2000), p. 673
b See Kuppers (2018), p. 132; Chang et al. (2014), p. 146
c For listing of unicameral parliaments see the short descriptions of the frequently changing historical conditions in Latin America at Fish and Kroenig (2011), pp. 18ss
d More African States adhere to monocameral systems than to bicameral parliaments but the balance is rather equal, see infra Sect. 1.4
e Kenia represented originally a bicameral system. The Senate was abolished in 1966, Fish and Kroenig (2011), p. 362
f See Fish and Kroenig (2011), p. 423
with functional bicameralism)[28] but as these are rare exceptions the study focuses on the nature, function and representation of monocameral parliaments as such.
1.3
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