For "unicameral" alphabets, see the article "letter case".

For "The unicameral", see Nebraska Legislature.

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Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Many countries with unicameral legislatures are often small and homogeneous unitary states and consider an upper house or second chamber unnecessary. A legislatureis a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to ratify laws. ... This is a list of legislatures by country, whether parliamentary or congressional, that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives with the power to legislate. ... The House of Representatives Chamber of the Parliament of Australia in Canberra. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Parliamentary group and parliamentary party are terms used to refer to the representation of a political party or electoral fusion of parties in a legislative assembly such as a parliament or in a city council. ... The leader or chairperson of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline. ... Look up Congress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Congressman or Congresswoman (generically, Congressperson) is a politician who is a member of a Congress. ... This article is about bicameralism in government. ... Tricameralism is the practice of having three legislative or parliamentary chambers. ... Many parliaments or other legislatures consist of two chambers: an elected lower house, and an upper house or Senate which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. ... For the demesne in The Keys to the Kingdom series, see The House An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, the the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ... A councillor is a member of a council (such as a city council), particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other parts of the Commonwealth. ... In orthography and typography, letter case (or just case) is the distinction between majuscule (capital or upper-case) and minuscule (lower-case) letters. ... The Nebraska Legislature is the U.S. state of Nebraskas legislative branch. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The House of Representatives Chamber of the Parliament of Australia in Canberra. ... A legislatureis a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to ratify laws. ... For the demesne in The Keys to the Kingdom series, see The House An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ...

Concept

A view in favor of unicameral legislatures is that if an upper house is democratic, it simply mirrors the equally democratic lower house, and is therefore duplicative. A theory in favor of this view is that the functions of a second chamber, such as reviewing or revising legislation, can be performed by parliamentary committees, while further constitutional safeguards can be provided by a written constitution.

In many instances, the governments that now have unicameral legislatures were once bicameral and subsequently eliminated the upper chamber. One reason for such a change is because an elected upper house has overlapped the lower house and obstructed passage of legislation, an example being the case of the Landsting in Denmark (abolished in 1953). Another reason is because an appointed chamber has proven ineffectual, one example being the case of the Legislative Council in New Zealand (abolished in 1951). A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. ... Landsting comes from an ancient Scandinavian term meaning council. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. ... Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other nations, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, have technically bicameral systems that function much as unicameral systems, because one house is largely ceremonial and retains few powers. Thus, in the United Kingdom, control of the House of Commons determines control of the government, and the unelected House of Lords has the power only to delay legislation and to recommend amendments. Although there is widespread agreement that the House of Lords needs to be reformed, there is little support for simply abolishing it. (see Reform of the House of Lords). This article is about bicameralism in government. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The House of Lords Chamber For almost a century, governments in the United Kingdom have attempted to find a way to undertake a comprehensive reform of the House of Lords, which is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Supporters of unicameralism note the need to control government spending and the elimination of redundant work done by both chambers. Critics of unicameralism point out the double checks and balances that a bicameral system affords, forcing a greater level of consensus on legislative issues. A feature of unicameralism is that urban areas with large populations have more influence than sparsely populated rural ones. In many cases the only way to get sparsely populated regions on board a unified government is to implement a bicameral system (such as the early United States). Supporters say this is an advantage, as they see it provides better apportionment while opponents see giving more power to rural regions as a goal in itself. Apportionment, or reapportionment, is the process of determining representation in politics within a legislative body by creating constituencies. ...

Unicameral legislatures were and are also common in Communist (like People's Republic of Poland, People's Republic of China and Cuba) and former Communist states (like Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia), since under Socialist point of view the institution of Senate was seen as conservative, elitist and pro-bourgeoise by nature. This article is about one-party states ruled by Communist Parties. ... Capital Warsaw Language(s) Polish Government Socialist republic Leaders  - 1948–1956 BolesÅ‚aw Bierut (First)  - 1981-1989 Wojciech Jaruzelski (Last) Prime minister  - 1944-1947 E. Osóbka-Morawski  - 1947-1952 and 1954-1970 Józef Cyrankiewicz  - 1952-1954 BolesÅ‚aw Bierut  - 1970-1980 Piotr Jaroszewicz  - 1980 Edward Babiuch  - 1980-1981... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... Conservative may refer to: Conservatism, political philosophy A member of a Conservative Party Conservative extension, premise of deductive logic Conservativity theorem, mathematical proof of conservative extension Conservative Judaism britney spears Category: ... Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... Bourgeoisie () in modern use refers to the wealthy or propertied social class in a capitalist society. ...

Some of the subnational entities with unicameral legislatures include Nebraska, Guam and the Virgin Islands in the United States, the Australian states and territories of Queensland, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, all of the provinces and territories in Canada, all of the German Bundesländer, and all of the Italian Regioni. Subnational entity is a generic term for an administrative region within a country — on an arbitrary level below that of the sovereign state — typically with a local government encompassing multiple municipalities, counties, or provinces with a certain degree of autonomy in a varying number of matters. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countriesAtlas  Politics Portal      Canada is a federation which consists of ten provinces that, with three territories, make up the worlds second largest country in total area. ... Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (singular Land). ... The Regions of Italy were granted a degree of regional autonomy in the 1948 constitution, which states that the constitutions role is: to recognize, protect and promote local autonomy, to ensure that services at the State level are as decentralized as possible, and to adapt the principles and laws...

In the United Kingdom, the devolved Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly are also unicameral. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ...

Virtually all city legislatures are also unicameral in the sense that the city councils are not divided into two chambers. Until the turn of the 20th century, bicameral city councils were common in the United States^{[citation needed]}. A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ...

In a non-binding referendum held on July 10, 2005, voters in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico approved changing its Legislative Assembly to a unicameral body by 456,267 votes in favor (83.7%) versus 88,720 against (16.3%). If both the territory's House of Representatives and Senate approve by a 2/3 vote the specific amendments to the Puerto Rico Constitution that are required for the change to a unicameral legislature, another referendum will be held in the territory to approve such amendments. If those constitutional changes are approved, Puerto Rico will switch to a unicameral legislature as early as 2009. United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). ... The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. ... Seal of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the basic governing document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Examples

     Nations with bicameral legislatures.     Nations with unicameral legislatures.     No legislature.

Download high resolution version (1262x628, 26 KB)Map of unicameral and bicameral parliaments around the world. ... Download high resolution version (1262x628, 26 KB)Map of unicameral and bicameral parliaments around the world. ...

National

• The Jatiyo Sangshad of Bangladesh
• The Narodno Sabranie of Bulgaria
• The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China
• The Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
• The Sabor of Croatia
• The National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba
• The House of Representatives of Cyprus of Cyprus
• The Folketing of Denmark
• The Parlamento Nacional of East Timor
• The Riigikogu of Estonia
• The Eduskunta of Finland
• The Vouli ton Ellinon of Greece
• The National Congress of Honduras
• The Althing of Iceland
• The Narodna Skupština of Serbia
• The Council of Representatives of Iraq
• The Knesset of Israel
• The Landtag of Liechtenstein
• The National Assembly of Mauritius
• The Parliament of New Zealand
• The Storting of Norway (may divide into two chambers for some purposes)
• The Congreso de la República of Peru
• The Assembleia da República of Portugal
• The National Assembly of Seychelles
• The Parliament of Singapore
• The Gukhoe of South Korea
• The Parliament of Sri Lanka
• The Riksdag of Sweden (since 1971)
• The Büyük Millet Meclisi of Turkey
• The Verhovna Rada of Ukraine
• The Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State
• The Asamblea Nacional of Venezuela

Jatiyo Sangshad (Bangla: জাতীয় সংসদ) or National Assembly is the national parliament of Bangladesh. ... The National Assembly of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Народното събрание, transliterated: Narodno Sabranie) is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria. ... The Great Hall of the People, where the NPC convenes The National Peoples Congress (全国人民代表大会 in Pinyin: Quánguó Rénmín Dàibiǎo Dàhuì, literally Pan-Nation Congress of the Peoples Representatives), abbreviated PNCOTPR, is the highest legislative body in the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Legislative Yuan building in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (the view is partially obscured by the childrens hospital building of the National Taiwan University Hospital). ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... The parliament of Croatia is called Hrvatski Sabor in Croatian - the word sabor means an assembly, a gathering, a congress. ... The National Assembly of People’s Power (Spanish: Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular) is the legislature of the Republic of Cuba. ... The House of Representatives (Vouli Antiprosópon/Temsilciler Meclisi) is the parliament of Cyprus. ... The Folketing [], or Folketinget, is the national parliament of Denmark. ... The National Parliament of East Timor (Portuguese: Parlamento Nacional de Timor-Leste) is the unicameral national legislature in East Timor. ... The Riigikogu (from riigi-, of the state, and kogu, assembly) is the parliament of Estonia. ... The Eduskunta in Finnish, or the Riksdag in Swedish, is the parliament of Finland. ... The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon; literally Council of the Greeks) is the parliament of Greece, located in Syntagma Square in Athens. ... The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the legislative branch of the government of Honduras. ... The Alþing, commonly Anglicized as Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing of Iceland. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... The Council of Representatives of Iraq (Arabic: ) is the main elected body of representatives in Iraq. ... Type Unicameral Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, Kadima since May 4, 2006 Deputy Speaker Majalli Wahabi, Kadima since May 4, 2006 Members 120 Political groups Kadima Labour-Meimad Shas Likud Last elections March 28, 2006 Meeting place Knesset, Jerusalem, Israel Web site www. ... The Diet (Landtag) is the parliament or legislature of Liechtenstein. ... The Parliament of Mauritius, the National Assembly, has 70 members, 62 elected for a four year term in single-seat constituencies and 8 additional members appointed by the Supreme Court to ensure that ethnic and religious minorities are equitably represented. ... The New Zealand Parliament is the legislative body of the New Zealand government. ... The Storting (Stortinget, literally The Big Thing) is the Norwegian Parliament, and is located in the capital city Oslo. ... Congress (Spanish: Congreso) is the name given to Perus unicameral legislature under the current (1993) constitution. ... Assembly of the Republic The Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese: Assembleia da República, pron. ... The unicameral National Assembly of Seychelles is the countrys legislative body. ... The unicameral Parliament of Singapore is the legislature of Singapore with the President as its head [1]. It currently consists of 94 Members of Parliament. ... The National Assembly is the South Korean parliament. ... The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a Unicameral 225-member legislature elected by universal suffrage and proportional representation for a six-year term. ... The parliament building from outside. ... The Grand National Assembly (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi in Turkish) is the unicameral parliament of Turkey which carries out legislative functions. ... Type Unicameral Houses 1 Speaker Oleksandr Moroz, Socialist Party since July 6, 2006 Members 450 Political groups (as of March 26, 2006 elections) Party of Regions (186), Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (129), Our Ukraine (81), Socialist Party (33), Communist Party (21) Meeting place Verkhovna Rada building, Kiev Web site portal. ... The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is the legislative body of Vatican City. ... The State of the City of the Vatican or the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae, Italian Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the smallest independent state in the world (both in area and in population), a landlocked enclave surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy. ... The National Assembly (Spanish Asamblea Nacional) is the current legislative branch of the Venezuelan government. ...

Subnational

• The Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory
• All legislatures and legislative councils of the regions and communities of Belgium
• All legislatures of the provinces of Canada
• The Council of Washington, District of Columbia
• The colonial period of the General Assembly of Georgia
• All Landtags of the states of Germany
• The Legislature of Guam
• The Legislative Council of Hong Kong (divide into two chambers for private members' bills)
• The Legislature of Nebraska
• The Assembly of Northern Ireland
• The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
• The colonial period of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania
• The Parliament of Queensland
• The Parliament of Scotland (present day)
• The Parliament of Scotland (historic) until 1707
• The Parliaments of the autonomous communities of Spain
• The Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands
• The General Assembly of Vermont until 1836
• The National Assembly of Wales

The ACT Legislative Assembly building, as seen from the front The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly (or, more formally and fully, the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory) is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory. ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... Map of Belgium, its four language areasthree regions ; two of the latter have provinces . Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. ... This is a list of the Legislative Assemblies of Canadas provinces and territories. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ... The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of Washington, D.C.. As such, it is analogous to the city councils of other cities in the United States, but in some manners it is also analogous to state legislatures. ... ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Casey Cagle, R since November 7, 2006 Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson, R since November 7, 2006 Members 236 Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party Meeting place Georgia State Capitol Web site... A Landtag (Diet) is a representative assembly or parliament in German speaking countries with some legislative authority. ... Germany is a Federal Republic made up of 16 States, known in German as Länder (singular Land). ... The Legislature of Guam (Niheslaturan Guahan in Chamorro) is the territorial legislature of Guam. ... The Legislative Council (abbreviated as LegCo; Chinese: 立法會, Pinyin: LìfÇŽ Huì; formerly 立法局, LìfÇŽ Jú) is the unicameral legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Legislature of Nebraska is the U.S. state of Nebraskas legislative branch, seated at Nebraskas capital, Lincoln. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... For similar terms, see Northern Territories (disambiguation) Slogan or Nickname: The Territory, The NT, The Top End Motto(s): none Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2004... Capitol Building The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the U.S. state of Pennsylvanias legislative branch, seated at the states capital, Harrisburg. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Queensland Parliament is located in george Street, Brisbane. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... The parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Acts of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Spains fifty provinces (provincias) are grouped into seventeen autonomous communities (comunidades aut nomas), in addition to two African autonomous cities (ciudades aut nomas) (Ceuta and Melilla). ... The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands. ... The United States Virgin Islands is a group of islands in the Caribbean that is a dependency of the United States. ... The Legislature of Vermont is the U.S. state of Vermonts legislative branch, seated at the states capital, Montpelier. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAfW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) is a devolved assembly (not a full legislature) with power to make regulations in Wales, and also is responsible for most UK government departments in Wales. ... This article is about the country. ...

Unicameralist trends within the States of the United States

Within the individual United States, bicameralism was usually modeled upon that of the United States Federal Government, with the upper house, in analogy to the states, consisting of State Senators who represented geographic areas independent of their population, typically counties.

In 1964, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Reynolds v. Sims voided this arrangement as applied to states. In response to this most states replaced the fixed geographic boundaries with more flexible State Senatorial Districts, which are re-drawn after every decennial census. In such cases the term of office for the upper house will usually be longer and the number of seats lower than for the lower house. Like the districts of the lower house they are now subject to the process of gerrymandering, with boundaries manipulated to favor incumbents of both parties (as in California), or to favor the majority party (as in Maryland and Texas). The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially referred to by the acronym SCOTUS[1]) is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ... Reynolds v. ... The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. ... Redrawing electoral districts in this example creates a guaranteed 3-to-1 advantage for Party 1. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

Nebraska is currently the only state with a unicameral legislature. Nebraska's state legislature is also unique in the sense that it is the only state legislature that is entirely nonpartisan. Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... The Nebraska Legislature is the U.S. state of Nebraskas legislative branch. ... In U.S. politics, nonpartisan denotes an election in which the candidates do not declare or do not formally have a political party affiliation. ...

In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura said that the Minnesota Legislature should adopt a single unicameral chamber. Though debated, the idea was never adopted. Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos on July 15, 1951), also known as The Body, The Star, and The Governing Body, is an American politician, retired professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ... The Minnesota State Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. ...

Unicameralist trend in the Philippines

In the Philippines, the process of amending or revising the current constitution and form of government is popularly known as Charter Change. A shift to a unicameral parliament is included in the proposals of the constitutional commission created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. [1] Unlike in the United States, senators in the Philippine Senate are elected not per district and state but nationally; the Philippines is a unitary state. [2] The Philippine government's decision making process, relative to the United States, is more rigid, highly centralized, much slower and susceptible to political "gridlocks." As a result, the trend for unicameralism as well as other political system reforms are more contentious in the Philippines. [3] Charter Change or cha-cha in the Philippines refers to the political and other related processes involved in amending or revising the current 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. ... PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born April 5, 1947), also known by her initials GMA, is the current and 14th President of the Republic of the Philippines. ... The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines. ... A map showing the unitary states. ...

See also

• Bicameralism
• Tricameralism
• Tetracameralism
• List of national legislatures