Senate
A
senate is a
deliberative body, often the
upper house or chamber of a
legislature.
The word
senate is derived from the
Latin word
senex for "old man", via the Latin word
senatus (senate). The members or legislators of a senate are called
senators. The Latin word
senator was adopted into English with no change in spelling. Its meaning comes from a very ancient form of even simple social organization in which decision-making powers are reserved for the eldest men. For the same reason, the word
senate is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. The original senate was the
Roman Senate, which lasted until
580.
Modern democratic states with
bicameral parliamentary systems are sometimes equipped with a senate, often distinguished by an ordinary parallel
lower house, known variously as the "
House of Representatives", "
House of Commons", "
Chamber of Deputies", "
National Assembly" or "
House of Assembly", by electoral rules. This may include minimum age required for voters and candidates, proportional or
majoritarian or
plurality system, and an electoral basis or
collegium. Typically, the senate is referred to as the upper house and has a smaller membership than the lower house.
Senate membership can be determined either through elections or appointments. For example, elections are held every 3 years for half the membership of the
Australian Senate, the term of a senator being 6 years. In contrast, members of the
Canadian Senate are appointed by the
Governor General upon the recommendation of the
prime minister of Canada. Some states have a combination of these two approaches, such as the
Jamaican Senate, where thirteen are appointed by the prime minister and eight by the
leader of the opposition.
In a federal system, the senate often serves a balancing effect by giving a larger share of power to regions and groups which would otherwise be overwhelmed in a purely representative system. In the legislatures of
U.S. states, senates were also used for this purpose until the
1963 case of
Baker v. Carr, in which the
Supreme Court of the United States ruled that state legislatures must apportion seats in both houses according to population. However, there are still typically fewer members of a state Senate than there are members of the lower house.
A senate can also be the name of an executive branch of government. Until 1919, the
Senate of Finland was the executive branch and supreme court.
In
Germany, the term Senate also has different meanings, referring to the executive branch of government rather than the legislature, and to the judiciary. In the city
states of
Berlin,
Bremen and
Hamburg, the executive is called the Senate (
"Senat" in
German), with Senators (
"Senatoren") holding ministerial portfolios. Also in Germany, bodies of usually five
judges in higher
courts of appeal hearing and deciding cases are called "senates", although the judges are not called "senators". However, in the Free State of
Bavaria, the Senate was the upper house of parliament until its abolition in
1999.
The title of
senator can also be used for certain members of other legislative bodies, for example, some elected members of the
States of
Jersey, and nominated members of
Dominica's House of Assembly and
St. Kitts and Nevis's National Assembly, are known as 'Senators'.
In
Scotland, judges of the
High Court of Justiciary are called
Senators of the College of Justice.
*
Antigua and Barbuda*
Argentina *
Australia*
Bahamas*
Barbados*
Belgium *
Belize*
Bolivia*
Brazil *
Burundi*
Cambodia*
Canada*
Chile*
Colombia*
Congo, Democratic Republic of the*
Congo, Republic of*
Czech Republic *
Dominican Republic*
Fiji*
France *
Gabon*
Grenada*
Haiti*
Ireland*
Italy *
Jamaica*
Jordan*
Kazakhstan*
Lesotho*
Liberia*
Madagascar*
Malaysia*
Mexico*
Nigeria*
Palau*
Pakistan*
Paraguay*
Philippines*
Poland*
Romania*
Rwanda*
Saint Lucia*
Spain*
Swaziland*
Thailand*
Trinidad and Tobago*
United States*
Uruguay*
Zimbabwe*
Bavaria (
1999)
1*
Chad (
2005)
1*
Confederate States of America (
1861-
1865)
2*
Egypt (
1952)
2*
Ethiopia (
1974)
2*
British Guiana (now Guyana) (
1955)
2*
Indonesia (
1950)
3*
Iran (
1979)
3*
Iraq (
1958)
2*
Kenya 1966 1 *
Libya (
1969)
2*
Malta (
1949)
3*
Nicaragua (
1979)
3*
Northern Ireland (
1921-
1972)
2*
Senegal (
2001)
1 *
South Africa **(
1910-
1981)
1 **(
1994-
1997)
4 *
South Vietnam (
1975)
2*
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) (
1971)
1*
Sudan (
1958)
1*
Peru (
1993)
3*
Turkey (
1980s)
3*
Venezuela (
2000)
31. Senate abolished, unicameral system adopted.2. Legislature disbanded.3. New Constitution adopted.4. Replaced by National Council of Provinces.*
Senator for life
