Upper house (legislative chamber)

One chamber of a bicameral legislature. An upper house typically reviews legislation, represents regions or social orders, and varies widely in composition and authority across countries.

Author: Leandro Alegsa Creation date: November 13, 2022 Last updated: June 2, 2026

Overview

An upper house is the chamber that complements a lower chamber within a bicameral legislature. It exists in many national and subnational systems to provide a second forum for debate, revision and oversight. While often called a "senate," other names include council, chamber of peers, or assembly of regions.

Characteristics and composition

Upper houses differ greatly in how members are chosen and how long they serve. Common features include indirect election, appointment, representation of territorial units, or a mixture of methods. Membership can reflect historical social classes, regional governments, or party balance rather than direct population-based representation found in the lower house.

Typical functions

Legislative review: revising, delaying or suggesting amendments to bills passed by the lower chamber.
Representation of constituent units: guaranteeing a voice for states, provinces or regions in federal systems.
Checks and balances: providing oversight of the executive, confirming appointments, or conducting inquiries.
Special roles: some upper houses have authority on treaties, impeachment trials, or constitutional changes.

History and development

The concept derives from medieval and early modern councils where nobility, clergy or regional elites met separately from popular assemblies. Over time many upper houses were reformed—losing hereditary seats, becoming partially elected, or being reshaped to represent territories. Some states later chose unicameral systems, while others strengthened or preserved an upper chamber as a moderating institution.

Variations and notable facts

Across countries the balance of power ranges from nearly equal authority with the lower chamber to a largely advisory or delaying role. Federal countries commonly use an upper house to protect subnational interests; unitary states may keep one for historical or deliberative reasons. Debates about democratic legitimacy, reform and abolition continue in several places.

For comparative overviews and specific national examples see resources on bicameral institutions and national parliaments: bicameral systems, legislatures and comparative studies addressing the relationship between upper and lower chambers.

Term

Historical

Historically, the House of Lords was the parliamentary chamber in which the nobility, clergy and universities were represented. The privileges of the nobility reflected in this arrangement are also reflected in the designation: just as the nobility stood above the common people in the conception of the time, the House of Lords was the upper chamber in which the "important" people were represented. Accordingly, the House of Lords was also referred to as the first chamber. In the Netherlands, the Senate is still referred to as the First Chamber, and the Representation of the People as the Second Chamber.

Political Science

In political science, however, a different (diametrically opposed) definition is sometimes used to describe modern bicameral systems: The type of parliamentary chamber described here is thereby referred to as a "second chamber", since the upper house is nowadays generally the less powerful chamber. In addition to the historical upper houses described above, the characteristics listed here are that this "second chamber" is usually more disproportionately staffed than the other chamber in order to represent certain interests more strongly. These are often regional or federal in nature. For this reason, bicameral systems exist primarily in territorial states.

Principles

In the bicameral system, the first chamber (in the above historical consideration) can realize the following principles:

the feudal (monarchical or landlord) or clerical (ecclesiastical) principle;
the federal (state-based) or munizipal (district- or municipality-based) principle;
the professional and possessive or economic-social principle.

Author

Creation date: November 13, 2022

Last updated: June 2, 2026