Arguments in favour and against of unicameral legislature.
Arguments in favour and against of unicameral legislature.
Advantages and disadvantages of a unicameral legislature.
Pros and cons of unicameral legislature.
Merits and demerits of unicameral legislature.
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Arguments in favor of a unicameral legislature:-
Among the supporters of a unicameral legislature are - Jeremy Bentham, Laski, Abbe Sieyes - etc. The arguments in favor of a unicameral legislature are -
1. Suitable for democracy:-
A unicameral legislature is completely democratic. Because, in a unicameral legislature, the members are directly elected by the people. On the other hand, the people do not have any role in the election of the members of the upper house of a bicameral legislature. Therefore, if we are to judge in the context of democracy, a unicameral legislature is desirable.
2. Quick decision-making is possible:-
If the legislature is unicameral - making laws, changing laws, taking decisions - etc. can be done very quickly. Because, in a bicameral legislature, if there is a disagreement between the lower house and the upper house, there is unnecessary delay in decision-making.
3. Suitable for emergencies:-
Quick decisions are needed in times of emergency. Since quick decisions can be made in a unicameral legislature, a unicameral legislature is much more effective during emergencies.
4. Suitable for federalism:-
Harold Lasky has claimed that a unicameral legislature is suitable for a federal system. According to him, in every federal system, power is divided between the central and state governments by the constitution. Therefore, the need for an upper house to protect the interests of the provincial governments is meaningless.
5. Less Expenses:-
Compared to a bicameral legislature, the expenses of a unicameral legislature are much less. If there are two houses in the legislature, the financial expenses for a large number of members are high. But in a unicameral legislature, that expense can be reduced to a great extent and that money can be spent on national development and public welfare.
6. The existence of the upper house is meaningless:-
In most cases, in bicameral legislatures, the representatives of the ruling party are in the majority in the upper house. As a result, they freely agree with the policies, decisions and programs of the government. Again, in the upper houses with equal powers, it becomes impossible to implement the decisions in many cases due to strong opposition from the opposition.
7. The role of the upper house is unrelated to the protection of the interests of the minority class:-
According to some political scientists, if the legislature is bicameral, the upper house plays a special role in protecting the interests of the minority class. But such a concept has no logic; because, the interests of the minorities are protected on the basis of constitutional rules and regulations, the goodwill of the government, etc. This has nothing to do with the legislature being bicameral.
8. True expression of the will of the public opinion:-
The members of the unicameral legislature are directly elected by the people and are directly accountable to the people. Government policies, decisions, etc. deeply affect public opinion. Therefore, all members of a unicameral legislature cannot ignore public opinion and are forced to run the administration and determine policies for the welfare of the public under the pressure of public opinion.
Arguments against a unicameral legislature:-
The arguments against a unicameral legislature are -
1. Possibility of becoming dictatorial:-
If the legislature is unicameral, there is a possibility of the legislature becoming dictatorial. Since the ruling party has a majority in the legislature, the ruling party can make any kind of law in favor of its own interests. In that case, there is no way to control the unicameral legislature.
2. Well-thought-out lawmaking is not possible:-
The upper house of the legislature is a gathering of wise people. Therefore, while making any kind of law, the experts of the upper house can analyze all those proposed laws thoroughly and change them if necessary. But this is not possible if the legislature is unicameral.
3. Issues related to the qualifications of members:-
The members of a unicameral legislature are directly elected by the people. Although they are skilled politicians, the people's representatives often do not have the qualifications and skills required for lawmaking. As a result, the question remains as to how much the laws they make will be useful for the public welfare.
4. Not suitable for the federal system:-
In the federal system, national and provincial interests are protected by a bicameral legislature. But if the legislature is unicameral, there is a possibility that provincial interests will be neglected. Therefore, a unicameral legislature is not suitable for the federal system.
5. Not suitable for the interests of minorities:-
If there is a certain number of representatives of minorities in the legislature, then their interests are likely to be protected. But if the minorities fail to send a certain number of representatives to the legislature, it disrupts the interests of the minorities. Therefore, a unicameral legislature is not suitable for the interests of the minorities.
6. Spreading political education is not possible:-
Since only the ruling party is in power in a unicameral legislature, there is no room for debate, discussion, etc. on various issues. As a result, there is no interest in the media and the public regarding any kind of law, decision, etc. As a result, political education does not spread among the public.
7. Question of Excellence:-
In a unicameral legislature, representatives are directly elected by the people. But the question remains as to how competent those representatives are in economic, cultural, social changes, education, national and international situations - etc. The lack of knowledgeable people in the upper house makes a unicameral legislature ineffective in most cases.
8. Not suitable for a modern welfare state:-
Modern welfare states are more interested in public welfare instead of the manifestation of state power. The scope of the state has expanded greatly in various fields such as the spread of universal education, women and child welfare, rural and urban development, development of agriculture and industry, international relations - etc. Therefore, it is not possible for only one chamber of the legislature to perform these multifaceted functions.
9. Not suitable for a large state:-
A large state always has differences in various fields such as race, language, culture, development - etc. Therefore, it is not possible for a unicameral legislature to function in harmony with that huge diversity. In addition, regional interests also vary in a large country - which is not possible for a unicameral legislature to successfully fulfill. However, the People's Republic of China is an exception in this regard. Despite being a country with a large population, China's legislature is unicameral.
Finally, it can be said that, excluding the People's Republic of China, the legislatures of more than a hundred countries in the world are unicameral; but they are quite small in terms of size and population.
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