House of Commons 216091 224549448 2008-07-09T10:41:28Z Ground Zero 232133 fix links, remove unnecessary word {{Politics}} The '''House of Commons''' is the name of the elected [[lower house]] of the [[bicameral]] [[parliament]]s of the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Canada]]. In the UK and Canada, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the [[upper house]] of parliament (the [[House of Lords]] and the [[Canadian Senate]], respectively). The leader of the majority party in the House of Commons usually becomes the [[prime minister]]. Since 2005, the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]] has had 646 elected members; this will increase to 650 at the next General Election. The [[Canadian House of Commons]] has 308 members. The Commons' functions are to consider through debate new laws and changes to existing ones, authorise taxes, and provide scrutiny of the policy and expenditure of the Government. It has the power to give a Government a [[vote of no confidence]]. Historically, there have also been Houses of Commons in [[Ireland]] and [[North Carolina]] ([[United States]]). == History and naming == {{confusing}} [[Image:Parliament2.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Canadian House of Commons]] Originally, "the commons" were an [[Estate of the realm]] prior to the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] in European politics, which typically divided the governance of an area between estates of society. The commons represented people from there local communities, or communes. They did not necessarily represent commoners, as the misconception holds. Other estates included the [[prelates]], [[nobles]], [[merchants]] and [[knights]]. The British House of Commons was created to serve as the political outlet for this "commons" class, while the elite estates were represented in the [[House of Lords]]. The House of Commons was thus elected while members of the upper house were appointed on the basis of various forms of merit, such as hereditary titles, family lineage, or a service to the realm that warranted special recognition. However, the term "commons" in House of Commons, is derived from the Anglo-Norman word ''communes'', which referred to the respective geographic and collective "communities" of their representatives and not the third estate, the commonality. Throughout their histories, the British and Canadian Houses of Commons have become increasingly representative, as [[suffrage]] has been extended. Both bodies are now elected via [[universal suffrage|universal adult suffrage]]. In both countries, the House of Commons may be [[prorogation|prorogued]] for election only by the Crown. == Specific bodies == Although it is common to associate the title of "House of Commons" with the [[Westminster system]] in general, in practice, only two states actually use the title. They are: * The [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]] (at the [[Palace of Westminster]], [[London]]) * The [[Canadian House of Commons]] (on [[Parliament Hill]], in [[Ottawa]]) Three historical bodies have used this name in [[Ireland]] as well, they are: * [[Irish House of Commons | House of Commons of Ireland]] (abolished in 1801) * [[House of Commons of Southern Ireland]] (1921–1922) * [[House of Commons of Northern Ireland]] (1921–1972) The [[lower house]] of the [[North Carolina General Assembly | General Assembly]] of [[North Carolina]] was also known as the House of Commons between 1760 and 1868. This is also where Jono and Thorben lay == See also == [[Image:IrishHC1780.jpg|200px|thumb|The [[Irish House of Commons]]<br><small>The first purpose-built House of Commons chamber in the world. Painted c.1780.</small>]] * [[House of Lords]] * [[Lower house | Lower House]] * [[House of Assembly]] * [[Legislative Assembly]] * [[National Assembly]] * [[Lok Sabha]] [[Category:Legislatures]] [[Category:Westminster system]] [[cy:Tŷ'r Cyffredin]] [[de:Unterhaus]] [[es:Cámara de los Comunes]] [[fr:Chambre des communes]] [[it:Camera dei Comuni]] [[ja:庶民院]] [[ka:თემთა პალატა]] [[pt:Câmara dos Comuns]] [[simple:House of Commons]] [[th:เฮาส์ออฟคอมมอนส์]] [[tr:Avam Kamarası]] [[ur:دارالعوام]]