Posted by Chester Morton / Wednesday, 23 November 2016 / No comments
The disadvantages of a Unicameral Legislature
Definition of unicameral legislature
A unicameral legislature refers to
the type of legislature in which there is only one house or chamber. In other
words, all the legislators can be found in one house.
DISADVANTAGES
Legislation may be hastily passed
The absence of a second chamber robs
the first chamber of the cool head that is needed in the passage of
bills. In the absence of the second chamber, there is the danger of passing bad
laws.
No representation for unique interests
The second chamber is useful for
bringing into government people with expert knowledge, who otherwise would not
have found themselves in government because they do not want to go through all
the drudgery of political campaign. This advantage is absent in a unicameral
legislature.
Can be dictatorial
The absence of a second chamber
removes those moments of sober reflection on laws that are passed. It also
creates the opportunity for a government to use the single chamber to force
obnoxious laws through, especially if it has majority in the chamber.
The work load is greater
In a unicameral legislature, it is
only one chamber that does all the work. There is no opportunity for assistance
from a second chamber. As a result, the work load becomes too heavy on the
shoulders of the chamber.
Not applicable in federal systems of
government
In a federal system of government, a
second chamber allows for the equal representation of interests within the
state. For this reason, unicameral legislature is not suitable for a federal
system.
Susceptible to party influence
Another disadvantage of a unicameral
legislature is that the members of the chamber can be unduly influenced
especially by a ruling government that has majority in parliament but sometimes
also by the minority party. The members could be influenced to vote on a
particular direction without recourse to their own conscience.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Highlight six disadvantages of a
unicameral legislature.
