Legislature

A legislature is a <a href="/facts/Deliberative_assembly/IkCkqD1C">deliberative assembly</a> with the <a href="/facts/Authority/6ksKEFDr">legal authority</a> to make <a href="/facts/Law/luzxWkg0">laws</a> for a <a href="/facts/Polity/0R8Wr4CL">political entity</a> such as a <a href="/facts/Sovereign_state/TrUb8sns">country</a>, <a href="/facts/Nation/ed3XkH6y">nation</a> or <a href="/facts/City/2uNRFqAN">city</a> on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the <a href="/facts/Executive_(government)/fPCCh3VU">executive</a> and <a href="/facts/Judiciary/CvMkSB6T">judicial</a> powers of <a href="/facts/Government/N4bYL0VC">government</a>. Legislatures can exist at different levels of government–national, state/provincial/regional, local, even supranational (such as the <a href="/facts/European_Parliament/H9WLUd1r">European Parliament</a>). Countries differ as to what extent they grant deliberative assemblies at the subnational law-making power, as opposed to purely administrative responsibilities.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as <a href="/facts/Primary_and_secondary_legislation/urbAlxS3">primary legislation</a>. In addition, legislatures may observe and steer governing actions, with authority to amend the budget involved.
The members of a legislature are called legislators. In a democracy, legislators are most commonly popularly <a href="/facts/Election/oS1sLBlf">elected</a>, although <a href="/facts/Indirect_election/MQjdSerX">indirect election</a> and appointment by the executive are also used, particularly for <a href="/facts/Bicameralism/qdbjFfpm">bicameral</a> legislatures featuring an <a href="/facts/Upper_house/c1en2HMa">upper house</a>.

Legislature open-in-new

Legislature