The term parliament is most widely used to refer to a country’s legislative (law-making) body. However, it is also sometimes used to refer to an assembly of people or even a card game.
Parliaments perform three core functions: representing citizens’ interests, passing laws and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. They are the key democratic institution that reconciles different and often conflicting expectations of democracy as a means to adapt society to changing circumstances.
In the UK, for example, the Parliament consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is composed of 650 members who are elected by voters to represent single-member constituencies. If a party wins more than half of the seats, it is invited by the Monarch to form a government.
While it is not possible to change the way these two Houses work, recent reforms have made them more effective at fulfilling their role. For instance, select committees have been reformed to become more visible and collaborative; they now hold public hearings on legislation before it is debated in the House of Commons. Parliament has also introduced an e-petitioning system and high profile departmental questions sessions such as Prime Minister’s Questions.
It is also important to note that, while Parliament may pass laws, it can never change the Constitution. This is a fundamental tenet of democracy and one that has been accepted by all countries that use the Parliamentary model.