A legislature consisting of two houses is described as ...

• A. Unicameral
• B. Bicameral
• C. Multicameral
• D. Plural

Answer: (B)

Two-house legislatures are bicameral. This setup means there are two separate chambers that review and pass laws, often representing different interests or constituencies. One chamber may reflect geographic or social groups, while the other represents the population more directly, providing checks and balances and encouraging more thorough debate before a law is enacted. In medieval England, Parliament illustrates this structure: the Lords formed an upper chamber of nobles and clergy, while the Commons consisted of representatives from towns and counties as the lower chamber. Because both houses usually must agree for a statute to become law, the process tends to slow and refine legislation, preventing quick, ill-considered decisions. Unicameral describes a single legislative chamber, multicameral would mean more than two, and plural is not the standard term for describing a legislative structure.