Why do American states have two-house legislatures?

[Politruk]

The political calculations underlying the Great Compromise -- a House and a Senate -- do not apply at the state level. Yet every state but Nebraska has a two-house legislature.

Why? After all, a unicameral, or dromedary, legislature, is obviously more efficient than a bicameral, or Bactrian, legislature.

 

[eric_erosfan]

There is always a house made up of crazy regular folks that run for vanity sake or because Doug and Chuck said they should run while shooting pool at the neighborhood bar. And then a Senate that at least has somewhat more educated folks running, many with law degrees. Think of the Senate in each state as the guardrail preventing every lame-brain idea being passed into law. Nobody wants pure democracy. There are way too many dumbasses out there.

 

[Politruk]

There is always a house made up of crazy regular folks that run for vanity sake or because Doug and Chuck said they should run while shooting pool at the neighborhood bar. And then a Senate that at least has somewhat more educated folks running, many with law degrees. Think of the Senate in each state as the guardrail preventing every lame-brain idea being passed into law. Nobody wants pure democracy. There are way too many dumbasses out there.

A state senate does not have educational qualifications -- generally, it differs from the house only in having larger districts and fewer members.

 

[Rightguide]

The political calculations underlying the Great Compromise -- a House and a Senate -- do not apply at the state level. Yet every state but Nebraska has a two-house legislature.

Why? After all, a unicameral, or dromedary, legislature, is obviously more efficient than a bicameral, or Bactrian, legislature.

Nebraska has a unicameral legislature. It's up to the states and its people to determine.

 

[ll74]

The political calculations underlying the Great Compromise -- a House and a Senate -- do not apply at the state level. Yet every state but Nebraska has a two-house legislature.

Why? After all, a unicameral, or dromedary, legislature, is obviously more efficient than a bicameral, or Bactrian, legislature.

Because the states voted to have them
Hope this helps

 

[Politruk]

Because the states voted to have them
Hope this helps

It doesn't.

 

[Politruk]

Why? After all, a unicameral, or dromedary, legislature, is obviously more efficient than a bicameral, or Bactrian, legislature.

Most importantly, that means a one-house legislature is stronger, as against the executive, than a divided legislature.