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Hemicycle (chamber)
Encyclopedia
In legislatures, a hemicycle is a term for a semicircular
, or horseshoe
shaped, debating chamber (plenary chamber) where deputies (members)
sit to discuss and pass legislation
. Though composed of Greek
roots, the term is French
in origin. It may also be known as an amphitheatre.
rather than confrontation, such as the Westminster system
where the government and opposition parties face each other on opposing sets of benches. The design is used in most European countries (and hence was adopted by the European Parliament
) and the United States.
The United Kingdom
, as the originator of the Westminster system, does not. However its sub-national assemblies, the Scottish Parliament
and Welsh Assembly, use hemicycles.
and Australia
, have confrontational benches but the end segment is curved to create a partial hemicycle, while other countries, such as the People's Republic of China
, have one set of benches facing towards a stage area (though this reflects the one party system in operation there).
Semicircle
In mathematics , a semicircle is a two-dimensional geometric shape that forms half of a circle. Being half of a circle's 360°, the arc of a semicircle always measures 180° or a half turn...
, or horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
shaped, debating chamber (plenary chamber) where deputies (members)
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
sit to discuss and pass legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
. Though composed of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
roots, the term is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in origin. It may also be known as an amphitheatre.
Usage
The circular shape is designed to encourage consensus among political partiesPolitical Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
rather than confrontation, such as the Westminster system
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
where the government and opposition parties face each other on opposing sets of benches. The design is used in most European countries (and hence was adopted by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
) and the United States.
The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as the originator of the Westminster system, does not. However its sub-national assemblies, the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and Welsh Assembly, use hemicycles.
Arrangement
In the case of Australia (see below), the two largest parties are still facing each other, whereas in the Scottish Parliament's hemicycle the largest party sits in the middle. However some hemicycles follow a strict left right arrangement with, for example, a left wing governing party sitting on the left and the right wing opposition on the right. In these cases election results are often portrayed in the hemicycle to show the results of left wing or right wing coalitions (reaching 50% in the centre where centrist third parties are located) for forming a majority.Alternatives
Some Westminster system countries outside the UK, such as IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, have confrontational benches but the end segment is curved to create a partial hemicycle, while other countries, such as the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, have one set of benches facing towards a stage area (though this reflects the one party system in operation there).
See also
- Detail on the European Parliament's hemicycle
- Westminster style chamber