Parliament is a legislative body of government that has three main functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. The term "parliament" comes from the Old French word "parlement," meaning "to talk," and originally referred to any discussion, conversation, or negotiation through various kinds of deliberative or judicial groups, often summoned by a monarch. By the 15th century, in Britain, it had come to specifically mean the legislature.
Parliament is made up of three central elements: the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Monarchy. The House of Commons is where all the people elected at the General Election work as Members of Parliament (MPs) for the next five years. The House of Lords is made up of appointed members who scrutinize and revise legislation. The Monarchy is the head of state, but their role is largely ceremonial.
Parliamentary systems are systems of democratic governance of a state where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the confidence of the legislature. In Canada, for example, each of the 338 Members of Parliament (MPs) represents a specific geographic area, known as a constituency, and brings the concerns of the people who live there to Parliament. In New Zealand, Parliament is made up of the House of Representatives, the Government, and the institutions of Parliament.
