Question

What are the relative positions of the Lok Sabha and the United States House of Representatives in their respective systems? Discuss.

Answer 1

Comparison of Indian Lok Sabha and US House of Representatives: Indian Lok Sabha, (House of the People) and the US House of Representatives, each is a lower house, a democratically and directly elected house, a representative and national house which represents the people and mirrors national public opinion. These are quite similar in their organizational structures...

Indian Lok Sabha has a strength of 545 members, each member represents a territorial constituency. He is elected directly by the people of the constituency. The principles which govern his elections are Universal Adult Franchise (voting age minimum 18 years) single-member constituency, secret ballot, simple-majority-vote-victory system. Some constituencies are reserved constituencies from which only persons belonging to SC’s and ST’s can contest elections, but all the voters vote in these constituencies. The elections are always keenly contested. A number of candidates, both party candidates, and independents contest these elections. All Indian political parties contest these elections.

Each MP is elected for a term of 5 years. All the members of the Lok Sabha together represent the sovereign people of India. Only two of its members are nominated members. The President of India can nominate 2 members of the Anglo Indian community to the Lok Sabha in case he feels that this community has not been adequately represented in the Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha can be dissolved before the expiry of its full term by the President of Indian acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

The US House of Representatives is the lower house of the US Congress. It has a strength of 435 members. It is a national representative house whose members are directly elected by the people of the USA. The principles which govern their elections are Universal Adult Franchise, single-member constituencies (Called Electoral Districts) secret ballot, and simple-majority-vote-victory system. There is no provision for reservation of any seat. House of Representatives has a short tenure of 2 years. However, it is a fixed and stable tenure before the expiry of which, it cannot be dissolved.

The Indian Lok Sabha is presided over by the Speaker, who acts as a neutral chairman. However, he maintains his party membership and has to contest elections for securing a seat in the Lok Sabha. He is elected as the Speaker by the members of the Lok Sabha.

The Speaker, after getting elected to the office, resigns his party membership and becomes a totally neutral person both inside and outside the house. He presides over the meetings of Lok Sabha and always maintains neutrality and objectivity in his behavior.

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives is elected by the members of the House. He always belongs to the majority party. Since the executive is not present in the House of Representatives; the US Speaker always acts as the leader of his party (majority party). He openly favors his party in the House. He is a politician through and through, and his conduct is always a matter of political talk and controversies.

Indian Speaker follows a middle path a political neutral inside the Lok Sabha and a party member outside. Indian Lok Sabha is a powerful House. India is a federation and the Union Parliament can legislate only on the subjects of Centre List, Concurrent List, and the Residuary subjects. Though in ordinary law-making in the elections of the President and Vice President, in the amendment of the constitution and in aspects of impeachment powers, the Rajya Sabha enjoys equal powers with the Lok Sabha, yet it enjoys a superior status in other matters. Its position is decidedly better than the US House of Representatives.

The US House of Representatives is relatively a weak house. With a short tenure of two years and due to a narrower representative base in comparison with the US Senate, it is at a disadvantageous position. Theoretically, it has coequal powers with the Senate in respect of ordinary laws, and the money bills can originate only in it. However, in actual practice, the house of Representatives finds its position weak in comparison with the Senate, which has a longer tenure, quasi-permanent chamber, a final say in financial legislation, and a house with some special checking powers (in respect of Appointments and Treaties) over the US President.

The position of Senate in the US Congress is decidedly stronger than the House of representatives. Thus, Lok Sabha and us House of Representatives are both Lower houses in their respective parliaments but Lok Sabha appears more powerful than its US counterpart.