Second Chambers: an Inductive Study in Political Science

Second Chambers: An Inductive Study In Political Science by Sir John Arthur Ransome Marriott. This is a comparative, inductive survey of bicameral legislatures in the modern world. Marriott traces the universal preference for two coequal chambers and analyzes their forms, functions, and constitutional roles. He surveys the English House of Lords, the American Senate, the German Bundesrath, the Swiss Standerath, and other continental and overseas Second Chambers, focusing on composition (hereditary, life peers, and elected members), powers over taxation, finance, and legislation, and their capacity to revise, delay, or veto. The book then examines second chambers in Canada, Australia, and South Africa, as well as the French Senate and other nations, drawing broad comparisons and contemplating constitutional revision in England. Marriott argues that bicameralism serves as sober second thought and a necessary counterpoise to democratic fervor, and he offers insights into the design, reform, and future of the British system. It is a foundational work in political science on the structure and reform of legislatures.