The House of Commons
A house can be a single dwelling unit or an entire building for a group of people, such as a multifamily apartment or condominium. The word can also refer to a building or structure where people work: a publishing house, a law firm, a bank, a clothing company. It can even mean the governing body of a country or region: The Houses of Parliament in Britain, the House of Representatives in the US. The term can also refer to a group of performers: the cast and crew of a theater production, for example.
The shape and construction of a house reflects the habits and beliefs of its inhabitants. A large house might suggest a display of wealth and power, while a modest house might indicate thrift and modesty. A house can also be a status symbol: a famous person who lives in a palatial mansion may be seen as glamorous, while an ordinary citizen who owns his or her own house is viewed as respectable.
Humans build houses for animals as well, usually resembling smaller versions of human domiciles. Domestic animal houses include dog and hen houses, while farm animals generally live in barns and stables.
A house may also refer to a government institution, such as the House of Commons or the House of Lords in Britain, the European Parliament or the House of Representatives in the US, and state legislatures in the US and elsewhere. It is also used to refer to a political party or parliamentary faction: the House of Conservatives; the House of Liberal Democrats; the House of Independents.
The House is governed by a set of rules, called the Standing Rules of Procedure, which define how debates in the chamber take place. The presiding officer is the speaker of the House, who has broad powers over the proceedings. The speaker is supported by a number of other floor leaders, including the majority leader and minority leader. The House operates as a two-party system, and seats on committees are allocated in rough proportion to the parties’ overall strength in the House. Historically, the number of members in the House has fluctuated slightly over time; it was fixed at 435 in 1911 but was temporarily increased to 437 following the 1959 admission of Alaska and Hawaii and will return to that figure after the next reapportionment after the next census. The House also has several special procedures for handling specific types of bills, including fast-track legislation. It is an important branch of the US federal government.