Citizen legislature explained

A citizen legislature is a legislative chamber made up primarily of citizens who have a full-time occupation besides being a legislator. Such citizen legislatures can be found on the state level, as in some U.S. states, or on the national level as in Switzerland.^[1]

Legislatures in the U.S. considered to be citizen legislatures include Montana,^[2] Nevada,^[3] Idaho,^[4] New Mexico,^[5] North Carolina,^[6] North Dakota,^[7] Oregon,^[8] Utah,^[9] Virginia^[10] and Wyoming.^[11]

Many other states in the US, by contrast, have a professional legislature. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 62 that "It is not possible that an assembly of men called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature, continued in appointment for a short time, and led by no permanent motive to devote intervals of public occupation to a study of the laws, the affairs, and the comprehensive interests of their country, should, if left wholly to themselves, escape a variety of important errors in the exercise of their legislative trust."^{[12] [13]}

See also

• Politics of Switzerland
• Idaho Legislature
• Oregon Legislative Assembly
• Wyoming Legislature
• New Mexico Legislature
• Utah State Legislature
• North Carolina General Assembly

Notes and References

1. Web site: Die Legislative ist ein Miliz-Parlament - SWI swissinfo.ch . 2016-12-13.
2. Web site: Montana State Legislature . Government of the 'State of Montana' . 25 April 2023.
3. Web site: Nevada Legislature . Government of Nevada . 25 April 2023.
4. Web site: Idaho Legislature . Government of the 'State of Idaho'.
5. Web site: New Mexico Legislature (Legislatura de Nuevo México) . Government of New Mexico . 25 April 2023.
6. Web site: North Carolina General Assembly . Government of North Carolina . 25 April 2023.
7. Web site: North Dakota Legislative Assembly . North Dakota State Government . 25 April 2023.
8. Web site: Oregon Legislative Assembly . Government of the U.S. state of Oregon . 25 April 2023.
9. Web site: Utah State Legislature . Government of Utah . 25 April 2023.
10. Web site: Virginia General Assembly . Government of Virginia . 25 April 2023.
11. Web site: Wyoming State Legislature . Government of the 'State of Wyoming' . 25 April 2023.
12. News: Madison . James ("Publius") . Federalist No. 62 . The Federalist . New York Packet . February 27, 1788.
13. Web site: Federalist No. 62 . The Avalon Project . Lillian Goldman Law Library, 'Yale Law School' . 25 April 2023.