The Dual Chamber System

France's Parliament embodies a careful balance between democratic representation and institutional stability. Comprising two chambers—the National Assembly and the Senate—this bicameral legislature reflects both revolutionary ideals of popular sovereignty and conservative concerns for deliberation and territorial representation. Unlike the executive branch's dramatic transformation under the Fifth Republic, Parliament's evolution has been more subtle yet equally significant, moving from the instability of the Fourth Republic to a rationalized system that, while constrained, remains essential to French democracy.

The choice of bicameralism itself tells a story of French political culture. The revolutionaries of 1789 initially favored a single assembly embodying the unified will of the nation. Yet experience with unchecked legislative power led to appreciation for a second chamber's moderating influence. Today's system, while tilted toward the lower house, maintains meaningful roles for both chambers in legislation, government oversight, and constitutional balance.