# How many different names have been applied to governing, deliberative bodies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232 "2013-04-09T15:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/21 "2013-04-09T19:46:09Z")
Iceland has an Althing, and Israel has a Knesset. > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The single (unicameral) chamber is called the Senate. Wiki says otherwise: [Nebraska Legislature - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_legislature) As does the institution itself: [http://nebraskalegislature.gov/](http://nebraskalegislature.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/22 "2013-04-09T19:57:01Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Also, a governing body of the Soviet Uniin is…a Soviet. But I don’t know what that means literally. > > Also, for English, I just found that the Confederate States of America remains a [functioning government-in-internal-exile](http://csa.systekproof.com/?page_id=63) (does the FBI know about this?!! More important, does Ken Burns?) and they refer to their legislators as “representatives.” Holy Cr\*p Batman. The website is pretty amazing, in their mind the “War” lives on and the South is under occupation. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/23 "2013-04-09T20:09:30Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Let me introduce you to a multisearching online dictionary: [OneLook](http://www.onelook.com/?w=diet&ls=a&loc=2osdf). > > Among the dictionaries results, I recommend going to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, which is the one Yahoo uses, for etymologies. Your answer is here: [Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/diet_2) > > Is there something you’d like me go Google for you or look up on Wikipedia? 😛 Yes please, whichever you think is most helpful. I did do a Google and dictionary search [but I’m still having trouble.](http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/_/dict.aspx?word=KMA) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/24 "2013-04-09T20:09:55Z")
India: Lok Sabha Iran: Majles Mongolia: Khural Poland: Sejm Russia: Duma ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/25 "2013-04-09T20:27:32Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The single (unicameral) chamber is called the Senate. They like to refer to themselves as Senators, but the name of the body is the Nebraska Legislature. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/26 "2013-04-09T21:21:05Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > What do they call the leaders in communist countries?.. It’s complicated. The convention in the Western media was to refer to all Soviet leaders as “Premier”; this started during WWII when Stalin decided to make himself head of government to clarify diplomatic protocal (his actual civil position was “Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars”, later peole’s commissars were renamed ministers". Until then he had no official postion in the USSR’s government, but as General Secretary of the CPSU we was the undisputed supreme leader. Even the office of General Secretary wasn’t originally very powerful, it was originally an administertive postion mainly charged with keeping track of memvership roles. Stalin (who got the job because nobody else wanted it) made it into the most powerful postion in the Party (& hence the country). Khrushchev followed Stalin’s example and made himself head of government, but later General Secretaries chose to make themeselves the head of state instead. On it’s own this office was a powerless, purely ceremonial postion usually given to a retired Foreign Minister. The actual title was “Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet”. The Presidium being the collective head of state. In 1990 Gorbachev abanded the idea of a collective head of state and had an actual office of “President of the Soviet Union” created for himself. Most Communist countries copied the Soviet model to some extent. For example “President of Cuba” is actualy 2 seperate offices (President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers) that so far have always been held by the same person (the First Secretary of the Communist Party). North Korea is even stranger. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Also, a governing body of the Soviet Uniin is…a Soviet. But I don’t know what that means literally… Literally it means council, and it refers to the councils of workers’ and peasants that took over during the Russian Revolution. The USSR’s legislature (Supreme Soviet) was a huge body (1500 members, part-time) that only met twice a year; most of the time it’s exectutive committe, the Presidium, served as an actual legislature and rubber stamped bills prepared by the government. The Supreme Soviet had two chambers, the Soviet of the Union (750 members elected from single-member different) and the Soviet of Nationalities (750 membes selected by constitute republics, oblasts, etc). Later Gorbachev created a new 2250 member “Congress of People’s Deputies” to serve as the legislature with a much smaller Supreme Soviet elected by the Congress to serve as a full time legislature in between sessions of the CPD. The extra 750 members came directly from “mass organizations” like the CPSU, Kosomel, cultural organisations, science academies, etc. China has a similiar setup with a 3000 member National People’s Congress that meets once a year, and it’s Standing Committee serving as full time legislature in between sessions. China has actual office of head of state (President of the People’s Republic of China) that’s always given to the General Secretary of the Communist Party. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/27 "2013-04-09T21:38:25Z")
Colorado is governed by a General Assembly. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/28 "2013-04-10T04:32:24Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Colorado is governed by a General Assembly. As is Ohio. The Massachusetts legislature, I believe uniquely among the fifty states, is the General Court. The top panel of judges in the commonwealth is the Supreme Judicial Court. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/29 "2013-04-10T04:59:07Z")
**alphaboi** , generous post. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/30 "2013-04-10T05:27:41Z")
France is a rich source of titles. Prior to the Revolution, it had an Estates-General, which was succeeded by the National Assembly, which was succeeded by the Convention, which was succeeded byt the National Constituent Assembly, which was succeeded by a bicameral parliament consisting of the Council of Elders and the Council of Five Hundred, succeeded (under the Empire) by a bicameral parliament consisting of a Senate and a Legislative Body. Then, with the restoration of 1815, came a Parliament composed of the Chamber of Peers and the Chamber of Representatives. Then in 1848 they reverted to a unicameral National Assembly, and in 1952 they adopted a bicameral Senate/Legislative Body, then back to a National Assembly with a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies with the Third Republic. This parliament contined to exist until 1940, and indeed notionally existed during the Vichy period, though I think it never met. Then in 1946 the Fourth Republic was established, with a bicameral parliament consisting of the Legislative Assembly and the Council of the Republic. Finally the Fifth (and present) Republic was established; it has a Senate and a National Assembly, and they occasionally meet as a single house, the Congress of the French Parliament. For the supreme executive body, during the revolutionary period France had the Committee of Public Safety, followed by the Directory, followed by the Consulate (followed by the First Consul, followed by the Emperor, but I think the OP is only looking for the names of collective bodies). The Netherlands, I think, still has a States-General divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives or, rather prosaically, the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/31 "2013-04-10T05:28:40Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > What do they call the leaders in communist countries? Are there any secular councils in the middle east? what are their members called? > > I’m especially curious what our Asian friends call their senator-types, though I’ve got this vague impression (possibly mistaken) that most of Asia is either communist (China, N. Korea, Vietnam) or still using a monarchical system with hereditary (rather than elected) nobility. Please. Never travel overseas especially to Asia or the Middle East and especially to regions which are both.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/32 "2013-04-10T05:34:45Z")
[QUOTE=Leo Bloom] With the permission of OP, may this be opened to non- Anglo, as long as literals or root concepts are explained? [/QUOTE] Why? Many of them mean the same thing in English as “Assembly”, “Council” etc. Knesset means “gathering” or “the assembly” in hebrew[if wiki is to be believed.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knesset) [QUOTE=Johanna] India: Lok Sabha Iran: Majles [/QUOTE] Majlis means “gathering” or “assembly” Lokh Sahba means “peoples house”. Its just a translation of “House of Commons”. Like Rajiya Sahba is a traslation of House of Lords. And indeed that is what its based upon. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/33 "2013-04-10T05:47:04Z")
The [Tynwald](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tynwald), said to be the oldest legislative body in the world. Includes the _House of Keys_ and the _Legislative Council_. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/34 "2013-04-10T19:50:27Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The Massachusetts legislature, I believe uniquely among the fifty states, is the General Court. It’s neighbor north, New Hampshire is the 4th largest english speaking legislative body in the world. I learned that when I was in Concord travelling through site seeing in Boston, and drove up. It’s House has 400 members! Why??? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/35 "2013-04-10T20:34:30Z")
Consistent with the Yankee ideal of small government close to the people, it has extremely small House districts. Some of them are just a few streets in a neighborhood. I knew a New Hampshire state rep in 1987-88 - she had only a hundred or so constituents. Which reminds me, some small Vermont towns are governed by annual town meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232/36 "2013-04-12T00:12:53Z")
At one point in England, there was the Grand Council, composed solely of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal. It eventually was replaced by the House of Lords. The last time it was summoned was during Charles I’s period of personal rule, when he tried to govern without calling a Parliament. There was also the Privy Council, which is a smaller council designed to give advice to the monarch. It still exists in Britain, as the Cabinet is a sub-committee of the Privy Council. There is also a Privy Council of Canada, which serves the same function: membership in the Privy Council is for life, but only those who are appointed to ministerial positions sit in Cabinet, and only at pleasure. The full Privy Council only meets on very ceremonial occasions, such as to celebrate the centennial in 1967, I believe. At the provincial level, there are the Executive Councils, which is the formal name for the provincial Cabinets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-names-have-been-applied-to-governing-deliberative-bodies/655232.md?page=1)