Hamster Senate

Hamster Senate
Type
Type	Upper house
History
Founded	27 March 2018
Leadership
President	Karl Lundkvist since 18 January 2022
Structure
Seats	20
Political groups	Moderate Party (12)   Socialist Party (3)   Libertarian Party (5)
Layout of the Hamster Senate

The Hamster Senate is the upper chamber of the Bicameral Congress of the State of Hamsterland. They are less powerful then the Chamber of Hamsters which they share Congress with.

History

The Senate was founded together with Congress on March 27, 2018 following that years elections for the Chamber. The decision not to have the Senate elected by the people was made just 2 days before the elections for Congress by the Judge of Hamsterland. This decision also made sure that the Senate would be the less powerful house. Senators were instead supposed to be appointed by the Chief Hamster which has caused a lot of problems. Some of them are: 1. Senators in theory now served for life 2. The party makeup of the Senate was doomed to not change once it had been filled. 3. The democraticly elected members of the chamber could get their law proposals rejected by a chamber of unelected people voting in their own interest. These factors have caused a the Senate to be despised and the current Judges reputation to be forever stained. When the Judge in March 2024 will be replaced it is likley the Senate will become a elected chamber as well but if the Judge will be brave enough to also remove the current Senators.

Functions

The Senate works as the upper house of Congress voting on all bills passed in the Chamber. Since the Senate can just like the Chamber prevent bills from moving foward in the lawmaking process, in what way does the chamber have more power? Well, they elect the government and the Senate has no say in it. Voting in the Senate works like this: When a bill is put to vote the President reads out the name of the bill and who proposed it, in the case it was proposed and approved by the Chamber he also reads out the result of the Chambers vote. Then all Senators chose a side of the Senate meeting hall, the right side of the President representing yes and the left side no. Once all Senators have chosen a side the President counts how many Senators stand on each side then tell the Senators the result before the Senators are seated again.