Chamber of Commons

The Chamber of Commons (: Camara dei Comuni, : Bürgerkammer) is the unicameral legislature of the Free City of Tross.

History
The Chamber of Commons was established in 1291 as part of a complex government structure, together with the Chamber of Patricians and the Lord Provost, all of which shared legislative, executive and judicial power. The system was inspired by the theory of, combining democracy, aristocracy and monarchy. Members of the Chamber of Commons, which represented democracy, were elected for life by a small class of bürger or sitidani, wealthy merchants, bankers and civil servants. The granting of this status was tied to a number of conditions, including duration of continuous residency, value of the property owned in the city, and "good standing among the citizenry". This last condition in particular, due to its highly subjective nature, was a common source of corruption and favouritism.

The Constitution adopted in the aftermath of the Umber Revolutionary Wars limited terms to six years with staggered elections every two years, and left only the property requirement for suffrage. Because the exact property value required was fixed in the Constitution, rising wealth and inflation led to a gradual expansion of suffrage. While only 6% of the city's adult population was eligible to vote upon the adoption of the Constitution, this proportion rose to 31% in 1853, and to 78% in 1917. The property requirement was finally abolished, and universal suffrage achieved, as part of the Compromise of 1917 in the aftermath of the 1915–1917 Trossian riots. This compromise also added three members to represent the Hinterland, and changed the electoral system from to.

Additionally, the 1853 Constitution changed the form of government in accordance with the more modern theory of, relegating the Chamber of Patricians and Lord Provost to merely ceremonial duties and establishing the Chamber of Commons as the sole legislative body. A Council of Ministers, elected by the Chamber of Commons, was established to exercise executive power. This settlement remains in place to this day.

Elections
The Chamber of Commons consists of 93 members elected for six-year terms, with a third of seats up for election every two years. Elections are held under the system, with the city's nine boroughs functioning as multi-member constituencies, while Hinterland elects a single member every two years under an  system. Vacancies are filled using the countback method.

Elections are held on the third Tuesday of March every even year. The session of the elected Chamber starts roughly a month later, on the third Tuesday of April, and it elects members of the Council of Ministers roughly a month after that, on the third Tuesday of May.

Organisation
The conduct of the Chamber of Commons is based on the standing orders; all members are expected to read them and understand them. The Chamber elects a Speaker and two Deputy Speakers from among its ranks. Elections take place in similar fashion to those for the Chamber itself, with one elected for a six-year term every two years. These three officers form the Praesidium, which is responsible for the day-to-day governance of the Chamber, organising its plenary debate schedule and directing its civil staff.

Members of the Chamber of Commons organise themselves into parliamentary groups along partisan lines, and committees along jurisdictional lines. s are formed after each election, and typically correspond with political parties. Parliamentary groups must consist of at least two members; sole members of the Chamber are classified as independents, even if they were elected on a party label. Parliamentary groups typically coordinate voting behaviour in accordance with election manifestos, although the strong electoral link between representatives and constituents has led to a relatively low degree of parliamentary group unity in voting behaviour. Additionally, some parliamentary groups create a division of labour among their members, assigning a policy portfolio to each member. Larger groups typically make a distinction between a "frontbench" of official party spokespersons and a "backbench" of members who spend most of their time on constituency service.

The Chamber of Commons has a relatively strong system. The Chamber has twelve committees, each of which covers the policy area of a government department. Committees have the right to initiate and amend legislation, and compel ministerial attendance and evidence. This leads committees to dominate the legislative process, with the plenary session typically voting only on the final bill. Each member is entitled to a position in two committees, with each committee consisting of either 15 or 16 members. The partisan composition of committees is mostly fixed, but small variations can exist.