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An upper house is one of two chambers that make up certain national legislatures, typically serving as a secondary legislative body that reviews and approves laws alongside the lower house. It matters because it provides an additional layer of deliberation and can represent different interests—such as states or regions—giving them a voice in the lawmaking process.
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An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted power than the lower house. A legislature composed of only one house (and which therefore has neither an upper house nor a lower house) is described as unicameral.
In countries where English is widely used, the most common name for the upper house of a national legislature is the Senate, including in the United States, Nigeria, the Philippines, Kenya, Canada, and Australia, among others.